01x02 - Win or Go Home

[bunniefuu]

[gentle piano music playing]

[airplane propellers whirring]

[Meredith] It's the
quarterfinal weekend.

Friday we just landed
in Kansas City.

Careful what you wish for.

I wished to not play Kansas City in
the quarterfinals and here we are,

so that's unfortunate.

[indistinct chattering]

[Meredith] I hate Kansas City
because... a lot of reasons.

Partially, I'm jealous, right?

Like, I think they have
a great atmosphere.

Their stadium is incredible.

Power to 'em. First
stadium for female soccer,

but I would much rather not
have to go to Kansas City.

- Oh, there's the stadium.
- [woman] Here we are. Tomorrow.

[Meredith] We're coming here to
throw eggs at the stadium. [laughs]

The city has really
embraced them,

which is super fun and great for
women's soccer, but also I'm like,

you guys are loud, you guys are obnoxious
and like, I would just love to be like...

You know, silence, A, the crowd,
and honestly the city. [chuckles]

[piano music continues]

Hello.

Hello!

Any time I'm friendly with people
and they're sports fans of the city,

I'm like, remember when they
food poisoned Michael Jordan?

- Did they?
- Oh, my God, yeah.

Have you not heard this story?
He got super, super sick.

- It was in the playoffs. He played.
- Oh, my God.

He had an outrageous amount of points and
they told everyone that he had the flu

because they didn't want to admit
that someone had food poisoned him.

- That's crazy.
- Crazy.

[feedback]

[rock music playing]

[laughter]

Good evening, everyone. Welcome
to the 2024 NWSL playoffs.

[woman] The NWSL
quarterfinals, everybody.

[woman 2] Even if we're
not predicting them,

there's always an
opportunity for upsets.

[woman 3] Everybody has
targets on their back.

There's no way teams
can coast through games.

Everybody is putting their
best 11 out every single game

and everyone has
something to fight for.

Orlando Pride, the shield winners
hosting the Chicago Red Stars

at Inter & Co Stadium. You can
watch this match on Prime Video.

[Roger] Every footballer dreams of being
the biggest player in the biggest moments

in the biggest games. The
playoffs are that stage.

They are that spotlight. It
is Broadway. It is Hollywood.

From a football perspective,
it is their moment.

[upbeat rock music plays]

[woman] For Orlando, they've
got enough experience.

I feel like they're playing
for something more with Marta.

This is a powerhouse who have gone
undefeated for huge spells of the season

against the Chicago Red Stars.

Part of you wonders, "Why
are you playing this?"

[Mike] It's going to be an
epic week in the NWSL quarters,

and for those of
you at home tonight,

we appreciate you
watching on the broadcast,

and no matter how you
fan, it's on Prime.

[Meredith] Usually on the road,
we watch whatever games are on.

The winner of this game is who
we'd play if we advanced tomorrow.

[Ally] Orlando, they've done it.

They've beaten these teams.
But then on the flip side,

you're the number one team.
You're the target on the back.

You're the ones everybody's chasing after
and that's not the position we're in,

so we don't have to
worry about that.

We know who we are. We're
going to defend like hell.

We're going to defend like our
life depends on it because it does.

But we are also fully confident that we
can put ba*ls in the back of the net.

[announcer] Marta gets the
first touch. We are underway.

[upbeat music playing]

Angelina brings it
forward. Finds Banda.

Banda! Off the mark.

Can you imagine? Sixteen
seconds in. Joseph continues.

Leans back. Swanson.

Swanson held off and goes...

I feel like honestly Orlando's
defense is very underrated.

[commentator] Orlando's coming
with them. Wave after wave here.

Could it be this one?

[announcer] Yates pulls that
back. Ball's deflected. Follow.

Headed in!

The opening goal for Orlando in
their first home playoff game.

Haley McCutcheon. Her first goal of
the season comes at the perfect time.

One - nothing, Orlando.

[woman] Whoa!

No!

- [team member 1] No, offsides, offsides.
- Boo!

[team member 2] No!

Maybe someone will be offsides.

- [upbeat music]
- [crowd cheering]

[announcer 1] Here's
Banda racing through.

