NWSL Roundup: Morgan returns for Thorns' playoff drive

• by Paul Kennedy  @pkedit, Aug 21, 2015

With just three weeks left in the regular season, it's crunch time for teams chasing the three available playoff berths behind league leader Seattle. The 2013 champion Portland Thorns FC, sitting in fifth place, face a key test at Sky Blue FC on Saturday and should have Alex Morgan available for the first time since the season opener.

NWSL 2015:
Standings | Schedule

A knee injury kept Morgan out of the Thorns' remaining games before she left on Women's World Cup duty. Following the final, she had arthroscopic surgery on her other knee. Morgan played and scored Wednesday night in the USA's 7-2 win over Costa Rica.

Portland (6-7-4, 22 points) sits fifth in the NWSL standings, three points behind fourth-place FC Kansas City (25 points), which occupies the final playoff spot. Chicago Red Stars and  Washington Spirit are tied for second place with 28 points.

The top four teams advance to the semifinals.

2015 NWSL Remaining Schedule:
1. *Seattle (33) -- 8/21 @HOU, 8/26 BOS, 8/29 SBFC, 9/5 @WAS
2. Washington (28) -- 8/27 @FCKC, 8/30 @POR, 9/5 SEA
2. Chicago (28) -- 8/23 WNY, 8/29 @WNY, 9/6 HOU
4. FC Kansas City (25) -- 8/22 BOS, 8/27 WAS 9/2 @SBFC
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5. Portland (22) -- 8/22 @SBFC, 8/30 WAS, 9/4 @WNY
6. Houston (20) -- 8/21 SEA, 8/30 BOS, 9/6 @CHI
7. Western NY (19) -- 8/23 @CHI, 8/29 CHI, 9/4 POR
8. Sky Blue FC (18) -- 8/22 POR, 8/29 @SEA, 9/2 FCKC
9. Boston (15) -- 8/22 @FCKC, 8/26 @SEA, 8/30 @HOU
*Clinched playoff berth.

NWSL Player of the Week

Washington Spirit forward Crystal Dunn was voted the NWSL Player of the Week by the media for Week 18 after she scored the game-winning goal in stoppage time to help the Spirit record a 2-1 win at the Chicago Red Stars on Sunday night.

It was the sixth game-winning goal for Dunn, who leads the league with 13 goals scored. The former North Carolina stars was honored for the fifth time this season.