The Orlando Pride are one win away from qualifying for the 2017 NWSL Playoffs. If the Pride qualify for the postseason, they would be one semi-final victory away from playing in front of their home fans in the NWSL Championship.
A win against the Portland Thorns at home this weekend would clinch playoff qualification for the Pride. A draw against Portland would also be favorable, as it would put pressure on Seattle to close the goal differential gap.
If Orlando fails to win or draw against Portland, three points against North Carolina the following week would be enough to clinch the playoffs. Draws in both those matches would clinch as well.
Current NWSL Playoff picture:
As the regular season winds down, the Portland Thorns and North Carolina Courage have locked up the #1 and #2 seeds and will host the all-important semi-final matches.
Also noteworthy, Portland and North Carolina are the Pride’s final two opponents of the regular season - which gives Orlando ample scouting opportunities to analyze their prospective playoff counterparts.
The Pride are currently level with the Chicago Red Stars on points (36), but the Red Stars have the head-to-head edge over the Pride - the initial tiebreaker. The second tiebreaker according to NWSLsoccer.com is goal differential - Orlando (+13) trails only Portland (+15) in that stat.
The next-closest team to Orlando in the standings is Seattle with 31 points. Mathematically, Seattle is still alive but, unlike Orlando, is not in control of its own destiny. As previously mentioned, a win and the Pride are in the playoffs. Seattle would have to win its last two matches (vs. Kansas City, @ Washington) and hope that Orlando or Chicago suffer a late-season debacle, which seems unlikely based on the recent form.
