NWSL final is set with a one vs. two matchup as Orlando Pride and Washington Spirit to battle it out for title

Hello there! The NWSL Championship is set, while the U.S. men’s national team aim to book their spot in the Concacaf Nations League semifinals in Monday’s game against Jamaica. I’m Pardeep Cattry with a trophy-themed update to start the week.

Footy fix

All times U.S./Eastern

Monday, Nov. 18
UNL: Croatia vs. Portugal, 2:45 p.m. FS2
CNL: USMNT vs. Jamaica, 8 p.m. TNT

Tuesday, Nov. 19
UNL: Bosnia and Herzegovina vs. Netherlands, 2:45 p.m. FS2
WCQ: Argentina vs. Peru, 7 p.m. Vix
CNL: Mexico vs. Honduras, 9:30 p.m. Paramount+

The Forward Line

Orlando Pride, Washington Spirit off to NWSL Championship

USATSI

The top two teams during the NWSL regular season will duke it out for the league’s top prize, booking their spots in Saturday’s Championship after two closely-contested – and very entertaining – semifinals over the weekend.

The Spirit return to the NWSL Championship for the first time since they won it in 2021, doing so after beating reigning champions NJ/NY Gotham FC in a penalty shootout on Saturday. Esther Gonzalez gave Gotham the lead in the 56th minute and they were moments away from victory, but Hal Hershfelt scored in the 93rd minute to send the game to extra time. The Spirit ended the 120 minutes as the more dominant team, taking 27 shots to Gotham’s 14 and posting 1.98 expected goals to the visitors’ 0.98. Though they were unable to find a go-ahead goal, goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury’s ability to save all three Gotham penalties ensured the Spirit would advance.

The Spirit’s triumph is a testament to their squad building in the offseason, especially their successful recruiting of young talent. The team has been hit by injuries over the course of the season, including to Rookie of the Year contender Croix Bethune, but the Spirit have barely missed a beat. That includes in midfield, where Hershfelt has brilliantly filled in the empty spot left by captain Andi Sullivan, as Sandra Herrera writes.

Herrera: “Hershfelt carries the demeanor of an old-school defensive mid, more rough, less tumble, and puts the crunch in challenges at times. … Head coach [Jonatan Giraldez] describes his rookie as someone with the type of mentality that is always looking ahead and never staying too low. A perspective that comes more when a player gets older and has more experience. He wants to see more adjustments for her in possession but is adamant that her efforts in training are getting her the confidence to deliver in big moments.”

On Sunday, the Orlando Pride beat the Kansas City Current 3-2 to reach the NWSL Championship for the first time. They are now aiming to become the first team to win the Shield and Championship in the same season since the North Carolina Courage did so in 2019, though they have already completed an impressive transformation. The Pride had only made the playoffs once in their eight year history, but this season got the best out of several unsung NWSL heroes and became one of the league’s most defensively resilient teams. Kylie Strom and Emily Sams are defender of the year nominees, while Anna Moorhouse is a contender for goalkeeper of the year.

The Pride matched that with plenty of flair in attack and boast two MVP nominees – Barbra Banda and Marta. Banda scored 13 regular season goals in her first year in the NWSL and though she entered the playoffs on a five game scoring drought, that has officially become a thing of the past after three goals in two postseason games. Few players stood out more than Marta in Sunday’s win, though – she’s up to 10 goals in 2024 at age 38, finding a way to bounce back after years of dwindling influence for the Pride and Brazil. She will now play in her first NWSL Championship, a long-awaited reward for the six-time world player of the year.

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  Midfield Link Play

USMNT carry narrow advantage into Jamaica game

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The U.S. men’s national team return to action on Monday for the second leg of their Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal against Jamaica, boasting a small 1-0 advantage after taking the first leg in Kingston, Jamaica on Thursday.

Thursday’s game was not exactly an example of the U.S.’ attacking might, posting just six shots and 0.88 expected goals while Jamaica took 12 shots and mustered 1.62 expected goals. Christian Pulisic was the only player to take more than one shot, though unavailabilities likely hampered their chances. Timothy Weah was suspended for the first leg while Folarin Balogun and Josh Sargent are missing out on this month’s games entirely with injuries. As expected, Ricardo Pepi started in attack alongside Pulisic on Thursday and though Pepi wasted little time by scoring the game’s lone goal in the fifth minute, it was also his only shot of the game.

On Sunday, head coach Mauricio Pochettino said Weah would play some minutes on Monday in St. Louis, which will mark his first game under the Argentine after he was hired in September. Brenden Aaronson could also be an option in attack after dealing with an illness that kept him out of Thursday’s game. In his pre-match comments on Sunday, Pochettino stressed Weah’s importance to the USMNT, especially as they attempt to chart an upward trajectory in the buildup to the 2026 World Cup on home soil.

Pochettino: “I think tomorrow for sure he is going to have minutes and he’s going to be on the pitch. I think he’s a very good player, very aggressive with the ball, fast, good legs and I think he’s young but it’s normal. He can make a mistake. We need to help him, for him to evolve and to learn, but I think he is very clever player, always smiling. He brought very good energy to the group, but the most important matter is the performance and how he’s going to perform tomorrow and hope that he can add his quality and help the team to achieve a very good result.”

 The USMNT are still far from full fitness, though – midfielder Johnny Cardoso came off with a hamstring injury after playing just 21 minutes on Thursday and has left camp, and the same goes for Aidan Morris with a sprained knee. The unavailabilities will likely lead to a new look in midfield on Monday, especially since Cardoso was a starter on Thursday.

  Top Stories

USWNT roster: The USWNT’s era of experimentation continues, with a handful of fresh faces in the mix for friendlies at England and the Netherlands.

USMNT-Jamaica preview: Here’s a look at how Timothy Weah can help the USMNT as they aim to advance to the Concacaf Nations League semifinals.

France win: France picked up a much-needed win over Italy on Sunday, making a case for themselves without Kylian Mbappe in the squad.

Pogba leaves Juve: Paul Pogba terminated his contract at Juventus as he nears the end of his 18 month doping ban.

Lyon’s provisional relegation: Lyon face a provision relegation to Ligue 2 after sanctions from a French regulator regarding the fact they are around $500 million in debt.

MLS awards: With the MLS Cup Playoffs returning this weekend, it’s worth checking on who the favorites might be for the league’s end-of-season awards.

Aguirre injured: Mexico head coach Javier Aguirre was covered in blood after a fan threw a can at his head at the end of his team’s loss to Honduras in the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals.

  The Back Line

Best bets

UEFA Nations League: Croatia vs. Portugal, Monday, 2:45 p.m.
THE PICK: Croatia and Portugal to tie 1-1 (+500) – Heading into the final game of the UEFA Nations League group stage, Portugal are unbeaten and are already through to the quarterfinals of the competition. They could take things easy on Monday as a result, though they may still be able to muster a competitive game even with some rotation. Croatia have plenty to play for, though, needing just a draw to book their spot in the next round. Expect them to earn just that at home.
CONMEBOL World Cup qualifier: Argentina vs. Peru, Tuesday, 7 p.m.
THE PICK: Argentina to win 3-0 (+550) – After losing to Paraguay on Thursday, Argentina will aim to end their year on a high by bouncing back with a game at home. It helps that Tuesday’s game will be a match between first place and ninth – Peru have just one win in 11 World Cup qualifying games, conceding 14 goals along the way. A wide range of Argentina attackers will likely ensure their side comes out victorious, so count on a lopsided scoreline in Buenos Aires.

For more picks, predictions, expert tips and the latest betting news, don’t miss out on CBSSports.com’s betting home page.   

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