Hold onto your hats. The Girls in Red host the Orlando Pride today at 12:30, the first of two NWSL semifinals to decide who heads to Orlando next week for the championship match. This is a matchup between the league’s strongest defense, anchored by Emily Sonnett, Emily Menges, and Katherine Reynolds, and its best offense, led by Alex Morgan and Marta. Both sides come into the weekend with excellent records in the latter half of the season—the Thorns are 9-1-1 since playing North Carolina on July 15, while Orlando is undefeated in the last nine matches.
Let’s get down to business, shall we?