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The moment has finally come! In the now-most-played fixture in NWSL—and in what may now finally be called a true rivalry—the Washington Spirit and Gotham FC face each other in San Jose for all the marbles. The guys hung out at each team's training to figure out who has the edge. The projections make Gotham slight favorites, so why do our guts tell us the Spirit have the advantage? They try to make sense of it all.
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Art by Eli Elbogen
Music by Devin Drobka's Bell Dance Songs
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It was more than 90 minutes of dross, capped by a moment of magic: 2023 NWSL champs Gotham FC squeaked past 2024 champs Orlando Pride thanks to Jaedyn Shaw's free kick wizardry and little else. Neither team played well. How much does that inform Orlando's offseason outlook? How can Gotham find the juice to get past a peaking Washington Spirit in the Championship game? The guys muse over all of it.
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Art by Eli Elbogen
Music by Devin Drobka's Bell Dance Songs
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The Washington Spirit are headed to their second straight NWSL Championship game on the heels of a commanding performance against a depleted Portland Thorns side. Were Washington good, or were Portland bad? What will the Thorns need to do in the offseason to get back to the playoffs? And what do Trinity Rodman's contract negotiations tell us about the state of the NWSL's ability to retain top talent?
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Art by Eli Elbogen
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Our second semifinal preview looks at the other two recent champs, Orlando and Gotham. Gotham has the better and deeper roster, but are they invincible? Orlando still has the core of their world-class defense, but can it slow down the likes of Jaedyn Shaw and Gabi Portilho? Will Esther be available from first whistle, or could she be a late-game changer? The guys tease out all the possible scenarios.
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Art by Eli Elbogen
Music by Devin Drobka's Bell Dance Songs
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The first of our two semifinal previews drills down on the Portland Thorns coming to Audi Field to try and force an upset on the Washington Spirit. The only trouble is that Washington now has the depth the Thorns are so sorely lacking. How can Olivia Moultrie and co. fight uphill against the most complete remaining attack in the NWSL playoffs?
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Art by Eli Elbogen
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There was only one NWSL quarterfinal that wrapped in regulation time, but it wasn't exactly a classic. The Pride's early goal let them wait Seattle's anemic offense out en route to a 1-0 victory. Was this Seattle's best performance of the year? Did Orlando offer enough to deserve the win? The guys tease out all the details.
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Art by Eli Elbogen
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Everyone knew that the Portland Thorns and San Diego Wave could go any number of ways. But a raucous home crowd and a moment of magic from Olivia Moultrie and Reilyn Turner pushed Portland into the semifinals. How have the Thorns managed to get so far when so many key weapons haven't been available? What do the Wave need to do to keep their rejuvenated success going in the seasons to come? The guys tease it all out.
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Art by Eli Elbogen
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The Washington Spirit played like the no. 2 seed by the end of the regular season. They offered a genuinely strong attacking performance. But Racing Louisville have been survivors all year, and took the home side all the way to penalties at Audi Field, where Aubrey Kingsbury once again shut down the shootout. How should we look at Louisville's season? Are the Spirit ready to challenge for the big trophy? The guys tip their caps to a proper contest.
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Art by Eli Elbogen
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Though some may have predicted it—and Gotham didn't exactly play like a no. 8 seed this year—the Bats delivered the upset of the decade, beating the Current in their own house at the death of extra time. Where did things go wrong for the greatest regular-season team in NWSL history? Did Gotham play well, or did they get lucky with an injury-riddled Kansas City attack? The guys offer some nuance on this head-spinning result.
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Art by Eli Elbogen
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The 2025 NWSL regular season is in the books, but the fun is just getting started. Defector columnist Abigail Segel joined us to walk through all the Decision Day silliness, break down the four upcoming quarterfinal matchups, and what we have learned about the state of the league at the end of the year.
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Art by Eli Elbogen
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RECORDED BEFORE SARAH GORDEN'S STATEMENT ON ELIZABETH EDDY'S NEW YORK POST ARTICLE
The U.S. women's national team logged three more friendlies on their way to the World Cup, and had a full spread of results. Should we get too down about the 2-1 loss to Portugal? Should we get too high about the 6-0 demolition of New Zealand? Or was this window about continuing to get burgeoning talent more playing time? The guys give you the lowdown.
Plus, we discuss the late-breaking news about Seattle Reign head coach Laura Harvey's new coaching "strategy"!
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Art by Eli Elbogen
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Four more teams punched their tickets to the NWSL playoffs, while Racing Louisville and the North Carolina Courage are staring each other down. Meanwhile, the Orlando Pride grabbed an emphatic win on the road against a rotated Washington Spirit. What are we to make of the Pride's regression in 2025? How have they coped without Barbra Banda? And can they return to the Championship game in a tight playoff field?
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Art by Eli Elbogen
Music by Devin Drobka's Bell Dance Songs
Visualizations by Catalina Bush for ASA Viz Hub
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The Kansas City Current have officially become the best regular-season team in NWSL history. Their win over Gotham ensures that they will break the all-time points-per-game record, plus a slew of other feats. After the whiparound, the guys walk through some key games from the second half of the year to try and see ways teams like Washington, Orlando, and Seattle could potentially spoil KC's party.
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Art by Eli Elbogen
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Only three games left in the NWSL regular season, and Racing Louisville pulled off an emphatic road victory over the North Carolina Courage to solidify their playoff aspirations. Meanwhile, the San Diego Wave dropped yet more points and slid yet further down the table. Can Racing feel comfortable yet? Will the Wave be able to stay afloat for another month? Can the Courage somehow haul themselves back above the playoff line? The guys try to figure it all out.
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Art by Eli Elbogen
Music by Devin Drobka's Bell Dance Songs
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The Seattle Reign, who take fewer shots than anyone, whose defense is mediocre at best, are somehow in fourth place in the NWSL standings. How did we get here? How did they? After a quick whiparound (and a check-in on the Hina Sugita and Chloe Ricketts transfers), the guys dive into season that Laura Harvey's squad has had: what they have done right, what they have done wrong, and just how lucky they have been to be in this position. Plus, Evan makes another fateful wager.
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Art by Eli Elbogen
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Only five games remain in the NWSL regular season, and hardly anything separates those teams on either side of the playoff line, not to mention those hoping to grab a home game in the playoff quarterfinals. Which team's schedule sets them up for success? Who will fall despite recent form, thanks to some tough games in October? The guys move through all 14 teams to try and make sense of the playoff picture.
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Art by Eli Elbogen
Music by Devin Drobka's Bell Dance Songs
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Savannah DeMelo's collapse on Lumen Field on Sunday quickly became the most important story in the NWSL. DeMelo was responsive and alert before she was stretchered off the field, and thankfully, the league tried to learn from their poor handling of the Savy King incident by suspending the match. The guys offer some quick thoughts on DeMelo as a player, and what has made her special throughout her career.
After the whiparound, the guys dive into Gotham FC's decisive 2-0 road win over the San Diego Wave. Can Gotham continue this rich vein of form, now that most of the attack is healthy and Jaedyn Shaw is among their ranks? What can the Wave do to stop the bleeding, aside from another swing of luck? Who can stake a claim to a top-four place by season's end?
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Art by Eli Elbogen
Music by Devin Drobka's Bell Dance Songs
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