NWSL Playoffs: Marta and top-seeded Orlando Pride, Mallory Swanson's Chicago Red Stars, Trinity Rodman's Washington Spirit all begin battle for crown

INDIVISA previews the 2024 NWSL Playoffs with key players to watch, bold predictions ahead of opening-round matches

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  No. 1 Orlando Pride vs. No. 8 Chicago Red Stars

  The breakdown: After claiming the regular season title, the Pride will look to storm their way to NWSL Cup as they seek to extend their home unbeaten-streak to 17 matches. Legendary Brazilian attacker Marta will look to leave a lasting impact on the pitch in her final professional season.

  The Red Stars, however, will look to play spoiler. Despite being winless in their last three matches, they were one of the few teams to earn a result against the Pride this season in their home stadium - a 1-1 draw in March. In their second meeting of the season, they held the Pride to one goal, falling at home. They'll look to replicate their early-season result to pull off a potential stunning upset.

  Orlando player to watch: Barbra Banda - With 13 goals and six assists in 22 appearances this season, Banda was one of NWSL's most exciting attackers. All eyes will be on her in the final-third of the pitch.

  Chicago player to watch: Mallory Swanson - the U.S. international had a brilliant summer at the Paris Games, but has struggled to replicate it for her club. However, if she's given even the slightest of opportunities, she can do something magical on the ball.

  Match details: Kickoff at 8 pm ET on Nov. 8 at Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando, FL. Watch the match on Prime video.

  Prediction: The Red Stars will play a brilliant game, but Orlando's consistency will be too much. They'll lose the midfield battle, resulting in a narrow victory for the No. 1 seed.

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  No. 4 Kansas City Current vs. No. 5 North Carolina Courage

  The breakdown: The Current host NC in their first home playoff game. Coming off an NWSL record-setting season in which their attack scored 57 goals, including a league-high 37 at home, they'll look to capitalize on their momentum to pull out a playoff victory. The Courage, meanwhile, will be looking to out-possess KC and force them to make mistakes under pressure. NWSL's most possession-based team, NC ended every regular season game with more of the ball than their opponent in all but one match.

  This is the fourth knockout match between the two clubs since 2022, with a budding rivalry growing.

  KC player to watch: Temwa Chawinga - 2024 NWSL Golden Boot winner, Chawinga is an ace in front of net. Give her any chance at all, and you're nearly guaranteed a goal.

  NC player to watch: Kerolin - the Brazil international was named 2023 NWSL MVP despite tearing her ACL. Now, back on the pitch competing at 100 percent, she will look to be the ace.

  Match details: Kickoff on Nov. 9 at noon ET at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City. Watch the match on CBS and stream on Paramount+.

  Prediction: The Current will cruise to victory, spearheaded by their incredible fans. Chawinga will continue her goal-scoring heroics with a brace, too.

• No. 2 Washington Spirit vs. No. 7 Bay FC

  The breakdown: The No. 2 ranked Spirit took both regular season matches against Bay FC during the campaign, and they're expected to contend for NWSL Cup this season. However, in their inaugural season, Bay FC has come up big in surprising moments. Notably, they took three points against both the Courage and the Thorns over the final stretch of the season

  Spirit player to watch: Trinity Rodman - the U.S. international is back from injury, and a menace on the counter-attack and in the box. If Washington can get her in open space or on the break, there's a good chance a scoring opportunity will arrive.

  Bay FC player to watch: Racheal Kundananji - a blistering forward, the Zambia international recorded nine goal-contributions in her debut season in the league. Although she's been struggling in front of net of late, if given the opportunity, she'll provide chaos around the box.

  Match details: Kickoff at 12:30 pm ET at Audi Field in Washington, D.C.. Watch the match on ABC.

  Prediction: The Spirit should comfortably secure victory, with their attack being too much for Bay FC to overcome.

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  No. 3 NJ/NY Gotham vs. No. 6 Portland Thorns

  The breakdown: Gotham are the reigning champions and are looking to lock things down in round one of the postseason against a Thorns side that struggled down the final stretch of the campaign. Portland lost seven of their final 10 matches, winning just two during that streak. The Bats, meanwhile, went unbeaten in their final eight matches of the regular season. It will be a big test for Portland to find form, while Gotham will look to continue their dominant run.

  It's a rematch of the 2023 semifinals, in which Gotham bested the Thorns 1-0 before their NWSL Cup triumph.

  Gotham player to watch: Rose Lavelle - the attacking midfielder bagged seven goals during the regular season, being their second leading-scorer during the campaign. In and around the box, she's a dangerous threat that Portland will need to account for.

  Portland player to watch: Sophia Smith - the U.S. international scored 12 goals during the regular season, and is a threat all around the box. If she is given any opportunity at all, it's nearly a guarantee that she will look to put it on frame.

  Match details: Kickoff at 3:00 ET on Nov. 10 at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, NJ. Watch the match on ABC.

  Prediction: Every once in a while, you need to root for chaos. Here, we're taking the Thorns to pull off an upset and make a postseason run, shocking the reigning champions.