Washington knocked out Gotham FC following a dramatic penalty shootout at Audi Field to advance to the NWSL final.

Washington Spirit goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury saved all three penalties she faced as the Spirit defeated reigning champion NJ/NY Gotham FC 3-0 in a penalty shootout on Saturday at Audi Field to advance to next week's NWSL championship.

Gotham FC knew what was at stake. They had to beat a team that got the best of them in the regular season. They also could not afford any mistakes made against Portland Thorns FC in the quarterfinals.

The Pride are the first No. 1 seed to advance to the NWSL Championship final since the North Carolina Courage in 2019. The NWSL has had a history of upsets, but in '24 it is the two top seeds that will now face off for the title.

No. 3 seed Gotham, being in its best form of the year, is right on time for Saturday’s playoff semifinal against the No. 2 Washington Spirit.

WASHINGTON (7News) — The Washington Spirit is heading to the NWSL Finals! In front of a sold-out Audi Field, the team defeated defending champion NJ/NY Gotham FC in a match that had to be decided in a penalty shootout on Saturday.

Kansas City Current forward and 2024 NWSL Golden Boot winner Temwa Chawinga will be available for Sunday's high-profile semifinal against the Orlando Pride, but Current head coach Vlatko Andonovski said he is unsure how much she will play.

B y the time the final whistle blew at Red Bull Arena on Sunday marking the end of the last NWSL quarterfinal, the most unsurprising semifinal bracket was set. The top four teams

INDIVISA breaks down the NWSL playoff semifinals, looking at matchups, key players to watch and bold predictions