Thanks to Racing Louisville FC’s last-out win, the club will enter the NWSL regular season’s final weekend with multiple paths to making the league’s playoffs for the first time.
Both scenarios require Racing to defeat San Diego Wave FC, which hosts Louisville for a 5 p.m. kickoff Sunday, November 3, on ESPN. Racing will also need a bit of help from either team it could potentially catch in the standings.
Here’s a closer look at the race for eighth place, the NWSL’s playoff cut line.
To catch the Portland Thorns…
Racing needs to beat San Diego, see Portland lose to Angel City FC and finish with a better goal differential than the Thorns.
This scenario was made possible via Racing’s home finale victory over Portland, with Taylor Flint finishing a late Janine Beckie corner kick in a 1-0 win. That result shrunk the Thorns’ goal differential to -1 on the season; Louisville’s stands at -4.
Should Racing win its last game, Portland lose, and the teams finish even on goal differential, the Thorns would hold the next tiebreaker, which is total wins.
Portland hosts Angel City at 10 p.m. Friday, November 1, on Prime Video.
To catch Bay FC…
Racing needs to beat San Diego and see Bay lose to the Houston Dash.
Louisville drew level on points with Bay when it defeated Portland, but later that same night Bay again distanced three points ahead with a win over the North Carolina Courage.
Should Racing win its last game and Bay lose, Louisville would again draw even on points and claim the tiebreaker given Bay’s -11 goal differential.
Bay FC plays away to Houston at 9:30 p.m. Saturday, November 2, on ION.
If Racing makes it in…
Pending whether Louisville finishes seventh or eighth on the table, the squad would travel to play the regular season’s second-place finisher or top-seeded Orlando Pride in the quarterfinal round played November 8-10.
Prime Video will air the Orlando Pride’s 8.pm. quarterfinal match on Friday, November 8; CBS will broadcast the game hosted by the Kansas City Current at noon November 9; and ABC will show a quarterfinal doubleheader of games hosted the Washington Spirit (12:30 p.m.) and Gotham FC (3 p.m.) on November 10.