- Barbra Banda!
- [crowd cheering]

Announces her presence
in the playoffs.

Two - nothing, Pride.

[announcer 2] A bit of an onslaught
right now from Orlando Pride.

Chicago just running
out of ideas.

[announcer 1] Watt. Banda.

[crowd cheering]

A stride ahead again.

- Barbra Banda!
- [crowd cheering]

The Pride have made their point.

[announcer 2] Complete domination...
[laughs] ...from Orlando Pride.

[team member 2] Did Chicago
not scout them? [laughs]

I'm devastated.

[whistle blows]

- [crowd cheering]
- That's it. First home playoff game,

first home playoff win
for the Orlando Pride.

The shield winners

with a monumental performance
knocking out Chicago

and advancing to
the NWSL semifinal.

Orlando will face the
winner of Kansas City

and North Carolina

as the next game up
in the NWSL tomorrow.

[Meredith] I play a
little bit of pool

but not... I'm going out to the
pool table, I guess. [laughs]

- Going where my friends are.
- [upbeat pop music]

Meredith Speck is really a glue,

I think, of the North
Carolina Courage.

[announcer 1] Speck
gets around Rolland.

Speck looking for the
fourth goal for the Courage.

Works her way forward

and Speck, for North Carolina.

[Heather] I remember when I joined
the team, she welcomed me in

and she kept things
light at training.

[all] Make some noise!

She was a player that I could
tell from minute one was like

the soul of the team.

Here I am.

Where's the goal-scorer?
You freakin'...

[teammate] Good job.

[Heather] There's been seasons
where she didn't play much at all

and seasons where she
was starting games.

So, her role has varied a lot.

[upbeat pop music plays]

So, my first year in
the league was in 2016,

so this is my ninth season.

Eighth with the Courage.

[announcer 3] Tonight we
see Speck getting the start

coming off that
goal from last week.

[teammate] Swoll! Yeah!

[Meredith] As I'm aging

and the longer I've
played professionally,

I have realized like everyone's
gonna have an off game,

an off day, an off training.

But like the person you
are in the locker room,

you can bring that every day.

[announcer 4] Puts
it across. Yes!

North Carolina adds another.
It's Meredith Speck.

Meredith's amazing. She's
one of my closest friends,

closest teammates on this team.

I have played with Mer since


and she is the
epitome of courage.

[crowd cheering]

No one likes the Courage.
That's how we feel.

[energetic rock music]

[Sean] Yep, yep, yep,
yep. That'll be good.

Jess, come up on this side.

[energetic rock music continues]

[Sean] Keep them here!

[announcer 5] Cutting it
into the middle, blocked.

Shot taken, and
there's the tie-er.

[pool ba*ls clacking]

[all exclaim]

Like genuinely. We're like,
no one really wants us to win.

They just are like
sick of us, we think.

[crowd exclaiming]

[energetic rock music continues]

The North Carolina Courage is
another one of those NWSL teams

with a history of winning.

[announcer 4] The
North Carolina Courage,

your 2018 NWSL champions.

[team cheering]

[confetti cannons pop]

The first ever shield
winner to also come away

- with the NWSL championship.
- [electric guitar riff]

No one has ever won the shield and
the championship in the same year.

Besides the Courage.

It was referred to as the
curse until we broke it.

And we did it back to back.

[energetic rock music continues]

[announcer 4] North
Carolina, champions again.

- Dare we say dynasty?
- [crowd cheering]

[Heather] It was really difficult
because we had a lot of success

for a number of years with
Paul Riley as our coach,

and we have a lot
of happy memories.

And then of course the Sally
Yates report comes out.

Well, tonight the world of professional
women's soccer is turned upside down

after a shocking report

that a prominent
male coach is accused

of coercing players
into having sex.

He's a predator...

and he took away our careers.

[Norah] Riley is the
third coach since August

to be fired over
allegations of abuse.

When leagues are not given
the attention, the resources,

the support for players that
they deserve, bad things happen.

And a lot of bad things had
been happening in the NWSL.

[crowd cheering]

[interviewer 1] Kaitlyn Kyle, as
a former player in this league,

what is your reaction
to these events?

