NJ/NY Gotham FC and the Washington Spirit are heading to the NWSL Championship Final.

On this week's Full Time Review, Jillian Sakovits is joined by Meg Linehan, and Melanie Anzidei to break down the weekend's dramatic NWSL semifinals. The pod discusses Jaedyn Shaw's buzzer-beater in Orlando and how the 8th-seeded Gotham continued their unlikely journey at the expense of the defending champions, the Orlando Pride. And, whether the Washington Spirit just put in their best performance of the season as they breezed past the Portland Thorns at a sold-out Audi Field.

PLUS: What is the latest on Trinity Rodman's contract? After The Athletic reported ongoing interest from Europe, will we see the NWSL change the existing salary cap rules to keep the U.S. women's national team star at the Spirit?

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HOST: Jillian Sakovits

GUESTS: Meg Linehan, Melanie Anzidei

PRODUCER: Theo Lloyd-Hughes

VIDEO PRODUCER: Lia Griffin

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Emily Olsen

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Referenced on the show:

Marta won’t exit quietly from NWSL playoffs after Orlando Pride loss: ‘It should not end like this’

Jaedyn Shaw free kick sends No. 8 Gotham FC to NWSL championship with win over Pride

NWSL can’t keep Trinity Rodman and its current salary cap. It’s up to the league to choose

Trinity Rodman negotiations reach NWSL commissioner as English teams express interest in U.S. star

Washington Spirit advance to NWSL Championship with 2-0 win over Portland Thorns

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Get in touch: ⁠⁠fulltime@theathletic.com⁠⁠

Follow on Instagram and TikTok: @tafulltime

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Subscribe to the Full Time newsletter ⁠⁠here⁠⁠

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The NWSL is coming to Atlanta. Following The Athletic's Asli Pelit's report on Sunday, on Tuesday, it was officially announced that the capital of Georgia will be home to the 17th NWSL team in 2028.

So, on this week's Full Time Focus, host Jillian Sakovits gets into what it means for Atlanta to join the NWSL. Jill talks to Pelit about breaking the story and the business side of Atlanta's record-breaking bid, as well as the major investment promises made by the ownership. Then, Jill is joined by Atlanta soccer radio host and ATL United announcer Jason Longshore to dig further into what the expansion news means to the community and the rich women's soccer history that already connects the USWNT and professional women's soccer to Atlanta.

PLUS: Jill and Producer Theo break down the key things to watch for this weekend's NWSL Playoff Semifinals and give their picks on who will make the Championship Final in San Jose. Who will advance from the Washington Spirit vs. Portland Thorns, and the Orlando Pride vs. Gotham FC?

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HOST: Jillian Sakovits

GUESTS: Asli Peli, Jason Longshore

PRODUCER: Theo Lloyd-Hughes

VIDEO PRODUCER: Lia Griffin

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Emily Olsen

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Referenced on the show:

Atlanta’s NWSL team will debut in 2028, play at Mercedes-Benz Stadium

Atlanta lands NWSL expansion franchise backed by Arthur Blank for record $165 million: Sources

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Get in touch: ⁠⁠fulltime@theathletic.com⁠⁠

Follow on Instagram and TikTok: @tafulltime

Subscribe to our Youtube channel: here

Subscribe to the Full Time newsletter ⁠⁠here⁠⁠

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How do you measure Most Valuable Player? Who deserves Coach of the Year? What sort of midfielder is worthy of Midfielder of the Year?

On this week's Full Time podcast, hosts Tamerra Griffin and Meg Linehan debate the 2025 NWSL Awards and Best XI. The duo unpacks every category, examining the league's shortlisted players, as well as what their own formulas are judging and voting. Also, they discuss the snubs from the shortlist and put forward the players that should have been nominated, and argue whether the playoffs should be taken into account.

PLUS: Tamerra and Meg wonder how much the absence of major stars on the pitch has affected the 2025 NWSL Playoffs, check in on the Full Time Bingo Card, and look ahead to the weekend's Semifinals.

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Referenced on the show

Current’s overreliance on Temwa Chawinga makes her MVP argument even more compelling

Don’t call Gotham an ‘underdog.’

