NWSL, week 18 in review: Failure to clinch

Next week — the final week of the NWSL season — could have been an easy one. The top four already decided, the only drama left is the two teams — Washington and Portland — fighting it out to not play Seattle in the first round. The bottom five all decided, Boston and Houston officially joined by Sky Blue FC, Western NY and Chicago. The league office breathing a sigh of relief in not having to figure out when and how to make up that “postponed” Sky Blue-Houston match. All that, what could have been. And what won’t be, because both Portland and Washington failed to clinch a playoff spot this weekend, the Spirit coming within a minute of realize the postseason dream but ultimately drawing with Seattle, the Thorns falling to Boston and neither team getting any help from Sky Blue and Chicago, both winners in games where losses would have made life a lot less complicated.

Chicago stays alive
The Red Stars had one objective heading into Kansas City on Saturday: win. Chicago needed a win against the Blues to keep whatever slim playoff hopes it had heading into the weekend alive, and Rory Dames’ side delivered, spoiling FC Kansas City’s regular season finale along the way. Melissa Tancredi and Christen Press both scored for Chicago in the first half, and Adriana Leon added another in the — wait, what’s that? No? But the ball was in the goal. It was ... oh, right, NWSL. Leon’s shot appeared to cross the goal line before bouncing back out, but with no indication from the ref everyone just kept playing and we’ll just go ahead add that to the list of things we’re pretending never happened because boy would it be super embarrassing otherwise.

The Red Stars are still mathematically alive, doing their part with the win and getting some help from the Spirit only managing a draw with Seattle later on Saturday and the Thorns loss to Boston on Sunday. Chicago finishes out the season with a pair of home games against Boston and Western NY on Wednesday and Sunday respectively, both must-wins for the Red Stars.

Kansas City meanwhile, is idle next weekend, but the Blues have already secured the second spot and a home playoff game thanks to a midweek win in a weather-shortened match with Boston. Amy Rodriguez, playing her first NWSL season after sitting out 2013 because of the birth of her first child, finishes the season with 13 goals, currently good for second in the Golden Boot race behind Seattle’s Kim Little. Last year’s leading scorer, Lauren Holiday, finishes with eight.

The Nadia Nadim show
If, or more likely, when Sky Blue FC is eliminated from postseason contention — something that could come as early as Wednesday — the biggest question the Jersey side will be asking is why they didn’t figure out how to bring Nadia Nadim in earlier. The Danish striker has all but completely transformed the Sky Blue front line, her presence changing the games of Kelley O’Hara and Maya Hayes along the way, and making Sky Blue FC actually sort of fun to watch. Nadim scored all three of Sky Blue’s goals on Saturday, as the Blue and Orange topped Houston 3-1, a win that — along with Portland’s loss — also keeps them alive in the playoff race. Nadim now has five goals and two assists on the season, and she’s only made five appearances for Sky Blue. Oh, what could have been. Jim Gabarra’s club remains in the playoff race mathematically, though only a single point from elimination. Sky Blue takes on Western NY on Wednesday in a game that will see at least one team gone from playoff contention at its conclusion.

Washington gets so, so close...
The Spirit was almost there. A year after finishing dead last, Washington had a chance to officially book its ticket to the postseason, and with a week still to play. Diana Matheson scored for the Spirit in the 29th minute, and Washington managed to hold that 1-0 lead well into the second half. But with the Spirit just a minute from the postseason, Kim Little and the Reign did the thing that’s become so very Seattle and stole a game, very late and with a ton of style. In the 89th minute Jessica Fishlock delivered a perfect through ball, somehow navigating a forest of Spirit players to find Little on the other end. Little took a touch around Spirit keeper Chantel Jones, playing in place of the injured Ashlyn Harris, and netted her league-leading 16th of the season to give the Reign a 1-1 draw with Washington and postpone the Spirit’s postseason hopes.

Alyssa Naeher comes up big
Boston-Portland has produced some of the more bizarre results in NWSL this season, but the strangest thing about 2014’s final meeting between the two sides was just how normal it was. There was no crazy Tom Durkin benches most of his starters and the Breakers win 4-1, no wild TV debut with a 6-3 scoreline in favor of the Thorns. This was just a game, the only extraordinary thing the play of Alyssa Naeher, who stood on her head to keep the clean sheet for the Breakers as Boston topped Portland 2-0. Naeher made 10 saves and Rachel Wood and Heather O’Reilly both scored in the first half as the Breakers spoiled Portland’s chance to clinch a playoff spot on Sunday.

The Thorns have just one game remaining, Sunday’s regular season finale with Seattle, but thanks to Chicago’s two remaining games being on Wednesday and Saturday, Portland could not only fall out of the top four, but also be mathematically eliminated before they even take the field on Sunday.

Scores
Wednesday
FC Kansas City 2 - 1 Boston Breakers
Seattle Reign 4 - 1 Houston Dash

Saturday
Chicago Red Stars 2 - 1 FC Kansas City
Houston Dash 1 - 3 Sky Blue FC
Seattle Reign FC 1 - 1 Washington Spirit

Sunday
Boston Breakers 2 - 0 Portland Thorns FC