Sunday Scroll
 | Powered by  Edition #904 October 22 |
From The Gist Team |
Happy Soccer Sunday!
This week's edition is the best yet because the NWSL playoffs have officially started. As you catch up on all the action, prep those screens and snacks: Today's gameday.
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Quote of the Day |
 | We love it. It definitely changes the game for us…and I think when we talk about being at home and why we fight so hard to have these playoffs [home games] is because of the 12th man. |
 | — OL Reign defender and OG Lauren "Lu" Barnes on the difference fans and homefield advantage can make during the postseason. As attendance and viewership records continue to skyrocket, NWSL fans are helping change the game for the better, one hand clap at a time. |
The Scroll |
🏆 How it works
After battling through the 22-game regular season, six of the NWSL's 12 teams snagged a playoff spot following the league's first-ever Decision Day, which more than lived up to the hype.
The three-week postseason consists of three single-elimination rounds, culminating in the championship game in San Diego on Saturday, November 11th. Queens will be crowned.
- The top two seeds, the No. 1 San Diego Wave and No. 2 Portland Thorns FC, received byes through the first round and will sit tight until the semifinals on Sunday, November 5th.
- Round one kicked off on Friday with No. 4 OL Reign topping No. 5 Angel City FC 1–0 to book a date with the Wave, while the winner of today's No. 3 North Carolina Courage vs. No. 6 Gotham FC match will face the Thorns.
📝 The quarter-finals
As mentioned, the quarter-finals kicked off Friday when OL Reign beat Angel City FC 1–0 in a physical affair, thanks to a clutch 87th minute goal from forward Veronica Latsko.
- USWNT icon Megan Rapinoe, who played 115 regular-season games for the Reign, announced her retirement ahead of the FIFA Women's World Cup (WWC) this summer. Will her career end on November 5th against the Wave or will her farewell tour march on?
This brings us to today, where the North Carolina Courage will face off against Gotham at 7 p.m. ET. The two teams played each other four times this year, resulting in two close wins for the Bats and two draws.
- The Courage have won back-to-back Challenge Cups, but after missing the playoffs for the first time in franchise history last year, they'll be looking to prove they can show out in the postseason as well.
- As for this year's Dark
Knighthorse, Gotham, they finished dead last in the 2022 season but have since completely turned things around, securing this year's final playoff spot. Led by midfielder Kristie Mewis and Beyoncé stan Ali Krieger, this team could go on a Cinderella run.
📺 When Jake met Pinoe
As exciting as the NWSL playoffs will be, so many folks will miss out on the fun because some matches aren't on network TV.
State Farm knows women's sports don't receive enough love from mainstream media, so they're working to insure ensure female athletes (and their fans!) obtain the coverage they deserve.
- How? By upping the NWSL's media visibility and investing in the fan community. Exhibit A: They partnered with us to bring you this newsletter. HYFR.
- Many brands say they're investing in women's sports, but State Farm is actually putting their money where their mouth is. Pinoe–level game-changing.
⬆️ The automatic byes
No. 1 San Diego Wave: Superstar Alex Morgan and No. 1–seed San Diego are cruising like a tidal wave after winning the NWSL Shield in historic fashion. But do the Wave have what it takes to win a championship in just their second season of existence?
No. 2 Portland Thorns: They may not have Taylor Swift on their side, but the reigning champs do have 2023 NWSL Golden Boot winner Sophia Smith and the all-time leading international goal scorer Christine Sinclair (who announced her retirement from international play on Friday).
- Notably, the Thorns could become the first NWSL club to win four titles. No pressure.
📺 How to watch
It's no secret that interest in women's soccer is on the rise with viewership records being regularly broken: See Megan Rapinoe's last regular-season home game, the 2023 WWC, last year's NWSL championship, and the entire 2022 NWSL season.
And you can help keep the good times rolling by watching tonight's 7 p.m. ET Courage vs. Gotham quarter-final on the CBS Sports Network in the U.S. and TSN 2 in Canada. Baby, let the games begin.
The GIST's Picks |
Hi. It's us. We're the recommenders, it's us.
💪 What to support
The Girls Soccer Network and their "7 Ways to Support Soccer in Underserved Communities." The future of the NWSL starts in today's youth programs.
📺 What to watch
LFG, the documentary that follows the 2019 WWC champs through their challenges on the field — and the gender discrimination they faced off it.
⚽ What to subscribe to
The Equalizer, your one-stop shop for all things women's soccer. For 15 years, they've been breaking the latest, most in-depth stories to continue growing the beautiful game.
Fun and Games |
Take Your Pick | ||
 | At |  |
Gotham FC | North Carolina Courage | |
| +115 | To Win | -149 |
| With one semifinal set, only one more team can advance to the final four. Who do you think it's going to be? Cast your vote below and we'll see you at game time. | ||
Gotham FCNorth Carolina Courage | ||
Sports Betting Guide | ||
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Today's email was brought to you by Emma Fernandez. Editing by Lisa Minutillo. Fact-checking by Molly Potter. Operations by Marga Sison and Christie Gray. Ads by Katie Kehoe Foster, Lauren Tuiskula, and Dee Lab. Managing edits by Lauren Tuiskula.
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