After Trinity Rodman knocked in her second goal in the Washington Spirit's commanding 4-1 quarterfinal win over the Portland Thorns in the 2026 NWSL Playoffs, the 24-year-old flashed a celebratory peace sign.
The Spirit will look to keep the good times rolling against the Utah Royals in the semifinal round, with Washington's third consecutive trip to the finals on the line. The 2026 NWSL Championship just so happens to be taking place at their home venue at Audi Field in Washington, D.C, which Rodman called extra motivation.
"I would be lying to say that we haven't thought about the fact that we could potentially be playing a final here," said Rodman, who was announced as a finalist for NWSL MVP after a career year. "It makes us work 10x harder
because like I said, you get home field advantage, which is huge in this league and drives momentum."
Speaking of home field advantage, defending champion Gotham FC is hosting a semifinal game for the first time in club history, but the match against the Kansas City Current has been moved from the club's 25,000-seat home venue at Sports Illustrated Stadium to the 5,000-seat Icahn Stadium because of poor field conditions.
Here's what you need to know about the upcoming NWSL semifinal matches as we march toward the 2026 NWSL Championship on Saturday, Nov. 21:
Washington Spirit vs. Utah Royals
Saturday, Nov. 14 | 12 p.m. ET | Audi Field (Washington DC)
The No. 4 seed Spirit scored early and often against the No. 5 seed Thorns in a 4-1 quarterfinal rout, a dominant performance that "helps the confidence so much," Rodman said. It took all of six minutes for the Spirit to get on the board after Rodman stole the ball off her opponent's foot and connected with Mélissa Bethi, who found the back of the net to set a record for Washington's fastest goal in club playoff history. When all was said and done, Rodman (two goals, one assist) and Clara Luvanga (two assists, one goal) finished with three goal contributions each, becoming the first duo in league history to do so in a playoff game.
As the Spirit are gearing up for their third consecutive semifinal appearance, the Utah Royals are entering uncharted territory. The club is preparing for its first semifinal appearance as its Cinderella run and first trip to the playoffs continues. The No. 7 seed Royals shocked the world with a 1-0 upset over the No. 2 seed San Diego Wave FC to notch the club's first playoff win on Kiana Palacios' 30th minute goal. The firsts didn't stop there. Royals goalkeeper Mandy McGlynn recorded five saves to secure the first postseason clean sheet in club history.
The Royals will have to overcome more odds to advance to the finals. The Spirit have an advantage, winning their last matchup of the season 1-0 on July 29, following a 1-1 draw on March 25.
Gotham FC vs. Kansas City Current
Sunday, Nov. 15 | 3:00 p.m. ET (ABC) | Icahn Stadium (New York City)
The rivalry between Gotham FC and the Kansas City Current continues on Sunday in the semifinal round. If you remember, just last year Kansas City was the No. 1 overall seed after putting together the winningest season in NWSL history. But the Current's record-breaking season came to an unceremonious end after No. 8 seed Gotham FC upset the Kansas City in the quarterfinals and went on to become the lowest seed to win a championship.
The script is flipped this year and the Current have a chance to rain on Gotham FC's parade, as the No. 1 overall seed and defending champions are trying to win back-to-back title for the first time since 2019.
"We know them well and they know us," Gotham FC midfielder Jaedyn Shaw said. "It's definitely a team that is difficult to play and has a certain style of play. They can really like grind through a game. Obviously in transition, they are really effective."
Gotham FC is coming off an ugly 1-0 win over Seattle Reign, where the only score of the game came on an own goal by Seattle four minutes into the match. Gotham became the first team in league history to win a playoff game without a single shot on goal, which Jaedyn Shaw attributed to poor field conditions, as well as overall execution.
The Current will also look for better scoring opportunities after their 1-0 win over Angel City FC came down to a controversial penalty shot that Michelle Cooper converted in the 96th minute for her first career postseason goal. Kansas City improves its win streak to six games, which Cooper believes has been overlooked.
COLD. LIKE. COOP. 🥶
— x- KC Current (@thekccurrent) November 7, 2026
Michelle Cooper blasts the penalty home in extra time to break the deadlock!#KCBABY pic.twitter.com/p6UFOu4DiK
"We can come up with a lot of reasons and excuses, I could say for last year and why it didn't really fall our way," Cooper said. "But I think this team this year has taken things personal and never say die. And that's kind of the mentality that we've been going with and we just want to keep it rolling. So that's been the biggest change for us I think this year."
Gotham FC defeated the Current 2-0 in the 2026 NWSL Challenge Cup on June 26, but the teams split their regular season matchups. Kansas City won 2-1 on April 4, while Gotham won 2-1 on Aug. 14.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who will reach NWSL Championship? Breaking down the semifinal matchups
