NJ/NY Gotham FC ended their trying 2022 campaign on a high, playing to a 3-3 draw against the Portland Thorns Saturday at Red Bull Arena.

The tie halted Gotham FC’s 12-game losing streak and five-game scoreless streak, with the club logging its first draw of the regular season.

The Portland Thorns entered Saturday’s matchup needing a win to lock up the NWSL Shield as masters of their own destiny. Instead, the 3-3 tie opened the door for OL Reign to clinch the league title, with the Seattle club registering a 3-0 shutout over the Orlando Pride to steal the NWSL Shield away from the Thorns.

“It’s definitely a painful one right now,” Portland Thorns head coach Rhian Wilkinson told reporters after the game. “I think Gotham came out to deliver a performance to put a full stop on a very challenging season. I thought it was really one of our weaker games all season, which is the frustration. I’ve asked the team to stick together through this. We got a tie and we secured a semifinal spot.”

Sophia Smith served as a bright spot in an otherwise frustrating Portland result, with the star forward notching a brace to secure a club record for the most goals in the season at 14, one shy of Golden Boot leader Alex Morgan.

“It’s an honor,” Smith said of the feat. “I couldn’t do it without an amazing team and amazing coach behind me. This season has been a lot of fun, honestly. I haven’t been thinking too much about any awards or records or anything.”

Despite going down 2-1 at the break, Gotham FC was resilient, with Midge Purce leading the charge for her team’s attack, assisting on Ifeoma Onumonu’s goal in the 56th minute.

Purce’s dominant outing comes after being left off Vlatko Andonovski’s latest U.S. Women’s National Team roster due to a perceived “dip in form.”

“Midge Purce had a great game and caused a lot of problems. The whole team just did really well,” Portland’s Becky Sauerbrunn said. “We tried to match and we knew the Shield was potentially in our hands. Go up 3-1 and you give up two goals, you tie 3-3, it’s a bummer. It’s a tough game and feeling not so great about it right now.”

Nahomi Kawasumi and McCall Zerboni rounded out scoring for Gotham FC, with Saturday marking the first three-goal game from the club since their May 1 opener against Orlando.

“No one celebrates on our field except for us,” Onumonu said of denying Portland the NWSL Shield. “That would have been honestly embarrassing, didn’t want that for us.”

The Thorns, while narrowly missing out on the Shield, clinched a No. 2 ranking and a first-round bye for the NWSL playoffs, which will be critical as players head out on international duty next week.

Portland will host their semifinal matchup at Providence Park on Oct. 23.

The NWSL Shield has returned to Seattle for the first time since 2015, with OL Reign downing the Orlando Pride 3-0 on Saturday to claim the league title.

The Portland Thorns’ 3-3 draw with Gotham FC earlier in the night put the Shield in play for OL Reign, with the Seattle club needing a win over Orlando to move atop the league standings.

The Reign jumped out to an early lead Saturday in front of a raucous 10,746-person Lumen Field crowd.

Megan Rapinoe opened up scoring for OL Reign, tapping in a well-placed cross from Jordyn Huitema for the go-ahead finish in the eighth minute.

Huitema doubled OL Reign’s lead in the 24th minute, splitting the Pride’s center-backs before beating Michelle Betos to put her side up 2-0.

Less than ten minutes later, Bethany Balcer capped off OL Reign’s scoring blitz, one-timing a lofted cross from Jess Fishlock for a 3-0 lead.

“This league’s the best. This is why people want to be a part of it,” OL Reign head coach Laura Harvey told reporters following the win. “Because what league in the world can the winner of the league be debated on the last day of the season?”

Along with the NWSL Shield, OL Reign’s No. 1 ranking earns the club a first-round bye and a home semifinal for the playoffs.

The break could prove crucial as players head out on international duty next week, with the U.S. Women’s National Team embarking on a European swing.

“We wanted to come out and be able to play the game and put our stamp on it and get a goal that has been ours throughout the year,” Rapinoe said. “We have a little bit further to go, definitely some unfinished business from our careers, but just an incredibly special night.”

OL Reign will host their semifinal matchup at Lumen Field on Oct. 23.

Racing Louisville FC midfielder Jaelin Howell will replace San Diego Wave midfielder Taylor Kornieck on the U.S. Women’s National Team October roster, U.S. Soccer announced Saturday.

