In a twist more than a few GISTers saw coming, No. 8 seed Gotham FC will face the No. 2 Washington Spirit in Saturday’s NWSL Championship. Both clubs have won it all recently — Gotham in 2023 and the Spirit in 2021 — but only one can add to their trophy case. Let’s take a look back at the semifinals, and then a quick look ahead to the ’ship.

The first-ever Northern Super League (NSL) champion will be crowned when No. 1 seed AFC Toronto and No. 3 Vancouver Rise FC meet tomorrow at 2 p.m. ET. Ahead of kickoff, here’s what you need to know about the NSL’s historic inaugural season and, of course, the winner-take-all match.

ICYMI: The four teams competing in this weekend’s NWSL Playoffs semis are the four previous league champs dating back to 2021. With postseason experience everywhere you look and the No. 1 seed already stunningly eliminated, the only thing to expect is the unexpected.

We’re back in your inbox because the NWSL playoffs begin tonight, with the reigning champ and No. 4 seed Orlando Pride hosting No. 5 Seattle Reign in the first of four quarter-final (QF) games. To celebrate, we have a full playoff preview, including the storylines you need to know before the first whistle, a match-by-match QF breakdown, and of course, where to catch all the action.

And just like that, we’ve reached the final week of the inaugural Northern Super League (NSL) regular season. All four playoff spots have already been clinched by AFC Toronto, Vancouver Rise FC, Ottawa Rapid FC, and Montréal Roses FC, but seeding is still up for grabs, adding intrigue to this week’s matchups. Here’s what to watch with the postseason looming in early November.

This feature is brought to you in partnership with BMO.

There have been numerous record-breaking transfers in women’s soccer this year, most recently former North Carolina Courage midfielder Jaedyn Shaw’s $1.25M transfer to Gotham FC. With so many gals on the go, let’s kick around some questions about the state of the global women’s game.

From Lizbeth Ovalle’s record-setting $1.5M transfer to the Orlando Pride to The Show at San Francisco’s Oracle Park, women’s soccer history is being made from sea to shining sea in the NWSL this week. Here’s what you need to know about the fan-footy-tastic fun, plus how it fits into the latest trend in the women’s sports space.

Footy fans, rejoice — a Bend It Like Beckham sequel is confirmed and the NWSL is finally back after a month-long international break. Life is good. And with that, here are the biggest storylines heading into the second half of the season.