[Kaitlyn] For these players,

I commend them that they're
even stepping on the pitch

midweek after everything
that they have gone through.

- [crowd cheering]
- Sorry, it's emotional night.

I have so much respect for
these players here tonight.

[interviewer 1] A similar
scene about a half hour ago

between Gotham and
Washington Spirit.

[crowd clapping]

[Kaitlyn] And if
this isn't a shut up

and listen to these
players moment,

I don't really know what is.

The league then had their
own independent investigation

all looking into systemic
cultures of abuse, toxicity,

who was involved, who
was being complicit.

It makes you think,
"Should I have done more?"

It makes you reflect on things
that you maybe witnessed

or saw or felt.

It illuminated to a lot of people,
with the proper investment,

with the right owners, with
actually listening to players,

there's an incredible upside and
incredible potential to women's soccer.

So, from those tough times,
it sort of was like a new era

of women's sports that I think we're
really reaping the benefits of now.

[Angie] You could
feel this change

in women's soccer.

The bar was too low
in women's sports,

but we wanna elevate that.

[inspiring music]

[news reporter 2] Today, the
National Women's Soccer League

announced that it is
returning to Kansas City

after an ownership group,

led by local business folks, was
awarded an expansion franchise.

[news reporter 3] And
if one of the owners

of this new team looks
a little familiar,

he's a part of the dynamic duo

that has been dubbed "Kansas
City's favorite couple."

[photographer 1] There we go.

[photographer 2] And
then next to him here.

I think it's huge to invest
in things that you believe in

and you know, line up with
your values and stuff,

and the Longs as a family
and us as a family,

we love sports and we
love women's sports.

- I played soccer my whole life.
- [crowd cheering]

I went and played in college and
then went over to Iceland and played.

NWSL is growing.

And you know, as a
player, previously, I knew

that this league needed change.

I think it was a
no-brainer to get involved.

[news reporter 3] The
newly-made Kansas City Current,

just announced plans to
build the first-ever stadium

and training facility
made exclusively

for women's professional soccer.

[Brittany] We wanted
them to feel important.

We wanted them to feel
like professional athletes.

You know, in order to bring a
championship to Kansas City,

you need to give them
championship environment.

[news reporter 4] A historic
day for women's sports

is happening right
here in Kansas City.

The new CPKC Stadium
is opening tomorrow.

None of this is new in sports.

- Yeah.
- It's sadly only new for women's sports.

But there's a very clear model
for how to have and build

and grow a successful franchise.

We want everyone to walk
in here feeling like it is

a best-in-class environment,
even for the visiting team.

But I don't think
they feel very welcome

when our fans get involved.

[drums thumping]

- [cowbells ringing]
- [crowd cheering]

[Brittany] We try to get out
here to as many games as we can

and every time we do, it's
incredible experience.

It's electric, it's loud.
People love this team.

[Patrick] It's been remarkable

to be in the stadium
and see the fans.

Kansas City, I heard y'all

- can make some noise out there.
- [crowd cheering]

So, on the count of three,

bring in the loudest "KC Baby"
chant they've ever heard.

- One, two, three. KC!
- [crowd] Baby!

Let's go!

[announcer 5] ...with
a chance here.

- And she scores!
- [crowd cheering]

One - nothing, Kansas City.

[Tamerra] It's one thing to
invest in a women's soccer team

and it's another thing to get
results from that investment.

The Kansas City Current have
done both in the same season.

[loudspeaker
announcer] Sensation!

Their performance this year compared
to last year is totally different.

[upbeat electronic music]

They've been able to, in one
season, go from being a team

that's really at the bottom
of the table to vying

for the championship.

[upbeat electronic
music continues]

[Denise] KC are a
really great team.

Finishing near bottom last year
to now near the top of the table

is extraordinary.

[announcer 6] Kansas
City into the playoffs.

[interviewer 2] What
is it about Kansas City

that makes them so
difficult to beat?

Chawinga. [laughs] Like,
it's a pretty easy answer.

- Chawinga.
- Chawinga.

[announcer 7] Chawinga!