Kornieck has been ruled out of the team’s European swing due to an ankle injury.

The USWNT will take on England at Wembley Stadium on October 7 before traveling to Pamplona to face Spain on October 11.

Howell has five caps with the USWNT, most recently taking the pitch for the United States in the team’s April 9 matchup against Uzbekistan. Her last national team call-up came in June ahead of the 2022 Concacaf W Championship.

Kornieck joins San Diego Wave teammate Alex Morgan on the USWNT’s injury list, both missing the national team’s fall friendlies.

San Diego Wave head coach Casey Stoney will hope the break will help Morgan and Kornieck to get back healthy for the club’s NWSL playoff run.

“Alex, Taylor, Katie Johnson, Abby, the list is a bit endless to be honest,” Stoney said of San Diego’s injury list. “Now it’s about giving the players a little bit of rest time because it’s been a long season, this league takes it out of you when you are traveling coast to coast, to play a 90-minute game.”

Naomi Girma donned the captain’s armband for the first time during San Diego’s Friday matchup against the North Carolina Courage.

The center-back helped log the Wave’s league-leading ninth clean sheet of the season, with San Diego and North Carolina splitting points in a scoreless draw.

Alex Morgan, who typically wears the captain’s armband, has been sidelined with a knock, missing San Diego’s last two games. The star forward serves as the Wave’s offensive engine, notching 15 of the club’s 32 goals.

In her absence, Girma stepped up, locking down the Wave’s backline as San Diego’s attack struggled to get going.

“A captain’s performance,” San Diego coach said of Girma following Friday’s tie. “I thought tonight she was absolutely outstanding, with or without the ball, the composure she shows as a rookie. I don’t see her as a rookie at all. She looks like she’s been playing in the league for years.”

Girma was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NWSL Draft, with Stoney telling reporters she was “adamant” about taking the Stanford star first.

The 22-year-old’s impressive professional debut has also caught the eye of USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski, with Girma quickly establishing herself as a reliable center-back ahead of the 2023 World Cup.

“I think Naomi is making big strides,” Andonovski said in September, commenting on the center-back pairing of Girma and Alana Cook. “One thing that I like about them, they’re very brace, not just off the ball, but on the ball.”

As Girma gears up for a Europen swing with the USWNT, the promising young defender will look to stake her claim as the future of the United States’ backline while leading San Diego to a playoff run.

“She just gives us that calm and assured performances week in and week out,” Stoney said. “She’s a very special player and a very special person.”

The Houston Dash are heading to the postseason, with the club clinching its first-ever playoff berth behind the San Diego Wave and North Carolina Courage’s Friday night draw.

“We are absolutely thrilled to clinch our spot in the 2022 playoffs,” Houston Dash president Jessica O’Neill said in a statement. “Beyond the undeniable talent of this team, there is an abundance of resilience, character and grit. The Dash embody the spirit of Houston, a city full of energy and personality. We are honored to hold it down for H-Town in our quest for greatness.”

Houston’s 9-6-6 regular season has been buoyed by a dominant showing from Ebony Salmon, who has logged nine goals since being traded to the team from Racing Louisville in June.

A staggering six of the club’s nine wins have come on the road, which may help the Dash, who will likely travel for their first playoff meeting.

Friday’s scoreless draw between the Wave and Courage had other playoff implications as well, with Angel City almost certainly mathematically eliminated from postseason contention and San Diego officially out of the NWSL Shield race.

All eyes will be on Chicago’s Sunday night matchup against ACFC, with the Red Stars able to clinch a playoff spot with a win. If Chicago registers a draw or a loss, North Carolina advances to the postseason.

Kick-off between the Red Stars and Angel City is set for Sunday at 6 pm ET on Paramount+.

A’ja Wilson is on a tear, helping Team USA to its fourth consecutive World Cup gold less than two weeks after winning the WNBA championship with the Las Vegas Aces.

The United States downed China 83-61 in the tournament final Friday, logging the largest margin of victory in a World Cup title match.

Wilson was her dominant self, notching 19 points, five rebounds and two steals to help clinch the World Cup trophy. The Aces star averaged 17.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.2 steals and 1.3 blocks through the competition, earning her World Cup MVP honors.

