Saturday, August 23
Bay FC vs. Washington Spirit – 4 PM ET
How to watch: CBS, Paramount+
“Take me out to the ball game,” is what NWSL fans are going to be saying this Saturday afternoon when Bay FC hosts the Washington Spirit in one of the most scenic baseball parks in the country: Oracle Park, home of the San Francisco Giants. The game is expected to set attendance records, not only for the NWSL but professional women’s sports in the U.S., but outside of those storylines, it’s still a regular season game with major implications for both teams. Washington Spirit sits in fourth place in the standings, but the Thorns are barking at their heels. After two draws in the last two weekends, they need more points to maintain their position and hope for a home playoff berth Getting Rosemonde Kouassi and new signing Sofia Cantore involved in the attack is key. But for Bay FC, in 11th place, things are more dire. Points would go a long way in getting them back into the playoff picture. They’ll be leaning on rookie Taylor Huff to generate in the midfield and goalkeeper Jordan Silkowitz to defend the posts against a relentless Spirit attack.
Gotham FC vs. Utah Royals FC – 7:30 PM ET
How to watch: ION
Week 16 could have gone better for Gotham. After an own goal and letting the Dash grab a late stoppage time winner, it’s easy to let a poor result demoralize you.After a midweek group stage Concacaf W Champions Cup match where they won and were able to get their bench players valuable minutes, things are looking up. For Utah, the return of hat trick hero Cloé Lacasse from injury has been huge, even though she hasn’t found the back of the net yet. She’s impacted their offense in other ways and will likely be a target for Utah’s midfield chance creators going forward. Despite their place in the standings, the Royals should never be counted out, so expect a competitive match this Saturday afternoon.
Portland Thorns vs. Kansas City Current – 10 PM ET
How to watch: ION
With an 11-point cushion over second-place San Diego and the spark of young talent Ally Sentnor, the Kansas City Current are looking every bit like a team of destiny. But Portland at Providence Park is a different challenge. The Thorns thrive at home, led by rising star Pietra Tordin, who can’t stop scoring. Backed by five home wins in front of some of the league’s biggest crowds, Portland boasts the second-best home record in the NWSL (trailing only KC). Expect Temwa Chawinga, Claire Hutton, Bia Zaneratto, and Debinha — really, anyone in teal — to pressure the Thorns’ backline, while Portland counters with Tordin, Reilyn Turner, Sam Coffey, and the endlessly inventive Hina Sugita. This one is going to be a good one.
Source: https://www.nwslsoccer.com/news/week-17-preview-take-me-out-to-the-ballgame
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