[announcer 4] Are
you kidding me?

[announcer 6]
Ahead for Chawinga.

Here come the Current

- and they score!
- [crowd cheering]

[Tamerra] She scores goals as if
she's just playing in her backyard.

[news reporter 5] 2024
NWSL Golden Boot winner

is Kansas City forward,
Temwa Chawinga.

Absolutely
unstoppable this year.

Twenty goals. Setting
a new NWSL record.

- [announcer 1] Chawinga...
- [crowd cheering]

...Chawinga scores!

- [crowd cheering]
- [energetic electronic music]

Temwa Chawinga is
spectacular to watch.

The minute she's on the ball,

- the entire stadium is still.
- [Brittany] Mm-hmm.

[Angie] It's like
nothing you've ever seen.

[announcer 8]
Chawinga, one-on-one...

- [crowd cheering]
- ...and she's done it!

She's just lethal for us.

This city knows a lot
about championships

and the championship mentality.

That's definitely
our goal in the end.

We've built something special.

I don't even think
we can imagine

what this is gonna look like
in another five to ten years.

[upbeat music]

[commentator] We're live by the banks of
the Missouri River for this quarterfinal.

[Brandi] So you have Kansas City
Current coming in with the four-seed,

and North Carolina Courage
coming in with the five-seed.

And the reason why that
was really important

is home-field advantage.

KC, baby!

KC, baby!

Because for those two
teams in particular,

they were very good
on their home field.

Kansas City was hosting
in this beautiful, new

women's-specific football
park in Kansas City

that I know that they
have so much pride around.

[audience clapping]

[Kayla] It's hard to come in
here when the crowd is loud.

You can't even speak to your
own teammates sometimes.

You don't know what's
going on. It creates chaos.

[crowd roaring]

And I think that's
one of the best things

that this stadium
brings out, is chaos.

Being the opposition and
coming into our house?

[upbeat drums playing]

You don't wanna be here.

[crowd cheers]

[tense music]

Girls, today's the day we
show people who we are.

KC are loud,

but you don't need
to be the loudest

in the room to be the strongest.

Strength can come
from your heart,

your focus, and
your ability to rise

when the odds are
stacked against us.

When we come together,
we are unstoppable.

We're the NC Courage.

Today, we fight to
defend that legacy.

[inspiring music]

- One, two, three!
- [all] NC!

[players cheering]

[commentator] The quarterfinal
of the NWSL playoffs is underway.

Kansas City Current in the red,

North Carolina Courage
in the dark blue.

Oh, this is what you can't
do. You cannot do this.

And here she goes,
Chawinga's on a bike.

Denied by Murphy,

and it's another
chance off the post!

This is extraordinary.

And she does score this time.

Temwa Chawinga
has done it again.

And she's done it in the
playoff quarterfinal.

[Kayla] We've been trying to egg
her on, like, cheer for your goals.

I mean, you're making history.

So, celebrate those moments.

Seeing her just kind of
explode with happiness too.

I mean, she's so
humble. She's a stud.

We have won a lot with
the Courage in 2017, 2018,

but we're a completely different team
now. We are definitely underdogs.

[commentator] O'Sullivan
finds Kerolin,

she looks up who she got there.

Played into Aline and a chance!

That was the chance
for the Courage.

Desperate to find the equalizer.

- [upbeat music]
- [crowd cheering]

[Kayla] We have a lot
of talent, but I think

when we get a
little bit stuck in

what are we supposed
to be doing,

instead of kind of just
feeling out what feels right,

we lose our way a little bit.

[upbeat music]

[commentator] Aline!

[crowd cheers]

Oh, and it's fumbled at
the line and it's in.

Whoa. The referee, Brad
Jensen, has ruled it out.

Deeming that Almuth Schult
had both hands on the ball

and that the ball was
under her control.

[commentator 2]
That's a big call

to deny a tying goal
for North Carolina.

The Current just seconds
away from the semifinals,

but still, the Courage come.

[whistle blows]

Chawinga is hurt in that challenge
as she approached St. Georges.

Oh, and she's been
barged in the back

after saying
something to Chawinga.