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HOSTS: Tamerra Griffin, Meg Linehan

PRODUCER: Theo Lloyd-Hughes

VIDEO PRODUCER: Lia Griffin

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Emily Olsen

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Get in touch: ⁠⁠fulltime@theathletic.com⁠⁠

Follow on Instagram and TikTok: @tafulltime

Subscribe to the Full Time newsletter ⁠⁠here⁠⁠

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For the first time in NWSL history, a No.8 defeated the top seed in the playoffs. But this wasn't just any top seed. This was a record-breaking Kansas City Current team that hadn't lost at home for 490 days. So, did NJ/NY Gotham FC pull off the biggest upset in NWSL history?

On this week's Full Time Review, Jillian Sakovits is joined by Tamerra Griffin, who was in Kansas City, to break down that extraordinary road victory. What was Gotham's game plan, and how was it so effective? How much did the absences of Temwa Chawinga and Michelle Cooper affect the Current? Why does Jaedyn Shaw adamantly disagree with the "underdog" tag being given to Gotham?

PLUS: Analysis and reaction of every NWSL Playoff quarterfinal, including a check-in with Melanie Anzidei fresh from experiencing the Washington Spirit's shootout win over Racing Louisville, Marta and the emotion of Luana's brilliant penalty kick, and the emergence of Reilyn Turner as a Portland Thorns hero.

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HOST: Jillian Sakovits

GUESTS: Tamerra Griffin, Melanie Anzidei

PRODUCER: Theo Lloyd-Hughes

VIDEO PRODUCER: Lia Griffin

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Emily Olsen

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Referenced on the show:

Gotham FC upset No. 1 Current in NWSL quarterfinal — but don’t call them the ‘underdog’

Atlanta lands NWSL expansion franchise backed by Arthur Blank for record $165 million: Sources

Spirit’s mental preparation for the ‘unpredictable,’ helped secure another dramatic playoff win

The San Diego Wave are embracing the crests and troughs of their latest era in NWSL

NWSL commissioner on gender eligibility: ‘Our policy is our current practice’

Does home-field advantage matter in the NWSL playoffs?

18 months after cancer diagnosis, Luana scores late goal to help Pride advance to NWSL semifinals

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Get in touch: ⁠⁠fulltime@theathletic.com⁠⁠

Follow on Instagram and TikTok: @tafulltime

Subscribe to our Youtube channel: here

Subscribe to the Full Time newsletter ⁠⁠here⁠⁠

Visit the Yahoo Women's Sports hub ⁠⁠here

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The 2025 NWSL Playoffs are here, and they’re bigger than ever. And that means, on this episode of Full Time Focus, host Jillian Sakovits is joined by not one but two special guests preparing to kick off the postseason.

First up, Jill talks to NWSL veteran and Gotham FC co-captain Mandy Freeman. How is Gotham preparing for another underdog playoff run on the road? What does it mean to go play the No.1 seed Kansas City Current, who haven't lost a home game in 490 days? And, what is the secret behind Freeman's famous off-the-pitch fashion sense?

After that, Jill says bienvenue to Kenza Dali – the French San Diego Wave midfielder who has taken the league by storm in her first season in the NWSL. What's it like to be a European player in your first American-style playoffs? How does the English Women's Super League compare to the NWSL? Why did the Wave drop off in the second half of the 2025 regular season? And, Dali talks about the importance of playing entertaining soccer while winning.

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HOST: Jillian Sakovits

GUESTS: Mandy Freeman, Kenza Dali

PRODUCER: Theo Lloyd-Hughes

VIDEO PRODUCER: Lia Griffin

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Emily Olsen

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Referenced on the show:

NWSL playoff preview: How to watch, key matchups and bold predictions

San Diego Wave signs France midfielder Kenza Dali from Aston Villa

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Get in touch: ⁠⁠fulltime@theathletic.com⁠⁠

Follow on Instagram and TikTok: @tafulltime

Subscribe to our Youtube channel: here

Subscribe to the Full Time newsletter ⁠⁠here⁠⁠

Visit the Yahoo Women's Sports hub ⁠⁠here

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Leaves are falling, soup season is upon us, and the NWSL Playoffs are back!

