Five of eight playoff spots on the line in penultimate NWSL weekend

The GIST: It’s the penultimate weekend of NWSL regular-season play and the stakes are sky-high with five of the eight playoff berths, first-round and semifinal home-field advantage, and the NWSL Shield all on the line this weekend. Here are the games on our radar as clinching opportunities abound.

🌧️ Seattle Reign vs. 👑 Utah Royals — Tonight at 9:30 p.m. ET: Seattle’s right in the mix, clinging to the eighth and final spot. The Royals, meanwhile, have tumbled in the second half of the season, currently sitting in sixth with their leading scorer, Mina Tanaka, still out with a hamstring injury. Taking her place? Canadian Cloé Lacasse, who’s had success against the Reign in the past.

🦁 North Carolina Courage vs. 🌹 Portland Thorns — Tonight at 10 p.m. ET: This one’s worth staying up for as Golden Boot leader Ashley Sanchez and the Courage trail the aforementioned Reign by one point in the standings. A win keeps their playoff hopes alive. On the other side of the ball, Thorns star Sophia Wilson will do everything to help her squad clinch tonight rather than leaving their fate to Decision Day.

🦇 Gotham FC vs. 💜 Orlando Pride — Sunday at 3 p.m. ET: Defending champs Gotham currently hold the top seed, but a loss in this one would open the door for another team to snatch it along with home-field advantage in the first two rounds. The Bats suffered just their second L in 15 games last week and will be hungry for some stability heading into the postseason.

👻 Washington Spirit vs. ⚡ Kansas City Current — Sunday at 5 p.m. ET: A battle between the current No. 3 and No. 4 seeds, this one has potential playoff preview written all over it. But first things first for the not-yet clinched Current, they can secure their spot with a win, a draw, a Royals win, or a Portland win or draw. We love options.