NWSL's Big Four win dramatic quarterfinals, set up semifinals full of star power

WASHINGTON — For four frightening minutes, one of the Big Four was in trouble. And in a few tense moments, the defending champions struggled. But by the end of an electric afternoon here at Audi Field, then in New Jersey, the dream NWSL playoff scenario materialized.

The Orlando Pride, Kansas City Current, Washington Spirit and Gotham FC all won their quarterfinals this weekend.

The Big Four became the final four.

And the semifinals, set for next Saturday and Sunday, began overflowing with star power: Rose Lavelle and Trinity Rodman, Barbra Banda and Temwa Chawinga, and host of others who've separated four clubs from a chasing pack all season.

Orlando, the NWSL shield winner, was commanding and comprehensive Friday night in a 4-1 victory over Chicago. Kansas City, the league's top scorers and chance creators, shut out and raced past North Carolina 1-0 on Saturday.

Sunday, though, brought drama. In a tight, tense affair in the nation's capital, Bay FC briefly silenced a sold-out crowd, and took a 1-0 lead, in the 82nd minute.

But in the 86th, Spirit center back Tara McKeown stepped forward to cut out a pass ... and never stopped charging forward. She evaded Bay FC midfielders. She glimpsed the corner of the net from 25 yards away. And a determined thought flashed to the front of her mind: "I didn't miss my sister's wedding for nothing."

That's right: McKeown, a stalwart for the Spirit since 2021, skipped her sister's wedding Saturday to prepare for Sunday's quarterfinal. "It's been an emotional week for her," teammate Trinity Rodman said.

Less than 24 hours later, she vindicated her own decision, and yes, she said, all the emotion was worth it.

McKeown leveled the match at 1-1. Some 19,000 fans erupted, flags flying, scarves twirling. And they never really quieted down as the Spirit surged to a 2-1 victory in extra time. "Even when we clear a ball out of bounds, people are just raging," midfielder Hal Hershfelt said in awe. "It literally feels like the 12th player."

Washington will host the first of two semifinals, on Saturday at noon ET, in front of what should be another record crowd.

They'll face Gotham, who also won a 2-1 thriller Sunday. Lavelle's goal in the seventh minute of stoppage time beat Portland.

The Pride will host the Current in the other semifinal. It will be a clash of the league's top two scorers, Banda and Chawinga. Both took the league by storm in their first seasons stateside. Both were rampant in the quarters, racing past helpless defenders, striking fear as they went. Chawinga and the Current only finished one chance, while the Pride were more clinical. But each has the quality to hurt the other on Sunday.

Together, the two semis will be showdowns between the four teams that, in league often overrun by parity, separated themselves as the best all season. Last year, the NWSL's top eight were separated by seven points. This year, the fourth-place Current finished with 55 points — 16 more than the fifth-place North Carolina Courage.

There have never been a Big Four like this in American soccer. To dub them deserving semifinalists would be an understatement. And the next two weekends should crown a deserving champion.