[Kayla] You saw it got a
little chippy at the end.

You mess with one of us,
you mess with all of us,

and especially on our home turf.

[whistle blows]

[commentator] And that's it.

It's over.

Kansas City Current are into
the NWSL playoff semifinals,

where they will
meet Orlando Pride

away from home next weekend.

So, the game progressed in
the way that I think a lot

of people expected with Kansas
City coming away with it.

I'm sad too.

Same...

but I can't possibly let
Kansas City see me cry.

For North Carolina Courage, it was
a good, solid, successful season,

in that they had a
wonderful home field record,

which is great for the fan base.

But they just weren't
quite good enough

to compete with
those top four teams.

[Sean] Unfortunately,
we have to go home,

then we get back to work
in a couple of months.

Don't drop your heads.

- This will fuel us for the future.
- NC on four!

- One, two, three, four!
- [all] NC!

[gentle piano music plays]

[player] Come on! No hands!

Ah! Get it back.

Yes. Hey, go get it.

- Nice, Rose.
- Go, pass it.

Yes!

- No, ow!
- Ow!

What do we have to do
when we are attacking?

What do we have to do
when we are defending?

I think is clear.

For me, guys, the
most important thing,

big personality as
we had the last game

but not as we had the last
game in the first ten minutes.

We need to increase the level

to make sure that from
the beginning of the game

until the end, we are gonna
be much better than them.

[all clapping]

At the start of the season,

the Washington Spirit really
came out the gates swinging.

They have such a
multi-dimensional,

multi-talented midfield,

with players like Andi Sullivan,

who has been a pretty consummate
leader, on and off the field.

And Hal Hershfelt,

who you will always
be able to rely on

to make that statement tackle,

to establish the power dynamic.

[commentator 3] Hershfelt!

[Tamerra] And when you have
a player like Trinity Rodman,

you are always going
to have a very strong

foundation to build on.

[commentator 4] Rodman
brings the magic.

[Tamerra] But as the
season continued...

they picked up some really
devastating injuries.

One of the biggest
blows was Croix Bethune.

[commentator 5] Edge of
the box, Bethune juggles,

Bethune... goal!

Her first pro goal!

[Tamerra] Croix Bethune wasted
no time breaking records.

Even though it was her
first season in the league.

She is truly a
generational talent

and that made the
freak accident injury

that she experienced that
much more devastating.

[announcer] Here to throw out a
special ceremonial first pitch,

please welcome Croix Bethune.

[crowd cheers]

[Croix] The moment it happened,

I instantly knew
something's wrong.

I could feel it.

[Hal] She looked at
me and she was like,

"Hal, I just felt something."

And I was like, "You're
joking right now."

- How are you?
- How you doing?

Good.

I was just thinking, like,
"There's no way this could happen."

And it's just kind of like over,

snap a finger.

[TV anchor] Washington
Spirit announced

midfielder Croix Bethune will miss
the remainder of the 2024 season

after suffering a torn meniscus.

The injury did take place

while Bethune was throwing
out the first pitch

at the Washington
Nationals MLB game.

Yeah, I cried the
first night of surgery.

I've never had the game

that I love taken away
from me like that.

And it made me realize
how much I do love it.

Stretches.

Calf to start, then hamstring.

We'll go 30 seconds,
three times.

It does suck not
being able to play,

but it happens and I'm
still there for them.

Like with whatever they need.

[Lena] I think it's one thing like
what she was like on the field,

but she's also a great asset
to this team as a person,

which is why she's still
impacting the team.

Even from here.

[player] Yes. Yeah. Yeah. You...

Wanna go tight, tight, tight.

Get it in, get it in!

Shot.

[Tamerra] Heading into
their quarterfinal,

the Washington Spirit were
in a bit of a rocky place.

Primarily because
of the injuries

that they had been dealing
with to key players

like Andi Sullivan,
like Croix Bethune.

Even players like
Trinity Rodman,

whose back injury kept
her out for several weeks.

Still kind of having
to manage that.

There was a lot of questions
about whether or not

they would be able to bounce
back from those blows.

[Hal] You can't do anything
about it once it's done.

