The NWSL is onto the semifinals on Sunday after two thrilling quarterfinal matchups.

The San Diego Wave and Kansas City Current advanced after each scoring the winning goal in the 10th minute of added time against the Chicago Red Stars and Houston Dash, respectively.

In the semis, the Wave will face the Portland Thorns and the Current will take on OL Reign. The Thorns and Reign each received a bye to the semis after finishing as the top two teams in regular season.

The action on Sunday begins with the Thorns and Wave at Providence Park in Portland at 5 p.m. ET (CBS Sports Network), followed by the Current and Reign at Lumen Field in Seattle at 7:30 p.m. ET (CBSSN). International viewers can watch on Twitch. The winners move on to the NWSL Championship on Oct. 29.

Here’s an overview of each semifinal team and matchup.

Semifinal matchups are set after a record-breaking day! @thornsfc vs @sandiegowavefc@olreign vs @thekccurrent

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) October 17, 2022

Portland Thorns vs. San Diego Wave FC

Portland (10-3-9)

• For the fifth time in six years, the Thorns finished the regular season as a top-two team in the NWSL, and since the league’s inception in 2013, they’ve won two NWSL titles and two Shields.
• They lead the league in goals with 49, 15 ahead of the next-closest playoff team (San Diego with 34).
• The Thorns are second in accurate passes per match (340), behind the North Carolina Courage.

San Diego (10-6-6)

• The Wave played their first postseason game in franchise history on Sunday against the Chicago Red Stars, winning 2-1.
• San Diego is second in the NWSL in accurate long balls per match with 26.2.
• They’ve also conceded the second-fewest goals per match, at an average of one, and they are tied with the Thorns and Reign for the most clean sheets.

it's just what @alexmorgan13 does.#MakeWaves pic.twitter.com/upa4NJu9DQ

— San Diego Wave FC (@sandiegowavefc) October 17, 2022

The Thorns and Wave are in for a physical game, as both were among the top three teams in the standings for most of the year. Portland forward Sophia Smith and San Diego forward Alex Morgan were in close contention for the Golden Boot, with Morgan finishing just one goal ahead of Smith (15 to 14) at the end of the regular season.

Head-to-head, San Diego defeated Portland 2-0 on Aug. 27 after the teams tied 2-2 in their first meeting on June 8. On Sunday, Portland has the advantage of fresher legs and a home crowd at Providence Park, a stadium known to break attendance records.

Prediction: Thorns. The Wave have a backline made of brick, but if anyone can find a way to break through it, it’ll be Portland.

OL Reign vs. Kansas City Current

Reign (11-4-7)

• OL Reign won their third NWSL Shield this year and are making their fourth consecutive appearance in the playoffs.
• They allowed a league-low 19 goals against during the regular season.
• They lead the league in accurate long balls per match, accurate crosses per match and possession won in the final third.

Kansas City (10-6-6)

• The Current played their first playoff game as a franchise on Sunday, defeating the Houston Dash 2-1 and becoming the first team to win in their playoff debut since the Reign in 2014.
• They are first in the league in penalties awarded.
• The team is undefeated in games in which midfielder Lo’eau Labonta scores.

It's celly time! An icy PK finish from @L0momma gives KC an early lead!#TealRising | @thekccurrent pic.twitter.com/rNTRos9AU9

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) October 16, 2022

While the Reign hung around playoff contention for most of the season and the Current went through ebbs and flows, both teams are peaking at the right time. Kansas City went on a 13-game undefeated streak to earn the fifth seed in the playoffs, and the Reign orchestrated dangerously creative attacks to steal the top seed from the Thorns.

Players to watch in this matchup start with the goalkeepers: Kansas City’s AD Franch and OL Reign’s Phallon Tullis-Joyce. Each nominated for Goalkeeper of the Year, they are capable of making highlight-reel saves at any point. 

The teams are even when it comes to their prior meetings this season. The Reign won 1-0 at the end of May, and the Current got revenge in July with a 1-0 victory of their own. Like Portland, the Reign have the advantage on Sunday, playing at home and on extra rest.

Prediction: Reign. They’ve waited 10 years for an NWSL championship. Finals, here they come.

Jessa Braun is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports covering the NWSL and USWNT. Follow her on Twitter @jessabraun.

Earlier this week, ESPN released the results of an anonymous study surveying all 14 NWSL general managers, providing key insights into the growing league.

While nearly all respondents agreed that depth of competition sets the NWSL apart on a global level, they hold differing opinions about the league’s inner workings.

NWSL budgets and entry draft elimination are key concerns

Budgetary practices were a common concern of GMs across the board, while the loss of the entry draft — ushered in by the league's new CBA — presented similar issues.

Some GMs pointed out that many teams aren't yet profitable enough to justify current costs, while others pushed for more spending in order to draw top players away from leagues that don't impose a hard salary cap, like the UK's WSL.

Similarly, because the US lacks any true professional development infrastructure, GMs worry that dropping the college draft will divert young US talent overseas, ultimately softening the NWSL’s competitive edge.

