NWSL playoffs: Reign and Courage rely on consistency against adaptable Angel City and Gotham

May 20, 2024

After an eventful regular season finale on NWSL Decision Day, which ran the gamut from agonizingly close ties to narrow victories and big blowouts, the 2023 playoff bracket is set.

The quarterfinal round kicks off Friday with OL Reign hosting Angel City FC in Seattle at 10 p.m. ET, followed by North Carolina Courage hosting NJ/NY Gotham FC in Cary on Sunday, Oct. 22 at 7 p.m. The two top-seeded teams, San Diego Wave and Portland Thorns, earned bye weeks and will each host a semifinal game on Nov. 5, culminating with the championship on Saturday, Nov. 11 at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego.

No. 4 OL Reign vs. No. 5 Angel City — Oct. 20, 10 p.m. ET

As befits a playoff, both quarterfinal matchups could provide plenty of drama unique to each team. Angel City already dramatically entered the playoffs by overcoming a minimum three-goal differential in the table and beating reigning NWSL champions and 2023 Shield-contending Thorns. What initially seemed like a tall order ended up selling the team short, as Angel City romped 5-1 over Portland. Each goal was more extravagant than the last, including a looping bicycle kick from Sydney Leroux. It was a moment of vindication for a team that had to course-correct midseason by firing head coach Freya Coombe, who missed the 2022 playoffs with the roster struggling to keep up with the promise it had on paper.

.@SYDNEYLEROUX ARE YOU KIDDING?!?!

Leroux makes it 4-0 for @weareangelcity after an incredible bicycle kick goal. 😱 pic.twitter.com/cTEeJ7iYOv

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) October 15, 2023

Their opponents, OL Reign, will be eager to advance given how close they have skated to national championships over the years without ever actually grabbing the trophy. This year, the team can also give its star veteran Megan Rapinoe a proper retirement sendoff. The Reign has won the NWSL Shield three times and made every postseason since 2018 (excluding 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic). They lost a pair of championships in 2014 and 2015 when they still had transcendent Scottish midfielder Kim Little in her prime. Being so successful overall yet never adding a star over its crest is the sort of thing that can keep a team up at night.

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With the incredibly necessary caveat that NWSL is a league where you never want to bet on the obvious outcome, there are a few factors that edge potential quarterfinal winners.

Angel City turned to interim head coach Becki Tweed and switched from a midfield led by Julie Ertz before the World Cup to one led by French signing Amandine Henry after it. Tweed also made other midfield changes as she sought more from players, like M.A. Vignola and Madison Hammond, who hadn’t previously been regular starters.

The Reign, who hasn’t had to change direction nearly as much in terms of its roster, has had a somewhat steadier midfield during the back half of the season — although the team has keenly missed Rose Lavelle, who is still rehabbing a leg injury. They also tend to land on the boring side of playing it safe, which a team like Angel City could take advantage of with fast, creative and unpredictable players like Jun Endo and Savannah McCaskill.

After nearly a decade in NWSL, Ali Krieger will retire at the end of the season. (Photo by John Jones, USA TODAY Sports)

No. 3 NC Courage vs. No. 6 Gotham FC — Oct. 22, 7 p.m. ET

It’s also a matchup of consistency vs. chaos in the other quarterfinal game. Gotham went into this season determined to capitalize on an offseason of rebuilding, highlighted by hiring new head coach Juan Carlos Amorós. They made key signings, including the resurgence of midfielder Sinead Farrelly, who originally retired from soccer in 2016 following an offseason car accident. Farrelly has been a bright spot for both Gotham and the Republic of Ireland, a team she joined at the 2023 Women’s World Cup. Retiring defender Ali Krieger has also had a fantastic final season, and the excitement at Gotham’s last regular season home game at Red Bull Arena was palpable when Krieger said in her postgame speech that her career wasn’t done yet, alluding to the team’s playoff run.

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The Courage, meanwhile, has lost its star midfielder, Debinha, who left for Kansas City as a free agent in the offseason. At the time, it was seen as a major coup for KC, who ultimately ended 11th out of 12 teams after an injury-riddled season. The Courage, however, placed third overall, and midfielder Kerolin had an MVP-worthy season even with the interruption of international duty for the World Cup. Unfortunately, Kerolin suffered a non-contact knee injury during the Courage’s 1-0 win over the Washington Spirit on the final day of the season, forcing her to leave the field in the second half. Her status remains uncertain at this time.

The Courage has played its particular brand of consistent, connected soccer all season long and has been rewarded for it with a cohesive team that understands exactly what it wants to do in each scenario. Their opponent, Gotham, has gelled fairly well under Amorós but has sometimes had trouble searching for that elusive winning goal. The Courage has a strong home record as well, only losing one game in front of the Cary crowd this season.

The four quarterfinal teams are certainly configured to provide two entertaining matches, given their rosters, styles of play and histories. But one of NWSL’s most defining features is its parity. Whether enforced through tactics or random chaos, it feels necessary to caveat that these games could play out by the numbers, or they could each take wild left turns of their own. The Courage vs. Gotham matchup lands more on the tactical end of the spectrum, while Reign vs. Angel City is more on the chaotic end, but no matter the result, the two winners are bound to set up an even tastier semifinal round with the Wave and Thorns.

Staff predictions

In the quarterfinal game, I think there’s potential for Gotham to take an early lead, but for the Courage to stay calm and maintain its tempo with or without Kerolin, given head coach Sean Nahas’ ability to manage good performances out of less prominent players like Tess Boade. It’s that team-wide temperament and ability that could serve NC well in going all the way. — Steph Yang

Fútbol is a game of inches, and that’s evident with how close this year’s NWSL table has been. There’s a title game matchup that would serve as an epic finale for two of U.S. Soccer’s most celebrated stars: Gotham FC versus OL Reign, or Ali Krieger versus Megan Rapinoe, with both teams vying for their first championship crown. It may be unlikely, but it would certainly be one for the books. — Melanie Anzidei

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Speaking of Rapinoe, she has already made her 203rd and final international appearance, but her very last games will come in these NWSL playoffs. OL Reign clinched qualification on Decision Day, doing enough to ensure its quarterfinal match against Angel City will be played in Seattle at Lumen Field. The club set a single-game attendance record in Rapinoe’s final regular season game at home but could match that draw of 34,130 to kick off what would be a storybook run to the final to send one of the sport’s true icons off on a high note. — Jeff Rueter

As Jeff said, the NWSL can and should fill the stands for the playoffs. Seattle and North Carolina just set attendance records in the regular season, and Portland and San Diego have proven they can fill their stadiums. NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman said she’s expecting a sell-out for the final at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, which has a capacity of 32,000. — Meg Linehan

(Top photo: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

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