“This is why you sacrifice,” Wilson told reporters after the win. “My teammates hold me accountable. They put me in the best situation so I didn’t really feel tired. This is what we live for. This is honestly my job and I love my job. I love what I do and now I can go to sleep. I’m so excited. My bed is literally calling my name.”

Wilson’s FIBA gold and MVP nod join her WNBA MVP award, first defensive player of the year honor and WNBA title, capping off an extraordinary season.

“I’ve been here before, I’ve had players where A’ja is, where you win a WNBA championship, you come over and you win gold,” Team USA head coach Cheryl Reeve said. “It’s really, really special. And they make it look easy. It’s not. They’re tremendously talented. A’ja Wilson is tremendously talented.”

Wilson’s Aces teammates, 2022 WNBA Finals MVP Chelsea Gray and 2022 WNBA All-Star MVP Kelsey Plum, also put on a show in Australia, with the Las Vegas trio combining for 46 points in Friday’s final.

“It just feels complete. On my list of things that I wanted to accomplish this year, this was like the final check, and so I’m just really proud,” Plum said. “Proud of this team, proud of the way that we finished. It’s really hard to do what we did in terms of coming together late, not practicing, everyone’s beat up physically, mentally. Come over here… people are just dogs and I’m really proud to play next to people like that.”

Plum expanded on her sentiments in a Twitter post, sharing a photo of her goals list ahead of the 2022 WNBA season. All-Star, All WNBA, WNBA Champion and World Champion made up the lofty list, with Plum checking off each of her goals.

Team USA’s victory officially qualifies the United States for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

U.S. women’s national team coach Vlatko Andonovski released his 24-player roster Thursday for the squad’s October friendlies against England and Spain.

While the biggest snub was forward Midge Purce, who has appeared in 11 games for the USWNT this year, several other players could have legitimate grips about their absence from the roster.

Mia Fishel

Fishel once again was left off the latest USWNT roster, despite Alex Morgan’s knee injury opening a spot on the forward lineup.

U.S. youth national team star Alyssa Thompson joined mainstays Sophia Smith, Mallory Pugh, Megan Rapinoe, Ashley Hatch and Trinity Rodman on Andonovski’s forward list, with Fishel nowhere to be found.

While Thompson has shown tremendous upside at 17 years old, Fishel is enjoying success at the professional level, leading Mexico’s Liga MX Golden Boot race. Logging 14 goals and four assists for Tigres Femenil so far in the 2022-2023 season, Fishel has emerged as a world-class finisher at the age of 21.

“So Mia is on our depth chart and is I wouldn’t be wouldn’t be able to say where she’s at,” Andonovski told reporters following the roster drop. “We’re monitoring her form and her performances I had a conversation with only a very good conversation. She understands where she’s at.”

Fishel was selected fifth overall in the 2022 NWSL draft by the Orlando Pride but opted to sign with Tigres Femenil instead.

AD Franch

Franch is no stranger to the USWNT. She joined the squad as a backup goalkeeper at the 2019 World Cup and then again at the Tokyo Olympics. But she has not received consistent call-ups since the bronze-medal run at the Summer Games in 2021.

Andonovski has put a strong emphasis on club form throughout his tenure with the USWNT, and he has shown a strong bias toward the NWSL, which makes Franch’s absence on the October roster particularly baffling.

The Kansas City Current keeper has registered five clean sheets, averaging 3.4 saves per 90 minutes, to help her club to a 10-6-5 record.

Andonovski, however, has opted for consistency over experimentation in the back, selecting Alyssa Naeher, Casey Murphy and Aubrey Kingsbury despite the deep and growing goalkeeper pool.

“I feel like we’ve talked more about the goalkeeper sometimes than some of the other positions but it is important and we were excited about it because ultimately that’s what we want,” Andonovski said, acknowledging the well of goalkeeping talent. “We do want good competition. We want the last in each position to push each other as much as possible and get better with it.”

Carson Pickett

Carson Pickett is another player who consistently has proven herself in the NWSL yet has failed to break through on the USWNT.

The North Carolina Courage defender leads the NWSL in assists with six through 19 matches, logging a staggering 47 chances created during the 2022 campaign.

In June, the 29-year-old earned her first USWNT cap under Andonovski, playing 90 minutes in a 2-0 win against Colombia.

Pickett fits well in the USWNT’s fullback system, boasting strong defensive abilities while triggering the team’s attack from the flanks.

