2022 NWSL Playoffs: Semifinals Preview

The 2022 NWSL Playoffs have already lived up to the hype as we witnessed two dramatic games won with late goals to help San Diego and Kansas City advance. The stakes are even higher, with a spot in the NWSL Final on the line. This is the first time in league history that six teams made the postseason. Will there be any effect from the quarterfinal teams having played an extra game with added confidence, or will the higher seeds be well-rested and ready to go? Let’s delve deeper and preview the 2022 NWSL Playoffs: Semifinal.

#2 Portland Thorns vs. #3 San Diego Wave, Sunday, October 23, 5:00 PM ET/2:00 PM PT, CBS Sports Network

The league’s most popular franchise takes on one of the new kids on the block. It’s safe to say the San Diego Wave has made a splash in its first year as a franchise.

That said, you’d be hard-pressed to find a single first-year team in any sport to win a title. The Wave would be making history if they could go into Providence Park and pull out a win. The Thorns beat the Wave twice in the Challenge Cup. But since then, the Wave turned it around with a draw and a 2-0 win back in August.

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San Diego has never won when trailing at the half, and the rest of the league lost 75% of the time when trailing at the half. The Wave was as resilient as can be because an experienced team like Chicago was 20 minutes away from getting the win. Alex Morgan, Taylor Kornieck, and Sofia Jakobsson cause problems in attack because they can score in various ways. The Wave will challenge the Thorn’s defense. But that hasn’t been their problem in the playoffs the last couple of seasons. 

Going back to 2019, they’ve been shut out in their last two playoff elimination games. This is why the Thorns went and drafted Sophia Smith and Morgan Weaver to help alleviate this problem. It’s been a while since Portland has returned to the mountaintop and won an NWSL title. Both teams had incredible seasons for different reasons. Rhian Wilkinson deserves a ton of credit for a great job as a first-time head coach.

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The Wave is an amazing story, but there’s something about playoff experience that only the Thorns have. This Portland roster is deep as can be, and it doesn’t matter who is on the pitch for them. The Thorns have never had a better chance to get back to the final. They won’t let it slip this time with home-field advantage. 

Prediction: Thorns Win 2-1

#1 OL Reign vs. #5 Kansas City Current, Sunday, October 23, 7:30 PM ET/4:30 PM PT, CBS Sports Network

While the OL Reign looked like the best team all season, Kansas City pulled off one of the best turnarounds in league history. After finishing dead last and winning three games last year. This team won ten for a seven-win improvement which is spectacular. Towards the end of last year’s season, Kansas City started to build some momentum and chemistry, which they carried over into this year. 

On the flip side, Laura Harvey did an amazing job managing all the talent on OL Reign’s roster. There are star players everywhere you look. But seeing how the team acts and treats each other on social media, it’s the most tight-knit group in the league. It shouldn’t be a surprise to see them finish first as a result.

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Yet, all that star power might not matter in a one-game winner-take-all scenario if Kansas City can make this game ugly. The all-time series in the league between these two teams is 3-2, with the Current winning both matches by a 1-0 scoreline. Whereas the OL Reign recorded three victories at 3-0, 2-0, and 1-0. 

The key to this game is Kansas City’s backline and A-Dizzle doing what they’ve done in the past and shutting down this OL Reign offense. The Current allowed the most goals of any of the playoff teams during the regular season. The last thing they can afford is a high-scoring affair with the OL Reign. If Lo’eau Labonta, Hailie Mace, and others can create for someone like Kristen Hamilton to score, they can pull off the upset.

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Still, this OL Reign team is loaded at every position and is looking to capitalize on how good this team has been in the last three years. 

Kansas City had a great run, but the OL Reign has too many weapons offensively to stop. As long as the Reign take their chances, they should advance to the final of the 2022 NWSL playoffs. 

Prediction: OL Reign Win 2-0

Featured image via @olreign on Instagram

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