Hungover Without a Drink with Big Citrus

Sarah Spain (0:01)

Welcome to Good Game with Sarah Spain, where we're kicking a soccer ball around a decrepit playground down the street to empathize with the world-class players who suited up for Sunday's Gotham Rain match. It's Tuesday, November 10th, and on today's show, Big Citrus chats NWSL, including that aforementioned dusty crusty playoff pitch. The circumstances that led to the Washington Spirit getting a real home game this upcoming weekend, while Gotham FC has to settle for a backup stadium. What high team valuations do and don't mean, and why we're once again asking for more transparency in the NWSL.

Plus, Deja Venu, they've still got it, and four, there's a new league in town. It's all coming up right after this.

Welcome back, Slices, here's what you need to know today.

Starting with soccer, to catch you up on the first round of the NWSL playoffs from over the weekend. On Friday, the number seven seed Utah Royals upset number two seed San Diego Wave FC 1-0 on the road, the franchise's first playoff win in their first playoff match. Forward Kiana Palacios scored the game's lone goal in the 30th minute. Then on Saturday, the Kansas City current defeated Angel City FC 1-0 at home at CPKC Stadium, winning on a Michelle Cooper penalty kick in the 96th minute. On the lead up to a corner kick in the 94th minute of play, Angel City goalkeeper and friend of the show Angelina Anderson appeared to push current back and friend of the show Kayla Sharples in front of the goal. A penalty was assessed and Cooper buried the game winner. After the match, Angel City's interim head coach Leif Smirrod described the penalty as quote harsh and quote tremendously cheap. Demons exercised for a KC team that got bounced early last season, but a tough way for a great ACFC season to end. On Sunday, number one seed Gotham FC eeked past the Seattle rain one nil thanks to a Seattle owned goal from Jordan Bug in just the fourth minute. Gotham FC managed to keep the rain from scoring for the rest of the match and earn the win despite not taking a single shot on goal in the match. It was ugly, ugly soccer thanks to an ugly, ugly pitch. More on that later in the show. The Seattle loss marked the end of the road for retiring rain original Jess Fishlock, who joined the team ahead of the NWSL's inaugural season in 2013

She was one of just three players still active from that first season. Later on Sunday, in the final quarterfinal, Trinity Rodman shined, scoring two goals and adding an assist to lead the Washington Spirit to a 4-1 win over the Portland Thorns.

With the quarterfinals in the rear view, the remaining teams now look to the semifinals taking place this upcoming weekend, and both games have had venue drama. The Spirit won their right to host at their home venue, Audi Field, after advancing as the highest seed on their side of the bracket. But Audi was already booked for a D3 college football game between the US Merchant Marine Academy and the US Coast Guard Academy. Now, reports suggested the Spirit would need to move their match to Northwest Stadium, home of the NFL's Washington Commanders. But late Sunday night, a reversal. The football game is going to move, so the NWSL semifinal between the Spirit and Royals can stay put at Rowdy Audi. The result comes thanks to a boost from a sponsor. In a club press release, friend of the show, Spirit CEO Kim Stone wrote, We're excited to host our semifinal at Audi Field next Saturday. Thanks to the collaboration of DC United and the generosity of Lafayette Federal Credit Union, who stepped forward to underwrite the additional cost necessary to bring this semifinal match home. Meantime, similar efforts from Gotham FC were rejected by the New York Red Bulls, owners of their home venue, Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey. Lots more to come in today's Big Citrus, but to quickly catch you up. Last week, the NWSL fined Gotham $10,000 for the poor conditions at Sports Illustrated Field for the regular season finale. On Sunday for the quarterfinal, conditions hadn't improved. The field was sandy with visible brown patches, and both teams said the poor quality affected how they played. After the game, Reigns Jess Fishlock called the field quote unquote atrocious, and Gotham head coach Juan Carlos Amoros said quote, I feel the obligation to almost apologize for the state of the pitch, end quote. As the number one seed, Gotham has earned the right to host this upcoming weekend semifinal against the Kansas City Current as well, but the ever deteriorating quality of the pitch, which will host an MLS Red Bulls friendly the day before their semifinal, left too many questions about safety for the athletes. Ultimately, the team's efforts to re-sod the pitch ahead of their game were rejected, and they have to move the match to ICON Stadium, a 4,500 seat venue that will seat fewer people than there are Gotham season ticket holders. Lots more on the Red Bulls rejecting multiple efforts from Gotham and the NWSL during our Big Citrus chat in just a few minutes.