“Carson did very well in training for us in last week and with the management of minutes for Emily Fox that we had, we felt like Carson would be a good replacement, and I’m happy that she was able to perform well for 90 minutes,” Andonovski told ESPN of Pickett’s debut.

While it’s difficult to argue against the inclusion of Crystal Dunn or Hailie Mace on the October roster, Pickett has proven herself worthy of a follow-up to her national team debut.

The NWSL’s playoff push is coming down to the wire, with the NWSL Shield and two postseason spots still on the line heading into the final weekend of competition.

The Portland Thorns, OL Reign, Kansas City Current and San Diego Wave all have clinched playoff berths, while the Houston Dash, North Carolina Courage, Chicago Red Stars and Angel City FC are in contention for the remaining two postseason slots.

The Thorns, OL Reign and Current, meanwhile, will be battling it out at the top of the standings for the NWSL Shield.

San Diego Wave FC vs. North Carolina Courage

10 p.m. ET Friday on Paramount+

The Courage hold their playoff fate in their own hands. A win against the Wave would be enough to send them to the postseason.

If the matchup between the Courage and the Wave ends in a draw, then North Carolina would need the Red Stars to lose or tie their game against Angel City FC in order to clinch a playoff berth.

For San Diego, which has already clinched a postseason spot, a No. 2 seed is on the line.

If the Wave win and OL Reign and Kansas City both lose or tie, then San Diego would secure a bye to the semifinals.

NJ/NY Gotham FC vs. Portland Thorns

6 p.m. ET Saturday on Paramount+

The Thorns enter Saturday’s matchup against Gotham FC in first place, one point clear of OL Reign.

A win, which appears likely over Gotham, a team riding a 12-game losing streak and 488-minute scoring drought, would clinch the NWSL Shield for Portland

Should the Thorns lose or tie, the club would have to wait on the results of the Current’s and OL Reign’s matches to know their fate.

Portland, however, is guaranteed at least a top-three finish, with its league-leading goal differential of plus-25.

Washington Spirit vs. Houston Dash

7 p.m. ET Saturday on Paramount+

The Dash can secure a playoff spot with a win or draw against the Washington Spirit. If the Dash lose, they could still squeak into the postseason if the Red Stars win but fail to make up their goal-differential discrepancy with Houston. Entering the weekend, Houston is plus-7, while Chicago is plus-4.

The Spirit, on the other hand, are out of playoff contention and may rest players set to join the U.S. women’s national team on its European swing next week.

Kansas City Current vs. Racing Louisville

7:30 p.m. ET Saturday on Twitch

Kansas City will look to pull off a worst-to-first jump, with the NWSL Shield in reach just one season after the club finished last in the league.

The Current have a difficult path, however, needing a win against 10th-place Racing Louisville as well as a Thorns loss and an OL Reign loss or draw.

At third in the NWSL standings, Kansas City will also be looking to maintain their ranking to lock up a home postseason opener. If the Current lose, the club could fall as far as fifth with a San Diego win or tie and a Houston win.

OL Reign vs. Orlando Pride

10 p.m. ET Saturday on Twitch

OL Reign has its sights set on the Shield but will need some help. The Seattle club would lock up the league title with a win coupled with a Thorns loss or draw.

Riding a five-game unbeaten streak, OL Reign’s chances against the Orlando Pride, who already have been eliminated from playoff contention, look promising.

No matter what happens through the final weekend of competition, OL Reign is guaranteed to finish in the top four.

Chicago Red Stars vs. Angel City FC

6 p.m. ET Sunday on Paramount+

Depending on how Friday and Saturday’s games go, both the Red Stars and Angel City may be eliminated from playoff contention ahead of their Sunday matchup.

ACFC will rely on a North Carolina loss to stay alive. If the Courage fall, Angel City can advance to the postseason with a win.

Should North Carolina lose or play to a draw with the Wave, the Red Stars can secure a playoff spot with a win. If Houston loses, the Red Stars also could advance with a win depending on goal differential.

The U.S. Soccer Federation has limited its abuse investigation to the NWSL, but the problem extends beyond just one league, NWSL Players Association executive director Meghann Burke said.

“We know these issues aren’t confined to the NWSL,” Burke said.

Burke outlined her concerns over U.S. Soccer’s investigation into the NWSL’s coach abuse scandal in a joint interview with NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman published Friday in The Athletic. The federation will release its findings in early October, it announced earlier this month.

