Below is a selection of moments to watch for and notes to know entering the semifinals of the 2023 NWSL Playoffs, presented by Bud Light. Semifinal coverage begins Sunday, November 5, as No. 2 Portland Thorns FC host sixth-seeded NJ/NY Gotham FC at 7 p.m. ET at Providence Park in Portland, Oregon. Top-seeded San Diego Wave FC host the second match of the night against No. 4 OL Reign at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, California, kicking off at 9:30 p.m. ET.

*Below is a selection of moments to watch for and notes to know entering the semifinals of the 2023 NWSL Playoffs, presented by Bud Light. Semifinal coverage begins Sunday, November 5, as No. 2 Portland Thorns FC host sixth-seeded NJ/NY Gotham FC at 7 p.m. ET at Providence Park in Portland, Oregon. Top-seeded San Diego Wave FC host the second match of the night against No. 4 OL Reign at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, California, kicking off at 9:30 p.m. ET.*Additional match details can be found below.

NOTES TO KNOW

PREVIOUS MATCHUPS

Portland Thorns FC and NJ/NY Gotham FC have faced each other twice in 2023, splitting their regular season series at one win apiece, with both clubs scoring two goals. Their first matchup came in Week 15, with Gotham FC defeating the Thorns 2-1 with goals from midfielder Allie Long and forward Katie Stengel, while forward Hannah Betfort scored Portland’s lone goal on an assist from defender Meghan Klingenberg. The teams squared off again in Week 21 with Portland defeating Gotham FC 1-0 with a goal from midfielder Hina Sugita, assisted by midfielder and MVP candidate Sam Coffey. San Diego Wave FC and OL Reign have played each other four times this year, meeting twice in the regular season and twice in the UKG NWSL Challenge Cup, with OL Reign winning all four matches. The clubs first faced off in Week 3 of the regular season, with midfielder Olivia Van der Jagt scoring in the 95th minute to give OL Reign a 1-0 win. A Challenge Cup match on May 31 saw a 3-0 Reign win with goals from defender Ryanne Brown, midfielder Olivia Athens and forward Jordyn Huitema. Their next matchup in regular season Week 13 saw a 2-1 win for OL Reign, as forward Bethany Balcer notched a brace, while midfielder Jaedyn Shaw scored for San Diego. In the final Challenge Cup match between the two clubs, Balcer scored on a 71st minute penalty kick to secure a 1-0 Reign win.

AWARD FINALISTS IN ACTION

NWSL Coach of the Year finalist Juan Carlos Amorós leads Gotham FC against Portland, where the club will face off against two finalists for Most Valuable Player, presented by Bud Light, in Thorns midfielder Sam Coffey and last year’s MVP Sophia Smith. Gotham FC looks to stop Portland’s potent offensive attack with Defender of the Year finalist Ali Krieger and Rookie of the Year, presented by Ally, finalist Jenna Nighswonger. 2022 Coach of the Year Casey Stoney is a finalist for the award again this season after leading the Wave to its first NWSL Shield. Appearing in the semifinals for the second time, Stoney’s club includes MVP and Defender of the Year finalist Naomi Girma, who won Defender of the Year and Rookie of the Year in 2022, and Goalkeeper of the Year finalist Kailen Sheridan, who also won the award in 2022.

MILESTONES AND RECORDS

PLAYOFF HISTORY

Portland Thorns FC has won the most NWSL Championships (3), winning the title in 2013, 2017 and 2022. The Thorns have reached the playoffs in nine of the NWSL’s 10 seasons, while their opponent, Gotham FC, is in the playoffs for just the third time in club history. The club’s quarterfinal win against the Courage was its first ever playoff victory. Expansion side San Diego Wave FC has made the playoffs in its first two seasons in the NWSL but has yet to reach the Championship match. Following a 2-1 win against the Chicago Red Stars in the 2022 quarterfinals, the Wave were eliminated by Portland in the semis. The Wave face OL Reign, who has made the playoffs seven times. Despite advancing to the Championship match in 2014 and 2015 as Seattle Reign FC, the Reign are still searching for their first Championship title.

CLIMBING THE LEADERBOARD

Portland Thorns defender Crystal Dunn is second on the all-time playoff scoring list with five goals, trailing only former FC Kansas City forward Amy Rodriguez (6). Dunn is also third in playoff shots (21) and second in shots on goal (15). She matches up with Gotham FC forward Lynn Williams, who is tied for fifth in playoff scoring with three goals, matching multiple players including Thorns captain Christine Sinclair and OL Reign forward Megan Rapinoe. Williams (37) and Rapinoe (30) are the all-time leaders in shots in the playoffs, with Williams holding the record for shots on goal (18). With her third career playoff assist in the quarterfinals, Lynn Williams tied Lauren Holiday and Jess McDonald for the NWSL’s all-time playoff record, while Rapinoe and Dunn are close behind with two each, also matching San Diego Wave forward Alex Morgan. Christine Sinclair is the NWSL’s all-time leader with 11 playoff games started, while Lynn Williams and OL Reign defender Emily Sonnett became the fifth and sixth players to reach 10 starts in their last appearances. With starts this week, Rapinoe, Reign defender Lauren Barnes and Thorns defender Meghan Klingenberg could be the next players to reach 10. In the quarterfinals, Williams became just the second player to log 1,000 minutes in the playoffs, while Sonnett needs to play just 11 minutes this week to become the third.

SEMIFINALS MATCH SCHEDULE

Sunday, November 5

Portland Thorns FC vs. NJ/NY Gotham FC | Providence Park | 7 p.m. ET | CBS Sports Network San Diego Wave FC vs. OL Reign | Snapdragon Stadium | 9:30 p.m. ET | CBS Sports Network Both matches will be available to fans tuning in internationally on Watch.NWSLSoccer.com. For more details about the 2023 NWSL Playoffs, presented by Bud Light, click here.