A dominant Washington Spirit take on the scrappy Chicago Red Stars in Louisville, Kentucky, on Saturday, as each vies for its first National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) crown.

The Red Stars pulled off a 2-0 upset over the Portland Thorns in their semifinal on Sunday, despite seeing star forward Kealia Watt exit the game with an injury in the first half, and will hope to shake off the disappointment of past years on Saturday.

ONE. DAY. AWAY.

After a period of dominance that yielded every trophy (2020 Fall Series, 2021 Challenge Cup, 2021 Women’s ICC, 2021 Shield) apart from the one that really matters, the top-seeded Portland Thorns suffered heartbreak on Sunday in the NWSL playoff semifinals to the Chicago Red Stars, despite the underdogs missing Mal Pugh, Casey Krueger, Kayla Sharples and losing Kealia Watt to injury in the 29th-minute. 

It was Watt’s substitute — Katie Johnson — who gave the Red Stars the advantage in the 37th minute with a shot from an impossible angle that caught Bella Bixby napping. 

There was a large sense during the USWNT’s last two friendlies against South Korea that the team was growing stale.

Mallory Pugh is back.

After playing an ever-present role in Chicago’s regular season campaign — second most minutes, second most goals, joint-most assists — Pugh’s resurgent year continued on Sunday with her biggest strike yet: the game-winner against NJ/NY Gotham FC in the NWSL playoff quarterfinals.

Mal Pugh and her Chicago Red Stars are preparing for a trip to the NWSL postseason. But the 23-year-old American winger took a slight detour ahead of her quarterfinal showdown against Carli Lloyd and Gotham FC on Sunday in Chicago. Pugh was in Houston on Tuesday, watching her boyfriend win the World Series.

To much fanfare (maybe too much?), Carli Lloyd played her final USWNT match last week. At the club level, she’s got at least one more match left before she fully retires. When is Carli Lloyd's last game? That depends on her and her Gotham FC teammates as the NWSL playoffs begin Sunday. 

By defeating the Chicago Red Stars 3-2 at Cheney Stadium in Tacoma, Washington, on Sunday afternoon, the OL Reign clinched a spot in the NWSL playoffs with three matches remaining in the regular season.

The Portland Thorns still lead the Shield race with 39 points, but the Reign is just one point back and six points clear of third-place Houston (the top two finishers receive byes to the playoff semifinals).

The Reign reached the postseason in fine style. After Mallory Pugh had given Chicago a 14th-minute lead, the Reign responded through Jess Fishlock in the 31st.