Semifinal matchups set for 2022 NWSL Playoffs

NEW YORK – After a pair of thrilling quarterfinal matches, the semifinals of the 2022 NWSL Playoffs have been set.

OL Reign, who claimed their third NWSL Shield at the end of the regular season to secure the top playoff seed and a first-round bye, will host the No. 5-seeded Kansas City Current, while No. 2 Portland Thorns FC, who also earned a bye to the semis, will take on No. 3 San Diego Wave FC.

The Thorns open the semifinal round against Wave FC Sunday, October 23 at Providence Park. Kickoff for the match is set for 5 p.m. ET. Following the Portland-San Diego match, OL Reign and the Current close out the day with a 7:30 ET contest at Lumen Field.

Both matches will air live on CBS Sports Network. Fans tuning in internationally outside the U.S. can watch the games on the NWSL’s Twitch channel.

The semifinal round comes after a quarterfinal series that saw two teams triumph in their respective playoff debuts. After the Current opened the scoring at PNC Stadium off a penalty kick from Lo’eau LaBonta, Kansas City’s Kate Del Fava scored a go-ahead goal in the waning minutes of stoppage time to secure a 2-1 victory over the No. 4-seeded Houston Dash. The game-winner marked Del Fava’s first NWSL goal.

The first expansion side to earn a playoff berth in its inaugural season, San Diego fell behind early against the No. 6 Chicago Red Stars before completing a comeback victory in extra time thanks to a late goal from 2022 Golden Boot winner Alex Morgan.

Sunday’s quarterfinal matchups also saw record attendance numbers for an NWSL playoff match, with the first contest between Houston and Kansas City drawing a record crowd of 21,284, surpassing the previous league-best 21,144 fans who attended the 2018 NWSL Championship between North Carolina and Portland. Just hours later, San Diego and Chicago’s match overtook the top spot with 26,215 in attendance.

For the first time ever, the 2022 NWSL Championship will air live in primetime on The CBS Television Network Saturday, October 29, with kickoff slated for 8 p.m. ET. The match will also be streamed live on Paramount+ and internationally on Twitch. Additional coverage details will be announced in the coming days.