By OkayGoal 
The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) has been around for more than a decade, during which it has had some impressive games and playoff battles. From big-time upsets to shoe-ins, take a look at some NWSL matches we won’t forget in the years to come.
#5. Portland’s semifinal comeback
You’d think that Portland’s final game, which saw it lift the trophy, would be the team’s most memorable match of the season, but that’s not quite the case. The team did win the first NWSL playoffs, but it’s their semifinal game that went down in history.
The Portland Thorns played a semifinal game against Kansas City, which performed in front of the home crowd, and they did amazingly in the first half of the game. In fact, Kansas City played so well that it was hard to picture Portland making a comeback.
But they did, and they started coming back to life with a Tobin Heath goal, before Tiffany Weimer evened out the score in the 65th minute. And it was Weimer who assisted Allie Long in making a goal in the 103rd minute, sending Portland’s team to the game that would change everything.
If there was one thing viewers and bettors learned from the game is that you can never count a team out before the referee blows the whistle once the time runs out. Portland’s victory over Kansas City is still something bettors who visited Nebraska betting sites at the time remember, as the start of the game gave them false hopes. It serves as a great reminder to sports betting enthusiasts that anything is possible, as long as there’s still some time left. This is where live betting and competitive odds become very beneficial.
#4. Courage suffers their only loss of the season
If there is such a thing as a perfect season, it most definitely looks like the Courage’s 2018 season. The team came out on top as a winner in 17 of their regular-season games, even beating the European megastar Lyon – a fact even more impressive once you know they managed to do that with a few team members missing from the game.
Were it not for Utah, the team would have had a record-breaking season, but the Royals managed to rain on their parade during a warm June night in Cary, North Carolina. At first, it looked like the game was headed for a draw, which happens in approximately 23% of the games.
But that all changed once the Royals earned a free kick. Brittany Ratcliffe won the ball and launched it over the keeper. Once the ball landed in the net, all hell broke loose among spectators and commentators. Her spectacular goal earned the team a victory in the very last minute of the game, stunning everyone present in Cary, as well as those glued to their TVs.
#3. Flash vs. Thorns semifinal
2016 was a big year for the NWSL playoffs. The year saw some impressive matches, with three games that went into extra time. One of those games was the Flash vs. Thorns semifinal, featuring the No. 1 and No. 4 seeds, respectively.
The game was played in front of a cheerful and excited crowd that had gathered in Providence Park. Things on the scoreboard got a move on in the 16th minute, when Sam Mewis got her team to lead. The happiness was multiplied approximately 22 minutes later, which is how long it took Makenzy Doniak to double the lead.
To keep things interesting, Sinclair answered just a minute later, leading the game in an interesting direction. It wasn’t until Thorns defender, Emily Sonnet, performed a chaotic free kick that will go down in history books.
The drama took the game to extra time, resulting in a game that lasted well over 100 minutes. The amazing show that both teams put on ended once Abby Dakhlemper saved the ball and scored a victory for her team, which got them into the final.
#2. Thorns vs. Courage upset
After all the games came to a halt during the COVID-19 pandemic, NWSL was actually the first sports league in the United States to return to the stands, with all the games held in Utah. This was already a big deal for the league and a season where Courage were the absolute favorites, so a Thorns upset was the last thing anyone expected to see.
The two teams met in the quarterfinals, with Courage having a pretty easy path up to that point. To perform an upset, the Thorns had to withstand 24 shots fired by the Courage. The Thorns withstood every shot like a champion, turning them from the game’s underdogs to one of the year’s biggest upsets.
In the end, the Courage lost its strength and perseverance, which are some of the main traits of this fantastic team from North Carolina.
#1. A championship won on penalties
The 2016 NWSL playoffs had the most memorable game in the league’s history, with a team winning the championship on penalties. But that’s not the only reason why this game is still being talked about among soccer fans, as the dramatic win was preceded by 120 minutes of pure excitement.
The game in question featured two stars – the Western New York Flash and the Washington Spirit. The Flash started the game with odds stacked against them, as they had to play without their coach, Paul Riley. Even though the team fell behind fairly shortly into the game, they managed to even out the score and keep things tight until the very end.
The 30 minutes the ladies spent in extra time brought even more excitement than the rest of the game, with a great breakthrough happening in the last 30 seconds of extra time. Lynn Williams cruised past two defenders and a goalkeeper to score a goal that would take the championship to penalty kicks, where the Flash came out as a winner. The 3-2 penalty result led them to their first NWSL title, resulting in a game that will be remembered for decades.