You just have to suck
it up and roll with it.

We have a reason to make
it as far as possible.

These people would die
to be here right now

and like we want
to fight for them.

Good...

[TV anchor] The other team
to sneak into the postseason

on the final day, Bay FC.

It's not gonna be
easy for them either.

Bay will take on Washington
Spirit to start their playoff run.

When I learned that
there was a team coming

to the Bay Area in the NWSL,

I was of course really excited.

[TV anchor 2] A
women's pro soccer team

is finally coming
to the Bay Area.

[TV Anchor 3] Bay FC,
the newest expansion team

from the National
Women's Soccer League.

[Abby] And the thought
definitely crossed my mind

that it would be
amazing to come home,

play in front of my
friends and family.

[commentator] Bay
FC will be loaded

with some of the
world's best talent.

Some of the biggest
names in women's soccer

are behind the team,
including Brandi Chastain.

[crowd cheering]

- [commentator 2] Goal!
- [crowd cheering]

The United States has won
the Women's World Cup.

[relaxed percussive music]

[Brandi] We're 25 years
away from that '99 World Cup

and that infamous penalty
kick in celebration.

[crowd cheering]

And in that moment for me,

that was just this
expl*si*n of genuine joy

and happiness and gratitude.

[relaxed percussive music]

So, being a part of
a first is something

that I've experienced
a few times.

First Women's World Cup winner,
first Olympic gold medalist,

but being here for Bay FC,

we're a little bit late
to the party on the NWSL,

so, okay, we're an expansion
team, how does that work?

How do we gain our players?

[relaxed percussive music]

I'm from San Jose, California,

and here, in this
area, in the Bay Area,

historically, 40% of the
national team has come from here.

And so, to have those
players present is important.

It gets our fans excited,

having local heroes
such as Abby Dahlkemper.

[commentator 1] The former U.S.
Women's National Team center-back,

Abby Dahlkemper, in from San
Diego, what do you expect?

[commentator 2] Fantastic
addition to this Bay FC team.

[commentator 1] Lifted
and headed it in!

- Oh, wow!
- [crowd cheering]

Abby Dahlkemper makes an
immediate statement in a big hit.

[birds chirping]

[Abby] Come on, girl.

What's your favorite part
about being in the Bay?

[Aaron] I'd say being near
your family's been so nice.

Yeah, it's been nice.

I feel like we get
to see them weekly,

which we normally
would see them yearly.

[Aaron] Yeah.

- [gentle piano music]
- [Abby] Growing up in the Bay,

I would play soccer
almost every day.

If I didn't have practice,

I was out in the front
yard juggling the ball,

trying to beat my record,
getting up early by myself

to watch Premier League games,

like, I was just
so soccer-obsessed.

- One, two, three...
- [all] Bay FC!

[all cheer]

[Abby] It's been really
special to be able

to not only play at home in
front of friends and family,

but alongside my best
friend, Caprice Dydasco,

and I think, you know,

she helps build my
confidence on the field

and hopefully, I can help build
her confidence on the field

and we just bring out
the best in each other.

[gentle piano music]

[Caprice] As soon as we
stepped on the field,

I just, like, knew her natural
instincts and she knew mine,

so it's just, like,
a bond that...

we don't, like, have
to speak about things,

and it's so nice to be
reunited with her as well.

[gentle piano music]

[Abby] No one
really expects much

of an expansion side
their first year,

but I think this team
is starting to realize,

you know, how good we could be.

[commentator] Kundananji
towards goal, and it's in!

Abby Dahlkemper!

[Brandi] I almost think that
the outside expectation was,

"They're gonna go big,"

and the Bay talks a lot
about what we can do.

That's how we roll,
that's our jam.

And I'll say, out loud, our
goal is to win a championship.

Hope that's okay,
everybody. [laughs]

[indistinct chattering]

[Tamerra] Heading into this quarterfinal
against the Washington Spirit,

Bay FC actually
has a chance to win

because once you
reach the playoffs,

it's all about peaking
at the right time,

and Bay FC managed to find
a way to start clicking.

Bring it in a little bit closer.

Listen up, what do you think
a coach's responsibility

- from the outside is? To do what?
- [woman] Win.

