The Weekend of 729 playoff Scenarios in NWSL 🏆

It’s Monday, October 2nd. Give us four minutes, we give you everything The Women’s Game.

“GLOW-CHESTER?” - the USA’s Mia Fishel and Catarina Macario are settling into their new footballing lives in London. Their pronunciation of tube stations might still need work…. 🇺🇸🇬🇧 

I. Mia Fishel scores first WSL goal to open Chelsea season 🇺🇸🇬🇧

While the overwhelming majority of the USWNT’s player pool ply their trade in the NWSL, a handful are trying their luck overseas. That includes the USA’s captain Lindsey Horan, who leads a life of European football glory in the continent’s (nay– the world’s!) most successful club in Lyon. And as of this summer, that includes a pair of high-potential young American forwards in Catarina Macario (still injured, alas) and Mia Fishel.

Fishel took her talents to Chelsea this summer after a whirlwind two years in Mexico’s Liga MX Femenil, where she went to play after a collegiate career at UCLA, declining to pursue her NWSL draft selection in Orlando. After scoring 38 goals in 48 league appearances with Tigres, Fishel caught the eye of globally esteemed gaffer, Emma Hayes.

Having grown up watching Chelsea, moving to play for the team of her heart was an emotional move for Fishel (as well as a potentially brilliant career accelerant). Those deep-seated emotions of a longtime Blue supporter shined through as Fishel started at Stamford Bridge this Sunday (replacing a still-returning Sam Kerr at striker) to open Chelsea’ season with her first WSL goal.

Fishel watching her reaction is almost as good as the reaction itself.

Outward across England’s first weekend of WSL fixtures after their beloved Lionesses reached their first-ever World Cup final, the fans and football delivered on drama and dreams.

Set before a record WSL crowd of 54,115 ferocious fans at the Emirates, Liverpool broke hearts in enemy lands as they defeated Arsenal 1-0. Further north, Manchester United not only debuted their newest acquisition in World Cup golden boot winner Hinata Miyazawa, but set right the weekend with a stoppage-time header from Rachel Williams to collect a win on the first matchday of the season.

MORE: A Mia Fishel exclusive from The Evening Standard

II. A weekend of 729 playoff scenarios in NWSL 🏆

Prior to this weekend’s run of contests, the NWSL announced that the third to last games of the regular season had 729 playoff scenarios before them.

Truly, in a league known for parity and the unexpected, this has been a season of beautiful football brawls from top to bottom of the table. As teams stared down their last three games, every single one of them did so, still capable of making the playoffs.

Kansas City Current, who entered the weekend near the bottom of the table, took their playoff plight on the road to Washington where thanks to an early goal from Brazil’s finest, Debinha, it looked for a moment they’d escape with three points of glory. Alas, the Spirit are masters of mayhem, capable of climbing back on every counter and second left in the game. With a debut goal for French international Ouleymata Sarr and stoppage time difference maker from the USA’s ascendant Trinity Rodman, the Spirit took all three points in a pivotal match for the mid-table side on the precarious end of a playoff berth.

Elsewhere, San Diego Wave absconded with a 2-0 victory over reigning champions Portland Thorns in Oregon, sliding firmly into first-place as they face their final two games. Highlights include Alex Morgan breaking her goal drought to settle it.

The Houston Dash stunned Gotham in New Jersey on Sunday (with a brace from Nigeria’s World Cup star Michelle Alozie), keeping their playoff hopes alive as they ended Sunday evening just one-place shy of a playoff spot in seventh place. But with a pivotal contest left to play on the west coast Monday evening (Angel City FC vs Orlando Pride, 10 PM ET, CBS), the Dash could be surpassed with a win by either team.

MORE: NWSL expansion side Bay FC named Albertin Montoya as their head coach last week. Montoya- who is familiar with the area and experienced leading teams at the youth national team, collegiate and NWSL level — will guide the league’s 14th club into its inaugural season next year.

AND MORE: Sydney Leroux’s injury woes have haunted her time with Angel City FC, but the former national team star just signed a contract with LA’s 2023 playoff hopeful through 2024. Could next year be the year Christen Press (also waylaid by injury setback) and Syd are working magic in SoCal together?

III. UEFA Nations League latest 🌍

The world’s most competitive region will qualify just two teams for next summer’s Olympics (in addition to the automatic host nation participant, France). The UEFA Nations League, which kicked off the group stage this month, will act as the qualifying tournament to whittle down that pool of exceptionally talented nations to just two teams.

As the first two matches of the groups wrapped up last week (and set to continue into the spring) it’s too soon to say what teams look most likely to appear in Paris. That said, the beleaguered reigning champions of the world, Spain, (who face down ongoing tumult within their federation in the wake of Luis Rubiales uninvited kiss heard round the world) are looking as resilient as ever, collecting wins over Sweden and Switzerland, topping their group.

Elsewhere, underdogs like Belgium (who fell short of this summer’s World Cup) surprised with strong performances, overcoming the Netherlands in their opening match before drawing with Scotland. England face them next.

And as for England, who will act as the sole qualifier on behalf of all Team GB, they started off with a win by small margin over neighbors Scotland, before falling to the Netherlands 2-1. A lone goal from Alessia Russo was not enough to salvage more points in a tightly contested group. With four games left to play in League A Group 1, England will enter the next window in third place (out of four), preparing to face Belgium, who finished in first.

MORE: Jansen’s late strike give Netherlands win over England

IV. News and Notes 📰

1. Canada beats Jamaica in a two-legged playoff to officially qualify for the 2024 Olympics. Here’s why it was about more than just rebounding from World Cup disappointment.

2. Jamaica’s manager Lorne Donaldson is moving on from his historically successful stint as leader of the Reggae Girlz. Could he be the right manager to replace Vlatko Andonovski?

3. North Korea overcame South Korea 4-1 in a dramatic edition of the Hangzhou Asian Games this week

4. Chile’s Football Federation has come under fire in this international window. Believing there to be lack of interest in the second straight friendly, the federation ‘celebrated’ the 100th cap for Lyon’s esteemed goalkeeper and Chile’s veteran force, Christiane Endler, behind-closed-doors, and with no broadcast available.

5. Lebanon collected their first-ever trophy in the second edition of Saudi Arabia’s international friendly tournament

V. Parting Shots

Some things transcend football. Last week, one of the great managers of the game, Emma Hayes, said an emotional goodbye to her beloved father. Here’s to the Hayes family. In Emma’s words, “This one’s for you, Papa.”