Semifinal matchups decided for 2023 NWSL Playoffs

(Photo Credit: NJ/NY Gotham FC)

NEW YORK – The semifinals of the 2023 NWSL Playoffs have officially been set following No. 6 NJ/NY Gotham FC’s 2-0 victory over the No. 3 North Carolina Courage in Cary, North Carolina.

San Diego Wave FC, who claimed its first-ever NWSL Shield at the end of the regular season to earn the top playoff seed and a first-round bye, will host No. 4 OL Reign while No. 2 Portland Thorns FC, who also earned a bye to the semis, will take on Gotham FC in a rematch of the 2021 Challenge Cup final.

The Thorns open the semifinal round against Gotham FC Sunday, November 5, at Providence Park in Portland, with kickoff for the match set for 7 p.m. ET. Following the Portland-Gotham FC match, Wave FC and the Reign close out the day with a 9:30 ET contest at Snapdragon Stadium, which will also serve as the host site of the 2023 NWSL Championship on Saturday, November 11.

Both semifinal contests will air live on CBS Sports Network. Fans tuning in internationally can watch all playoff matches on Watch.NWSLSoccer.com.

The semifinal round comes after a quarterfinal series that saw two of the league’s original eight teams triumph in their respective matches. Marking just the 10th time in which an away team has claimed a playoff win, Gotham FC handed the host Courage a 2-0 loss, with the club’s first playoff goals courtesy of midfielders Delanie Sheehan and Yazmeen Ryan, to join No. 4 OL Reign as the second advancing semifinalist.

Gotham FC’s victory marked the first-ever playoff win for the club formally known as Sky Blue FC and saw forward Lynn Williams tie the league’s playoff assist record.

Earlier this weekend, OL Reign secured its first playoff win since 2015, taking down Angel City, 1-0, off a late tally from forward Veronica Latsko to advance. Making their seventh semifinal appearance, the Reign are in search of a first-ever NWSL Championship title to go along with the club’s three NWSL Shields.

The 2023 NWSL Championship is set to air live in primetime at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, November 11 on the CBS Television Network and Paramount+. Additional coverage details will be announced at a later date.