By Chris Mattingly
Curious eyes will be on the NWSL this weekend for Decision Day, when every team in the league will play its final match of the season at the same 5 p.m. ET start time on Sunday with eight teams in contention for the final four playoff spots.
For Racing Louisville, Sunday’s game at San Diego is a must-win if the club wants to make its first playoff appearance in its three-year history.
What’s more, this is the first time Racing even has postseason implications on the final day of the season. To secure a playoff spot – anywhere in the top six – Louisville not only needs a win but help elsewhere in the league results. Currently in ninth place, Racing could jump as high as fourth in the table or finish as low as 11th.
Two teams, Portland and San Diego, have clinched playoff spots and home-field advantage in the semifinals, while two others in Chicago and Kansas City have been eliminated. The other eight clubs are fighting for the remaining four places in the postseason.
“It just goes to show how competitive the league is that it’s coming down to the last weekend of the season,” Racing forward Kirsten Davis said after her team’s 3-2 comeback victory over Orlando Pride that kept Louisville in the playoff hunt. “For us, being away and being against San Diego, that’s going to be huge for us, but now I think we have the momentum (and) we can build off of that.”
This season for Racing Louisville has set several new marks, including the most wins (six) in program history, the team’s first win in an NWSL knockout tournament (UKG NWSL Challenge Cup) and its first appearance in an NWSL-sponsored final. Friday’s win over Orlando was also the first Racing victory after trailing by two or more goals.
Head coach Kim Björkegren believes Racing has more milestones and victories to achieve.
“This team has never been better,” Björkegren said. “It’s really fun for all the fans with a close league like this when, more or less, all the teams can make the top six. I’ve never seen something like that, so of course it’s fun for the fans, for the league.
Thembi Kgatlana is no stranger to playing on big stages. The South Africa forward is coming off a standout World Cup this summer at which she helped Banyana Banyana reach its first-ever knockout round after scoring a late game-winner in the final group-stage game.
Kgatlana said Decision Day is not only exciting for Racing Louisville but a big moment for the NWSL itself.
“When we win the match on Sunday and we wait on the other teams if we make the playoffs, it’s going to be big for Racing,” Kgatlana said. “This season was great from all the other years that the club has built.
“I’ve played on the biggest stages, and I know what it takes to be down and to be at the top and how to pull myself mentally and emotionally in such big games, so I’m hoping to give my all and to do my best for Racing.”
Decision Day fixtures
Portland Thorns at Angel City
OL Reign at Chicago Red Stars
KC Current at NJ/NY Gotham
Houston Dash at Orlando Pride
North Carolina Courage at Washington Spirit
Racing Louisville at San Diego
Racing’s (unofficial) playoff-qualifying scenarios
Please note we will receive the official playoff scenarios from the NWSL sometime before kickoff on Sunday, but below is our best estimate at our chances. Any hope of Racing reaching the playoffs must start with a win over San Diego, bringing Racing to 30 points in the standings (with a favorable goal differential, which is the top tiebreaker). Then, with help from playoffs.alisongale.com, we can see that Louisville needs help elsewhere in the form of any of the following:
(1) Every other game is a draw
(2) OL Reign loss PLUS ORL + LA draw OR two of ORL/LA/NY/WAS lose
(3) OL Reign draw PLUS ORL + LA draw/lose OR WAS loss + one of LA/ORL draw/lose
(3) Washington loss PLUS ORL + LA draw/lose OR two of ORL/LA/OL Reign draw/lose OR NY loss + one of ORL/LA/OL Reign draw/lose
(4) Gotham loss PLUS ORL + LA draw/lose OR three of ORL/LA/WAS/OL Reign draw/lose OR WAS loss + one of ORL/LA/OL Reign draw/lose
(5) North Carolina loss PLUS goal differential help + two of ORL/LA/OL Reign draw OR goal differential help + Gotham loss + one of ORL/LA/OL Reign draw/lose
