And then there were four, as the 2026 NWSL semifinals take the pitch this weekend with the Washington Spirit, Utah Royals, Gotham FC, and Kansas City Current hunting a trip to next Saturday’s title match.
No. 7 Utah strives to keep its Cinderella story alive on Saturday, visiting a No. 3 Washington side hot off its 4-1 quarterfinal victory over No. 6 Portland.
No. 4 Kansas City then takes on 2026 Shield winner No. 1 Gotham, aiming to avenge June’s Challenge Cup loss in Sunday’s high-stakes rematch.
Behind MVP candidate Trinity Rodman, the Spirit’s attack will test Royals keeper Mandy McGlynn’s postseason clean-sheet record, while the scrappy Current will have to get past Gotham’s lockdown defense.
“Going into playoffs, you have nothing to lose, you have to work your absolute hardest,” said Rodman. “When we do that off the first whistle, it’s really hard for any team to get any type of momentum.”
“When you look around the team, there’s a lot of fighters,” KC manager Chris Armas said. “You have to be tough for playoffs.”
Where to Watch This Weekend's NWSL Semifinals
The NWSL semifinals kick off tomorrow at 12 PM ET (CBS).
