Rose Lavelle scores the winning goal for No. 3 seed Gotham in the final game for Thorns legend Christine Sinclair.

The final quarterfinal of this year's NWSL Playoffs felt like the changing of the guard, in a way. The Portland Thorns, the league's most successful team, were the underdogs against NJ/NY Gotham FC, the reigning champions who surprised many by winning last season's championship after a history of being one of the NWSL's bottom-dwellers.

It's an all-East Coast affair in the first NWSL Playoff Semifinal of the weekend as the Washington Spirit hosts NJ/NY Gotham FC on Saturday, November 16, at Audi Field. The D.C. club has sold out the stadium (19,

To do that, they first have to beat Portland Thorns FC . Gotham FC won the two games in the regular season, including the recent 2-0 win at home . The question is whether they can win again for a third time. The Thorns are still a good team and always compete in the NWSL Playoffs.

Gotham FC hosts Portland in its first ever home playoff match at Red Bull Arena. Here's how to watch and who may make the difference.

On a soggy Saturday night in Southeast Texas, Bay FC prevailed 3-2 over the Houston Dash in a topsy-turvy match at Shell Energy Stadium. The win sent Bay six points clear of Racing Louisville in the NWSL standings, thus clinching a historic first-ever playoff spot for the California club.