Three games remain in the NWSL regular season, only two teams have clinched playoff spots, and almost nothing about the postseason picture feels settled.

This week, Alli, Pamitha, and Gurushabd break down a wild Week 24 as Kansas City climbs, Portland tumbles, North Carolina jumps back above the playoff line, and Seattle suddenly finds itself on the outside looking in. With just four points separating fifth from ninth, the race to Decision Day is setting up for absolute chaos.

We also celebrate Savannah DeMelo’s remarkable return to the field, check in on Ashley Sanchez Watch 2026, debate whether sending your goalkeeper into the attack should become the next great soccer innovation, and discuss the hair pull that could prove incredibly costly for Portland’s playoff hopes.

Then the international break arrives at exactly the right time, because Ashley Sanchez is finally back with the USWNT. We talk about what her return means after the disappointment of the 2023 World Cup, why her incredible NWSL season is about far more than goals, and what Emma Hayes appears to be building as she brings Sanchez, Jaelin Howell, Kate Del Fava and other players into an increasingly competitive national-team pool. With the World Cup getting closer, the question isn’t simply who the best 23 players are today. It’s whether Hayes can build enough depth that injuries, retirements, or changes in form don’t leave the U.S. scrambling when the games matter most. And with Spain waiting, we’ll get a pretty serious test of just how deep that pool really is.

We make our predictions for the upcoming USWNT matches—and announce something a little different for next week: Laces Out Loud will record live during the national-team match, capturing our reactions before kickoff, at halftime, and after the final whistle.

Oh, and before any of that, Gurushabd introduces us to the apparently very real world of single-speed cyclocross championships, costumes, oil wrestling, and naked cycling. We promise the soccer eventually starts.

From the fans, for the game—this is Laces Out Loud.

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