NWSL playoffs begin this weekend, with the Washington Spirit taking on the Chicago Red Stars on Friday, September 30 and the Portland Thorns playing the Western New York Flash on Sunday, October 2. These are two pretty solid matchups, even if the Flash sort of squeaked into the top four when their season came down to the last possible game. No one was calling for the Flash to even be in the playoffs at the start of the season, and for them to prove everyone wrong must be gratifying.
As for the other three teams, they’ve all had pretty sturdy seasons, Portland and Washington especially.