Credit: David Gonzalez-Imagn Images
With just one match week to go until Judgment Day, 2026 Women’s National Soccer League The regular season remains one of the most wide open in recent memory.
All to play for in the quest for the Shield and the postseason
The final two weekends of the 2026 NWSL regular season will feature all but the glorified playoff games. The shield stays in the game a lot. Just three points separate Gotham FC (55), San Diego Wave (54) and Washington Spirit (52) at the top of the pile.
Ten teams are fighting for the eight playoff spots, as only five points separate the teams from 8 to 10 in the table. The Seattle Reign got the job done last weekend against Chicago and stayed in the final playoff spot. The Denver Summit and North Carolina Courage saw their playoff chances take major hits with damaging losses. The Summit, in particular, once again held a two-goal lead against Angel City, just as it did when the two teams met on September 11th.
Two MVP frontrunners, Ashley Sanchez and Janine Sonis, are highly unlikely to make the postseason. Denver will be eliminated this weekend with a loss or a tie at home to Racing Louisville. North Carolina would be eliminated with a Portland loss, plus a Seattle win.
Meanwhile, Gotham FC could win their first Shield this weekend with a win over Orlando and a combination of other results (more on that below).
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