U.S. Soccer began its investigation last October, after the league was rocked by sexual harassment allegations against then-North Carolina Courage coach Paul Riley. The NWSL and NWSLPA opened their own joint investigation into misconduct within the league soon afterward, but they have not provided a timeline of when their findings will be released.

Riley was one of five NWSL coaches to be dismissed or step down last season — Farid Benstiti resigned from OL Reign; Richie Burke was fired by the Washington Spirit; Christy Holly was terminated “for cause” by Racing Louisville; Rory Dames resigned from the Chicago Red Stars.

Yet the “root causes” of coach abuse extend “further and deeper” than the women’s league, Burke said.

“Virtually every coach who has been exposed for some kind of misconduct in the past year or so learned those behaviors in youth soccer, and the NWSL inherited them,” Burke said. “I’m concerned about the limit of U.S. Soccer’s investigation.”

Burke also called out U.S. Soccer’s decision not to involve the NWSLPA in its probe. While players have “a seat at the table” in the joint investigation with the NWSL, they have “no such role with the U.S. Soccer investigation,” she said.

Nearly 200 interviews have been carried out and 200,000 documents have been acquired as part of the joint investigation by the league and its players association.

“I do believe this is the first of its kind, and I truly believe this could be a model for how you respond. You know these issues are not confined to the NWSL, and they’re not confined to women’s soccer,” Burke said. “There is an opportunity if we get this right, and we’re doing our level best to get it right, to provide a model for other sports and other leagues.”

While Burke said she was worried the U.S. Soccer investigation, which is being led by former U.S. Attorney General Sally Yates, could “undermine public confidence” in the NWSL and NWSLPA’s investigation, Berman and NWSL investigator Amanda Kramer downplayed those concerns.

“That U.S. Soccer report coming out in no way diminishes the work we’ve been doing or the impact our report will make, because at the end of the day, I suspect there will be two reports saying, ‘These are the facts, these are the systemic issues,’” Kramer said.

U.S. Soccer responded to The Athletic’s story with a statement reading, “U.S. Soccer is fully supportive of the NWSL/NWSLPA’s joint investigation as well as every effort to uncover the facts and work toward a better, safer sport for all who compete.”

The Spanish women’s national team revealed its roster for upcoming matches against Sweden and the United States, and notable names are absent from the squad.

Friday’s announcement comes amid a public rift between players and the Spanish soccer federation (RFEF).

The federation claimed last week that 15 players had refused to compete under coach Jorge Vilda and resigned from the national team.

Spanish players responded to the federation’s public statements, saying they never resigned but rather asked not to be called to play for the national team until their concerns regarding their health and well-being were addressed.

Now Spain has unveiled a roster that does not include the 15 players that submitted letters of concern to the federation.

Team captains Patri Guijarro, Irene Paredes and Jenni Hermoso are all absent from the October squad. Paredes and Hermoso were not not among the 15 players to send letters, but Hermoso, Spain’s all-time leading scorer, did speak out in support of her teammates Tuesday.

“I want to publicly express my support for all my colleagues who a few days ago decided to communicate their position,” Hermoso said in a statement. “Not only do I understand your reasons, but I have also experienced many of the feelings and concerns you have communicated.”

In a message published to social media, Hermoso said she would accept a national team call-up should she be asked.

“I am lucky to have worn the [Spain] jersey for 15 years, and I have tried to enjoy every stage that I have lived to the fullest,” Hermoso said. “In that time, I have always put the group first and this time it will be no different because for me, defending my country is, and always will be, a source of great pride and motivation.”

Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas also is not on the roster. She is unavailable while recovering from an ACL tear but also has supported her teammates in the dispute.

Vilda has not contemplated stepping down as coach, he said Friday.

“Due to the lack of clarity by the players in their public appearances and statements, there has been speculation that there is something going on beyond just the sport,” Vilda said. “I want to make a public appeal today that if any of my present or former players have received anything but exquisite treatment from me to say so.”

USWNT players have offered their support to the Spanish players ahead of their October friendly, with Megan Rapinoe, Becky Sauerbrunn and Alex Morgan publicly backing those that spoke out against the federation.

Meanwhile, USWNT coach Vlatko Andonvski told reporters Thursday that the team is “monitoring the situation” ahead of its match against Spain on Oct. 11.