[Albertin] Win games.

You're there to win games,

but there's a lot of different
ways of getting there.

[Katelyn] We know we're new, but
who cares, we get on with it,

and we compete, and we
act like we've been here

since the inaugural season.

We can compete with anyone,

it's not only that we
can compete with people,

people have to compete with
us. We're not underdogs.

It's been astonishing, the energy
that you guys have brought,

and you play with that
energy and that support,

good things can happen,

and you've gotta
believe in that.

[Abby] We have nothing to lose.

We're an expansion side
that made the playoffs

and I think we're going
in there with that mindset

that we're dangerous and
it's just gonna come down

to who wants it
more on that day.

[chattering]

[gentle piano music]

[commentator] Welcome to
the 2024 NWSL playoffs.

Who will join Orlando
and Kansas City

in the NWSL semifinals?

Will it be Washington Spirit,

or will it be Bay FC?

[gentle piano music]

For Washington today,
they are favorites,

but for Bay, they
have nothing to lose.

[Abby] I think eight or nine
months ago, if you told this team

that the end of season we'll
have fate in our hands,

I don't know if people would
believe you, but here we are.

[indistinct chatter]

[gentle electronic music]

[Hal] This is such
an early game.

I don't have the
entire day to just sit

and, like, let the
thoughts, like, fester.

[gentle electronic music]

For me, I'm such, like,
a high-energy person,

but as soon as I get in
the locker room it's like,

"Nope, I don't want
my headphones on,

I don't wanna listen to,
like, crazy music right now."

Paige, did you paint your nails?

- Do you like 'em?
- I like 'em. Cute, girl!

If they're here, then that
means we're gonna be playing

back up to here, you'll
be a little bit higher...

But I'll still be... Okay,
I'll be out no matter what.

Does that make sense?
You're always out there,

it's just how far
away you are from this

based on what their
look is. Make sense?

- Okay, yeah.
- Perfect.

[Trinity] I'm gonna be honest.
I think playoffs are terrifying.

It's just knockout,
it's a situation where

you win or you are done.

[indistinct chattering]

[Jonatan] I think today is
gonna be a great, great day.

Keep doing the same things
that we were doing in the past.

When we say we are gonna
speak the same language,

we don't care if we cannot hear
each other during the game,

we know what we have to do.

- Enjoy, guys. Enjoy the game, let's go.
- [all applauding]

[upbeat rock music]

[commentator] I think
both of these teams

are gonna feel really confident
coming into this game.

Anything can happen, it's
the playoffs, and we love it.

[whistle blowing]

[commentator] As
we get underway...

♪ And they love it ♪

[upbeat rock music]

♪ The boys wanna be her ♪

♪ The girls wanna be her ♪

♪ The boys wanna be her ♪

♪ The girls wanna be her ♪

♪ The boys wanna be her ♪

♪ The girls wanna be her ♪

♪ The boys wanna be her ♪

[upbeat rock music]

♪ Stand up ♪

[upbeat rock music]

♪ Stand up ♪

[commentator 1] Right now,
Bay are where they want to be,

i.e. not being dominated,
it's very even.

It's not what you would
expect for Washington at home.

[upbeat rock music]

[crowd cheering]

Dangerous, very dangerous.

[crowd cheering]

The round of applause
is for Trinity Rodman,

and looks like she'll be okay.

She's 22... she looks so young.

It's ridiculous.

She's already a
superstar, isn't she?

[commentator 2] Yeah,
worldwide superstar.

But I also wouldn't
want to make her mad.

- [commentator 1] No.
- [commentator 2 laughing]

[crowd cheering]

[commentator 1] No goals
in this first half.

[Hal] We honestly thought
that they were gonna

press us a little
more than they did.

That was hard to deal
with in the first half.

Man, 'cause they
didn't follow script.

[crowd chanting]

[Albertin] Listen up,
it's gotta feel good,

but it's gonna get
even better for us,

because we're this close, okay?

You guys are defending well,

you guys are playing a good game

and it's according to plan,

the longer this
game goes like this,

the harder it gets on them
and the more we rise above.

