How crazy is the NWSL? Well, with just two games left of the regular season in the top flight of women's soccer in the United States, all but one of the league’s 12 teams were still in the running for one of the six play-off places. The team eliminated from contention? Last year’s regular season champions. So, yes, it’s pretty crazy.
After Sunday saw the regular season come to its conclusion, the six teams that will compete in the post-season have now been confirmed, with the San Diego Wave, Portland Thorns, North Carolina Courage, OL Reign, Angel City and Gotham FC all ready to battle it out for the Championship title. The action doesn’t hesitate to get underway, either, with the first round taking place this weekend.
The Wave - the NWSL Shield winners - and the Thorns won't be in action just yet. The top two in the standings claimed byes which mean they skip the first round of the play-offs and go straight to the semi-finals.
The remaining four, meanwhile, will battle it out for the last two spots at that stage. The winners of the semi-finals then go to the NWSL Championship game for the chance to play for the big prize. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. First up, there are four very good teams looking to secure passage to the semi-finals, and two very good teams waiting for them.
So, whether you’ve followed every kick of the season so far or whether you’re jumping on the bandwagon at the perfect time, our friends at Indivisa have compiled a guide of everything you need to know about the NWSL play-offs and those in contention to become the 2023 champions.