The Washington Spirit discovered themselves in one other penalty shootout within the NWSL playoffs and goaltender Aubrey Kingsbury saved them once more.
Kingsbury stopped two penalty-kick makes an attempt and watched one other hit the crossbar because the Spirit survived a scare of their NWSL quarterfinal spherical win over No. 7 seed Racing Louisville FC on Saturday. The Spirit have been a couple of minutes away from a possible 1-0 shutout earlier than an equalizer aim from Louisville midfielder Kayla Fischer in stoppage time on the finish of regulation.
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Washington gained the penalty kick shootout, 3-1, after the groups performed two scoreless 15-minute additional time intervals. The Spirit misplaced within the NWSL championship sport final yr. Washington star Trinity Rodman, the U.S. ladies’s nationwide workforce mainstay, was out there as a reserve for the match however didn’t play for the Spirit after being listed as questionable resulting from a sprained MCL she suffered final month.
Spirit ahead Reward Monday’s aim off a header within the 73rd minute broke open a scoreless tie by which Washington principally managed the motion. Spirit ahead Rosemunde Kouassi delivered the crossing go to Monday after having an obvious aim within the seventeenth minute of the primary half overturned by VAR. Spirit midfielder Leicy Santos was decided to have been offsides on the play.
The Spirit will subsequent play the winner of Sunday’s NWSL quarterfinal between the Portland Thorns and San Diego Wave. Louisville was making the primary NWSL postseason look in membership historical past throughout Saturday’s match after setting workforce information for wins (10) and factors (37).
Listed here are highlights from the NWSL quarterfinal match between the Washington Spirit and Louisville Racing FC, in addition to extra in regards to the format and schedule for the 2025 NWSL playoffs and championship sport:
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NWSL champions via the years
2025: Washington Spirit (Problem Cup winner)
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NWSL champions via the years
2025: Washington Spirit (Problem Cup winner)
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NWSL champions via the years
2024: Orlando Pleasure (defeated Washington Spirit within the 2024 NWSL Championship sport)
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NWSL champions via the years
2023: NJ/NY Gotham FC (defeated OL Reign within the championship sport)
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NWSL champions via the years
2023: North Carolina Braveness (Problem Cup winner)
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NWSL champions via the years
2022: Portland Thorns FC (defeated Kansas Metropolis Present within the championship sport)
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NWSL champions via the years
2022: North Carolina Braveness (Problem Cup winner)
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NWSL champions via the years
2021: Washington Spirit (defeated Chicago Purple Stars within the championship sport)
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NWSL champions via the years
2021; Portland Thorns FC (Problem Cup winner)
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NWSL champions via the years
2020: Houston Sprint (Problem Cup winner)
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NWSL champions via the years
2019: North Carolina Braveness (defeated Chicago Purple Stars within the championship sport)
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NWSL champions via the years
2018: North Carolina Braveness (defeated Portland Thorns FC within the championship sport)
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NWSL champions via the years
2016: Western New York Flash (defeated Washington Spirit within the championship sport)
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NWSL champions via the years
2015: FC Kansas Metropolis (defeated Seattle Reign FC within the championship sport)
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NWSL champions via the years
2014: FC Kansas Metropolis (defeated Seattle Reign FC within the championship sport)
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NWSL champions via the years
2013: Portland Thorns FC (defeated Western New York Flash within the championship sport)
Washington Spirit vs. Racing Louisville FC highlightsNWSL playoff format
The 2025 NWSL playoffs consists of three rounds of single-elimination matches.
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The postseason kicked off with 4 quarterfinal matchups. The No. 1 seed Kansas Metropolis Present hosted the No. 8 Gotham FC and the No. 4 Orlando Pleasure confronted No. 5 Seattle Reign FC on one aspect of the playoff bracket. On the opposite aspect of the bracket, the No. 2 seed Washington Spirit hosted the No. 7 Racing Louisville FC and the No. 3 Portland Thorns FC performs No. 6 San Diego Wave FC.
The winners of every quarterfinal match advances to the semifinals. (Seeding doesn’t reset after every spherical). The 2 semifinal winners will face off within the 2025 NWSL championship sport on Saturday, Nov. 22 at 8 p.m. ET (CBS, Paramount+) at PayPal Park in San Jose, California, dwelling of NWSL’s Bay FC and MLS’ San Jose Earthquakes.
NWSL quarterfinals playoff schedule
No. 2 Washington Spirit X, No. 7 Racing Louisville FC X
No. 1 Kansas Metropolis Present vs. No. 8 Gotham FC – Nov. 9, 12:30 p.m. ET
No. 3 Portland Thorns FC vs. No. 6 San Diego Wave FC – Nov. 9, 3 p.m. ET
When is the 2025 NWSL championship sport?
The 2025 NWSL championship sport will probably be held on Saturday, Nov. 22 at 8 p.m. ET (CBS, Paramount+) at PayPal Park in San Jose, California, dwelling of NWSL’s Bay FC and MLS’ San Jose Earthquakes.
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