Some GMs claim NWSL player protections have "gone too far"

When asked about recent cultural reforms in the wake of sexual misconduct and abuse allegations, multiple GMs claimed that efforts to protect players have "gone too far," spreading fear and confusion among staff.

Yesterday, retired NWSL star Ali Krieger took to ESPN's Futbol W to respond, saying she didn't "have a lot of sympathy for those few GMs that might be a little bit more disgruntled on this topic."

"You have to, in those positions of power, be respectful and do your job and do it well," she continued. "You shouldn’t have any worry about what you say, how you say it, what you do, how you do it, if you’re just doing the right thing and you’re being respectful and you’re doing your job appropriately."

This weekend's NWSL headliner is by far Friday's highly anticipated rematch between Orlando and Kansas City.​ Fresh off of clinching a playoff berth, the still-undefeated Pride will host a third-place KC squad hungry to hand Orlando their first loss of the season.

The Current have a particular axe to grind: When the pair first met on July 6th, Orlando snapped KC's own 17-match unbeaten run — one that dated back to 2023.

Current to lean on NWSL leading goal-scorer Chawinga

Seemingly on the rebound, Kansas City followed three straight losses with a 1-0 win over 13th-place Utah last weekend.

To contend with Pride sharpshooter Barbra Banda, however, the Current will rely on NWSL top-scorer Temwa Chawinga​, who's now just four goals shy of breaking the league's Golden Boot record. 

Bay FC on the rise in NWSL standings

While KC and Orlando strive to maintain their grip on the NWSL standings, newcomer Bay FC is climbing the table with impressive pace.

The 2024 expansion club started the season at 2-0-6, but a slate of wins against higher-table teams has rocketed them to seventh place — thanks in no small part to recent addition Abby Dahlkemper, who helped San Diego​ become the first expansion team to make the playoffs in their 2022 inaugural season.

However, the San Jose side's end-of-season schedule is a gauntlet, with five of seven remaining games against top-table clubs, including tomorrow's attempt to break the fifth-place Courage’s 18-match home unbeaten streak in North Carolina. 

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NWSL sets new single-season attendance record

Breakout talent and cutthroat clashes have led the NWSL to a new single-season attendance record, surpassing a total of 1.5 million fans last weekend. And with seven matchdays left, the league is on track to break the 2 million mark by the end of the regular season.

The 2024 Solheim Cup tees off on Friday, with US golf stars looking to topple three-time defending champs Europe in the team tournament's 19th iteration.

Alternating between European and US host courses each edition, teams compete in three days of match play, collecting one point for every win and a half-point for every tie. The US needs a total of 14.5 points to take this year's Cup outright, while Europe needs just 14 to retain it. 

Team USA spans 12 of the sport's top-ranked and most decorated athletes, including Nelly Korda, Allisen Corpuz, Lauren Coughlin, Megan Khang, Ally Ewing, Lilia Vu, Rose Zhang, and the soon-to-retire Lexi Thompson.

US golfers on a mission to reclaim Solheim Cup dominance

Team Europe​ has held the Cup since 2019, but the margins have been razor thin. The 2023 event actually ended in a 14-14 tie, but as reigning champions, Europe retained the title in what the team considers their eighth victory over the US.

While the US holds the advantage over Europe in overall Solheim Cup wins, they haven't raised the trophy in seven years. And unlike other competitions with continuously swelling prize purses, only international bragging rights are on the line here.

Neither team has ever won four consecutive titles, and the US will aim to keep Europe from claiming that historic victory on home soil in Gainesville, Virginia, this weekend.

Star US golfer Nelly Korda sees Solheim Cup as "unfinished business"

All eyes are now on Team USA's Korda, who's coming off a banner 2024 after winning six different LPGA Tour events, including her second major.

"Whenever you get to wear the red, white, and blue and stars and stripes, there's a different meaning to it," the world No. 1 golfer told the BBC earlier this week. "You're playing not just for yourself, but for your captains, for your teammates, and your country, and there's just nothing like it. We have got some unfinished business."

How to watch the 2024 Solheim Cup women's golf tournament

The Solheim Cup starts Friday, September 13th, at 7:05 AM, with live coverage across NBC, the Golf Channel, and Peacock.

In this week's episode of The Late Sub, Claire takes a moment to talk about the final few days of Alex Morgan’s professional career, how the soccer world has changed since Morgan’s debut, and how the star herself spoke about what’s next.

Then, she discusses what Angel Reese’s season-ending injury means for the WNBA playoff race, salutes the US Open, reflects on the 2024 Paralympic Games, and more.

The Late Sub with Claire Watkins brings you the latest news and freshest takes in women’s sports. This is the weekly rundown you’ve been missing, covering the USWNT, NWSL, WNBA, college hoops, and whatever else is popping off in women’s sports each week. Special guest appearances with the biggest names in women’s sports make The Late Sub a must-listen for every fan. Follow Claire on X/Twitter @ScoutRipley and subscribe to the Just Women’s Sports newsletter for more.

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