It doesn’t take a lot to figure out that the Washington Spirit have a huge game tonight as they host the Chicago Red Stars. The standings tell the story: the Red Stars and Reign FC both have 26 points, and they hold the final two NWSL playoff spots. The Spirit, on 21 points, already face a tough task in having to make up that deficit with 9 games left in the season. A loss today would leave Washington with virtually no room for error in the final third of the NWSL season.
If that feels a little alarmist, take a look at the schedule.