By OkayGoal
The NWSL playoff race is officially entering panic mode.
With the regular season winding down, every point matters. Some teams are comfortably sitting in playoff spots, while others are fighting to keep their seasons alive.
Chicago Stars FC has already been eliminated from playoff contention. Now, several other teams are getting dangerously close to joining them.
The NWSL sends the top eight teams in the regular-season standings to the playoffs. That leaves plenty of room for the standings to change before the season ends.
So, who needs to start winning now?
Chicago Stars FC is officially out
Chicago is the first team to see its playoff hopes disappear.
The Stars currently sit near the bottom of the standings. With only a few games left, they can no longer collect enough points to catch the teams battling for the final playoff spots.
That means Chicago’s remaining games will be about finishing the season strong and building toward what comes next.
For the rest of the league, though, the fight is still very much alive.
Racing Louisville FC is running out of time
Racing Louisville FC is one of the teams feeling the pressure.
Louisville is currently outside the playoff picture. While the club still has a mathematical path to the postseason, there is almost no room for mistakes.
The biggest game on Louisville’s immediate schedule comes Sunday, Sept. 20.
Louisville will travel to California to face Bay FC at PayPal Park at 7 p.m. ET. The match will be available on Roku Sports Channel.
This game could be especially important because Bay FC is also fighting to climb the standings. Instead of simply hoping another team drops points, Louisville has a chance to take three points directly from a team in a similar position.
After that, Louisville will host San Diego Wave FC on Friday, Sept. 25. The club will then face Utah Royals on Oct. 3 before traveling to Boston Legacy FC on Oct. 16 and Denver Summit FC on Oct. 24. Louisville’s regular-season finale comes Nov. 1 against Kansas City Current.
That is not an easy finish.
Louisville needs to start collecting points now if it wants to stay in the playoff conversation.
Bay FC needs a late-season push
Bay FC is in a similar position, but its schedule gives the team some important opportunities.
The first one comes Sunday.
Bay will host Racing Louisville on Sept. 20 at 4 p.m. PT at PayPal Park. The match is part of a two-game homestand for Bay.
That matchup is followed by another home game against Orlando Pride on Sept. 27.
After that, Bay will hit the road to face Kansas City Current on Oct. 3. The club will return home Oct. 18 to host Portland Thorns FC before traveling to Angel City FC on Oct. 24.
Bay will then close the regular season at home against San Diego Wave FC on Nov. 1.
The schedule gives Bay a chance to make up ground, but there is not much time left.
And the Sept. 20 matchup against Louisville could be one of the biggest games in that push
Houston and Boston are still fighting
Houston Dash and Boston Legacy FC are also outside the current playoff picture.
Both teams remain close enough to make a push, but they need results quickly.
Houston has also gone through a major change off the field. The club announced Sept. 13 that it had parted ways with head coach Fabrice Gautrat and technical director Twila Kilgore.
Now, the Dash will have to navigate the final stretch while adjusting to changes within the organization.
Boston faces a similar challenge in the standings. The two teams will actually meet Sunday, Sept. 20, giving both clubs an opportunity to earn three important points against another team fighting for the postseason.
Nobody is safe yet
The teams near the playoff line cannot afford to relax either.
Orlando Pride, Denver Summit FC and Angel City FC are all within reach of the postseason but still have work to do.
Angel City made an important move on Sept. 16 by defeating Seattle Reign FC 3-1. The result brought Angel City closer to the top eight and made the playoff race even tighter.
That is the fun part of the NWSL.
The standings can change quickly. One win can completely change a team’s position, while one loss can make the playoffs feel much further away.
Chicago’s season may be over, but several teams are still fighting to avoid the same fate.
With the NWSL championship still up for grabs, the final stretch of the season is going to be one to watch.
Featured image via @houstondash