FootyPop: NWSL Playoffs Kick off With a Bang
This week, the NWSL and NCAA were both in action and winding down the season. The NWSL quarterfinals took place this week, and college soccer matches were played across the country to determine conference winners. It’s the most exciting time of the year as we widdle down to the best of the best teams on both levels. So, without further ado, here’s this week’s women’s soccer news.
High of the Weekend
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The NWSL championship playoffs have officially commenced, and wowww, they did not disappoint. It was amazing to see Mal Pugh in her element against Gotham, earning the Red Stars a spot in the semifinals.
Then, there was the absolute nailbiter of a game between the Spirit and the Courage. This match showed a bit more quality than the first. The game was scoreless up until the end of the second overtime period, where one mistake from the Courage left enough room for the Spirit to find the back of the net. We’ll be seeing the Spirit against OL Reign and the Red Stars against the Portland Thorns next weekend in the semifinals.
Low of the Weekend
The ? sounds off for the final time ?
Thank you for everything, @CarliLloyd ? pic.twitter.com/cqh7Us5Hfm
— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) November 7, 2021
Unfortunately, Gotham’s loss against the Red Stars means Carli Lloyd’s career is officially over. Although we’ll never see her on the pitch again, she said in an interview she’ll still be committed to growing the game; we love to hear it.
News of the Weekend
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Equal Playing Field is launching a new documentary, Equal Playing Field, on Tuesday, November 16, 2021.
Equal Playing Field is a global collective seeking to challenge the inequalities women face in sport, particularly in soccer, and promote the game’s development.
The documentary follows some of the top women’s soccer players in the world as they compete in a soccer match to break the Guinness World Record for the match played at the highest elevation.
It’ll be exciting to see the journey of these players from around the world mobilized to better the sport and spread awareness. Pre-orders of the documentary are available now via Apple TV and iTunes.
Win of the Weekend
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In an epic collegiate soccer match, number two ranked Florida State took on the number one ranked University of Virginia for the ACC championship game. A goal from Clara Robbins came in the tenth minute to put FSU up 1-0. The score stuck, and the Seminoles secured the ACC title for the second year in a row.
Player of the Weekend
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Ashley Hatch won the 2021 Golden Boot and scored for the Spirit to advance them to the semifinals! She ended the regular season with ten goals, earning her the Golden Boot. Although, she now has 11 goals, thanks to her goal Sunday night against North Carolina.
Goal of the Weekend
Bruins take the 3-1 lead on @marley_canales' Olimpico!
?: @Pac12Network
?: https://t.co/OduhtbhdlK#GoBruins | #BeatSC pic.twitter.com/nihJspgBgs— UCLA Women's Soccer (@UCLAWSoccer) November 6, 2021
Check out UCLA’s Marley Canales’ goal in the PAC 12 championship against USC. She perfectly curls her corner kick into the goal, catching literally everyone off guard. UCLA keeps the PAC 12 title with a 3-1 win over USC.
Save of the Weekend
Casey Murphy: 9 saves
Aubrey Bledsoe: 8 savesThese goalkeepers came to play ? pic.twitter.com/Y8cvnyONk0
— Attacking Third (@AttackingThird) November 8, 2021
Casey Murphy and Aubrey Bledsoe both came up huge during the Courage vs. Spirit game. Murphy literally looked impenetrable in goal, swatting away every ball up high. Unfortunately, the one time she missed was when the Spirit was right there to put the winning goal away. Nonetheless, Murphy was amazingly good.
What to Look Forward To
The NWSL semifinals are coming up this Sunday:
Sunday, November 14: OL Reign vs. Washington Spirit at 3:00 PM ET on CBS Sports Network
Sunday, November 14: Portland Thorns vs. Chicago Red Stars at 5:30 PM ET on CBS Sports Network
Fav Social Media Post
What's your favorite feature of the crest?! Let us know in the replies or vote on the poll below this tweet ? pic.twitter.com/akGReGY0fn
— KC Current (@thekccurrent) November 7, 2021
Kansas City got the epic rebrand we were all looking forward to, and it is now the KC Current. The future looks bright for the Current with their new branding and the new stadium coming to Kansas City.
Featured image via @NWSL on Instagram
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