On this week's Full Time podcast, hosts Tamerra Griffin and Meg Linehan break down the entire 2025 NWSL Playoffs, from the strengths and weaknesses of the eight teams left competing for the Championship, to how each quarterfinal is poised, and which teams will advance.

Who are the key players and matchups? Will we see any upsets from the lower seeds? Can you read too much into end-of-season form? If each quarterfinal match were a takeout order, what takeout order would it be? This podcast gives you everything you need to know about the 2025 NWSL Playoffs.

PLUS: Tamerra and Meg close out the show with their brackets and picks for who will make it all the way to the Championship Final in San Jose on November 22, as well as some final words and flowers for the six teams who will not be heading to the NWSL postseason.

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Referenced on the show

Racing finished in ninth place the past four NWSL seasons. This year, they broke the curse

Bold NWSL title predictions

USWNT’s Olivia Moultrie agrees to contract extension with Portland Thorns through 2029

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HOSTS: Tamerra Griffin, Meg Linehan

PRODUCER: Theo Lloyd-Hughes

VIDEO PRODUCER: Lia Griffin

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Emily Olsen

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Get in touch: ⁠⁠fulltime@theathletic.com⁠⁠

Follow on Instagram and TikTok: @tafulltime

Subscribe to the Full Time newsletter ⁠⁠here⁠⁠

Visit the Yahoo Women's Sports hub ⁠⁠here

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On a dramatic Decision Day, Racing Louisville has clinched a spot in the NWSL playoffs for the first time in team history. But how did Bev Yanez's team pull it iff on the final day of the regular season and what does it mean for the players, the coach and the fanbase?

On this week's Full Time Review, Tamerra Griffin is joined by Melanie Azidei and Asli Pelit to analyze all the drama from the NWSL's regular season finale. From Ella Hase's historic goal for Racing, to the North Carolina Courage's big win over Gotham, that wasn't enough.

Which teams rotated squads? What emotional goodbyes did we see from retiring legends? How much can we read into the performances of teams heading off to the playoffs? Has the return of Decision Day created a new marquee event for the NWSL?

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HOST: Tamerra Griffin

GUESTS: Asli Pelit, Melanie Anzidei

PRODUCER: Theo Lloyd-Hughes

VIDEO PRODUCER: Lia Griffin

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Emily Olsen

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Referenced on the show:

NWSL Decision Day recap: Racing celebrates, Current earns crucial win and an exciting rematch

Chicago Stars are not letting a poor 2025 stop them from dreaming about a stadium and the future

Seattle Reign’s Laura Harvey says ChatGPT inspired NWSL tactics: ‘It said play a back five, so I did’

Bev Yanez on her coaching journey & Racing Louisville's date with destiny

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Get in touch: ⁠⁠fulltime@theathletic.com⁠⁠

Follow on Instagram and TikTok: @tafulltime

Subscribe to our Youtube channel: here

Subscribe to the Full Time newsletter ⁠⁠here⁠⁠

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In 2011, after the Women's Professional Soccer league folded, Bev Yanez flew to Japan to hold onto her dreams of being a soccer player. That journey changed her life and set her on the path to being the person she is today.

On this week's Full Time Review, Jillian Sakovits sits down with Yanez for a special feature interview about her journey from National Women's Soccer League player to head coach of Racing Louisville. The conversation takes place days before the final match of the NWSL regular season that will decide if Racing clinches a spot in the playoffs for the first time in team history. How has Yanez developed as a coach? What are the secrets behind Racing's record-breaking season and the team's identity? How does Yanez balance being a mother and head coach?

PLUS: Jill breaks down what is at stake ahead of NWSL 'Decision Day' and the 1-2-3 of what to watch this weekend.

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HOST: Jillian Sakovits

GUEST: Bev Yanez

PRODUCER: Theo Lloyd-Hughes

VIDEO PRODUCER: Lia Griffin

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Emily Olsen

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Referenced on the show:

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Get in touch: ⁠⁠fulltime@theathletic.com⁠⁠

Follow on Instagram and TikTok: @tafulltime

Subscribe to our Youtube channel: here

Subscribe to the Full Time newsletter ⁠⁠here⁠⁠

Visit the Yahoo Women's Sports hub ⁠⁠here

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.