Why NWSL Playoffs have been so fun: Stars Trinity Rodman, Barbra Banda lead attack-minded approach

Anyone who tuned into the semifinals of the NWSL Playoffs last week were in for a real treat. The Washington Spirit bested NJ/NY Gotham FC in a closely contested game that ended in a penalty shootout, while the Shield-winning Orlando Pride beat the Kansas City Current in a five-goal thriller. The tight margins were not actually the games’ defining feature, though – the four teams combined for 74 shots in two matches alone, delivering end-to-end action for essentially every minute of action.

It was ultimately the reason each game was branded a classic, their inherent entertainment value visible for even the casual fan to see. Being labeled a classic, though, comes with the caveat that matches such as those are somewhat rare. A wide variety of tangible and intangible variables mean it can be difficult to recreate such entertainment on a regular basis, even when the best teams in a given league duke it out for a top prize. Soccer’s love-hate relationship with big-time games sometimes means the pressure to win comes at the expense of entertainment value.

When the Orlando Pride and Washington Spirit meet at Kansas City’s CPKC Stadium for the NWSL Championship on Saturday, though, do not expect them to tamp down the excitement of the occasion.

The league’s tactical evolution has led to a diversification of playing styles but during the 2024 season, the teams that have played the most aesthetically enjoyable soccer have come out on top more often than not. That includes this season’s finalists, who have taken different approaches to winning games but have not scrimped on goalscoring, and are unlikely to change that with the league’s biggest trophy on the line.

NWSL Championship broadcast schedule

All times Eastern

Friday, Nov. 22
CBS Mornings, live from CPKC Stadium, 7 a.m. (CBS, Paramount+)

Saturday, Nov. 23
Attacking Third pre-match show, 6:30 p.m. (CBS Sports Golazo Network)
Attacking Third pre-match show, 7:30 p.m. (CBS, Paramount+)
NWSL Championship: Orlando Pride vs. Washington Spirit, 8 p.m. (CBS, Paramount+)
Attacking Third post-match show, 10:30 p.m. (CBS Sports Golazo Network)

Sunday, Nov. 24
NWSL Skills Challenge, 3 p.m. or 5 p.m. (check local listings) (CBS, Paramount+)

NWSL’s goal-themed season

The story of the NWSL season was that four teams shone brighter than the rest, building a 16-point gap between themselves and everyone else and then demonstrating that dominance by taking each of the semifinal berths. Those teams do not exactly have a lot in common in terms of tactical identity, but there is one thing each of them share – they scored goals and at pretty high rates.

The top four teams for points were the top four teams in many attacking categories, too. The Current took top honors for regular season goals with 57, but the next closest team to the top four was the Portland Thorns, who had four fewer than Gotham’s 41 goals. That gap was replicated with each team’s expected goals tally, though the Thorns were the only ones of that elite group to crack the top four for shots by outpacing the Spirit and Gotham.

The development is a departure from recent trends across the sport, in which several coaches in both the men’s and women’s game have succeeded by prioritizing defense and opted to be a bit more scrappy or strategic when going forward. The goalscoring exploits of the NWSL’s top four are not to suggest that those teams have abandoned defending entirely, either – a few actually found a very comfortable balance this season. That’s particularly true for the Pride and Gotham, who each ended the regular season with just 20 goals against, the best in the league. The Current also really began to hit their stride in the back half of the season, when defensive upgrades meant they went from winning 5-4 to coming out with 4-1 wins.

Each team’s strong attacks ensured they would make deep runs in the playoffs, with the Pride’s win over the Current in last week’s semifinals serving as an example. The Current’s league-best attack was able to get two goals past the Pride’s league-best defense, requiring the Pride’s impressive offense to score three times to book their ticket to the NWSL Championship.

Stars take center stage

It can be hard to single out one or two players from each of the finalists, but some of their most important players are undoubtedly the attacking stars that lived up to the billing this year. The Pride boast two MVP candidates in Barbra Banda and Marta, who respectively have 16 and 11 goals in 2024. The Spirit’s MVP contender, Trinity Rodman, has eight goals and six assists, while rookie of the year favorite Croix Bethune notched five goals and 10 assists before picking up a season-ending knee injury.

Their successes are a testament to their teams’ player recruitment strategy, which has become more varied amidst the rapid professionalization of the women’s game. Six-time world player of the year Marta was an obvious recruit when the Pride signed her in 2017, while Rodman and Bethune were easily one of the best of their draft classes when the Spirit signed them. Banda made a name for herself when she scored multiple hattricks for Zambia at the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Olympics in 2021, but the NWSL’s new roster rules and transfer mechanisms have encouraged teams to scout players in a wide variety of places.

Teams are now leaving no stone unturned in player recruitment, looking for players that do not lack the talent but are just waiting to be discovered. Banda is one of several players of that ilk to join the NWSL this year – the Current’s Temwa Chawinga, an MVP favorite, and Bay FC’s Rachael Kundanji, for whom the expansion team paid the women’s soccer transfer fee record to sign, are other examples. Each one of them is a forward.

The NWSL has no shortage of high-caliber defensive players, with the Current and Gotham respectively signing celebrated international goalkeepers Almuth Schult and goalkeeper of the year Ann-Katrin Berger in 2024. It is undeniable, though, that a sizable fraction of women’s soccer’s top attacking players ply their trade in the NWSL, ensuring that the league’s entertainment value remains high for another year running.

As a result, Saturday’s NWSL Championship could be a perfect follow-up act to last weekend’s attack-minded semifinals. Each team will likely plan for their attacking stars to take center stage in the biggest match of the year, which could be a fitting finale for another exciting NWSL season.