Listen, it's good
right now, right?

Continue to be a threat.

We've got this game
right now, okay?

We're making it really
difficult for them.

A good 45 minutes,
you've taken the crowd

out of the game as well, okay?

So let's go and do this,
this is a good half,

this is our time,
baby. Let's do this!

This is our time, let's go!

[tense percussive music]

[Abby] Feeling this
pressure is a privilege,

this is why we work all season,
to be in these moments...

[whistle blowing]

[commentator] The
second half is underway.

- [whistle blows]
- That is a naughty challenge.

And immediately
the card comes out

and VAR will take
a look at that one,

whether or not it should
be a direct red card.

[Hal] I truly believe I can
win any ball that's near me,

sometimes not timed perfectly.

So I guess that's
something that kind of

gets me into tough
spots sometimes.

[commentator] For me, that
was the correct decision.

Yellow card, free kick, move on.

[Hal] I feel like that's
what gave me like an edge,

the physicality and the grit,

so I'm not gonna
stop anytime soon.

[commentator] Kiki
Pickett, decent delivery

and here's a chance,
still danger.

And into the back of the net!

The opening goal
for the visitors!

Asisat Oshoala...

in the 82nd minute!

Time will now go very quickly
for Washington Spirit.

They must score. We're
in the 83rd minute.

I just had like a gut
feeling that was like, "Easy.

We can come back,
we've done this before.

We can do it again."

[crowd cheers]

[commentator] McKeown,
forward, forward, scores!

Lift off at Audi Field!

[commentator 2] Tara McKeown
going on a weaving run

and then placing
it to perfection.

[commentator 1] Audi is rowdy,

as the home side are
back on level terms.

Look what it means, one - one.

Thirty seconds remaining as we
probably head for extra time.

Last chance.

The effort from
distance off the bar!

My word! Hal Hershfelt.

[whistle blows]

We're off to extra time.

[Hal] No matter how fit you are,
that's hard playing that long.

We were like, "We
deserve a goal.

We are gonna get a goal."

[commentator] Drama
aplenty at Audi Field.

Cross comes in, it's two - one!

[commentator 2] And it's
actually an own-goal.

It's Caprice Dydasco.

Scoring an own goal
is a terrible feeling,

because it, you know,
it's embarrassing.

You feel like you
let your team down.

Dydasco will be
replaying that moment,

and the coaching
staff, for a long time,

but she's a great player,
so unlucky moment.

[commentator] That'll do it!

Washington Spirit are through
to the NWSL semifinals!

They've beaten Bay
by two goals to one.

It is difficult to continue
winning and winning and winning.

[calm music]

[all cheering]

[Jonatan] Disconnect tomorrow
and be ready for the next week

because we don't want
to lose the semifinal.

We have all the supporters,
they deserve the championship.

Good job, guys, congrats.

[team clapping]

Spirit on three!
One, two, three!

[all] Spirit!

[somber music]

[Tara] It was a really
hard week for me.

My sister, she's my best friend,

she was getting
married this weekend

and I knew that I
wasn't able to do both.

Going into that game,

I was like crying the two
days before like all day,

so it was definitely a
very emotional weekend.

She sent me the nicest message
about how she missed me

so much at her big
day, but she loves me

and she's just so proud of me.

It was hard for me to miss that.

It was definitely emotional.

Going into that game
I wanted to prove

that I didn't miss
it for nothing.

I just saw the opening when
the ball was coming out

and I thought they have a
lot of people in the box,

so might as well try and
sh**t from further out.

[commentator] Scores!

Lift off at Audi Field!

[Tara] That was my
first goal this year.

It felt amazing to be able to
just slot it right in there.

Everyone was just
like screaming.

Honestly, I can't really
remember what anyone was saying.

We were just all so
happy... [laughs]

...and I don't even know
what I did after I scored.

I was in shock.

I'm gonna get emotional.

I missed my sister's
wedding yesterday,

and this team means a lot to me,

and it was all
for a good reason.

But I love her, so
shout out to my sister.

My family who were at
the wedding are like,

"We missed you, but
we're so proud of you."

[closing theme song plays]