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The NWSL season has led up to this: On Saturday, the Washington Spirit will face the Orlando Pride in the NWSL Championship to crown the winner after a thrilling playoffs.
In Orlando, we have a team making its first final after years of being a bottom-dweller in the NWSL amid on-field struggles. After the Pride set a record for the best regular season in NWSL history this year, Brazilian legend Marta could finally earn a championship after years toiling away in Orlando.
In the Spirit, we have a team that has been reaching new heights since businesswoman Michele Kang won a boardroom power struggle to take over the club. While the Spirit already had the likes of Trinity Rodman, Kang’s added investment with the goal of creating a women’s soccer powerhouse has only made the Spirit that much more formidable.
So, which of these two sides will lift the NWSL Championship trophy Saturday and make history? ESPN’s Jeff Kassouf and Megan Swanick look at this final from all angles and predict the winner.
Are you surprised that either of these teams landed in the final?
Kassouf: No, we’ve ended up with two deserving teams. The top four teams were so clearly a cut above the rest of the NWSL this year, and the semifinals rightfully included all of those squads. The margins were as thin as expected, and any combination of Orlando, Washington, NJ/NY Gotham FC or the Kansas City Current would have been a worthy final.
Credit to Orlando for following up the Shield victory with a trip to the final, which we haven’t seen in this league since 2019. The Spirit also endured a slew of late-season injuries and got production out of their rookies in the playoffs. They’ve gotten that all season, to be fair. I guess there’s an ironic surprise, in that we finally got “chalk” playoffs in a league that almost never does anything predictably.
Swanick: Not this year. There’s always an element of “anything can happen” in NWSL, and multiple playoff contenders could have pulled off an upset. But this season saw a few teams really pull ahead of the pack.
The Orlando Pride is, of course, the main culprit there, as they set a 24-game unbeaten record on their way to the Shield. The fact that they’re in the final only feels logical given the season they’ve had. Washington Spirit, who finished the regular season in second place, have also been consistently strong throughout the year, despite coaching changes and myriad injuries.
Which team winning would be a more exciting story?
Swanick: I find it nearly impossible not to hop aboard the Orlando Pride train. They have it all: aura, chemistry, cohesion, dedication to one another and to the team. After years of disappointment, they’ve been the best team in the league all season. They won their first trophy in program history with the NWSL Shield. And with 38-year-old Brazilian legend Marta now in her first NWSL final, it would be sweet poetry to see them lift the trophy Saturday night.
Kassouf: I echo all of what Megan said. I already wrote about Orlando’s rise from laughingstock to arguably the best NWSL season ever. I can’t emphasize enough how this is the best story in sports right now.
To offer a counterpoint, though, let’s talk about the more explicit investment made by the Spirit: They went out and lured Barcelona coach Jonatan Giráldez from what is considered the best job in the world, brought him in midseason, and they’ve made great acquisitions on the international market and via the college game. Spirit owner Michele Kang continues to slap money on the table in the women’s game. She’s walking the walk. A win for Washington would point to a version of: “Build it and they will come” — but more like: “Spend the money if you want to do something great.”
Which on-field battle are you most interested in?
Kassouf: The midfield is where this game will be decided. Yes, the world-class forwards in this game will get plenty of attention, but this game could be one in the middle of the park. Orlando had the stingiest defense in the NWSL, and Washington is the best counterattacking team in the league.
Can the Spirit’s midfielders — whether that’s Leicy Santos from a higher position or Hal Hershfelt from a deeper area — regain the ball high up the field and find quick outlet passes? Or will the Pride’s unsung heroes of Haley McCutcheon and Angelina continue to dominate the middle of the park and allow Orlando to keep long runs of possession? Those battles are the catalysts to anything that Barbra Banda, Marta, or Trinity Rodman will do.
Swanick: Casey Krueger vs. Marta is the battle I’ll be watching. There’s a few enticing on-field battles set for Saturday. That includes some marquee names and remarkable rookie talent. But two prolific NWSL veterans may go toe-to-toe, as 34-year-old U.S. defender Krueger occupies Washington’s left-flank, while 38-year-old Brazilian legend Marta looks for her first NWSL Championship trophy in attack.
Marta’s nine goals are second-most to Banda for the Orlando Pride. As teams collapse on Banda, Marta has proved she’s still world class, as we saw with her goal in last week’s semifinal. Krueger, who was named to NWSL’s Best XI alongside Marta, will be a key to keeping them at bay.
Which one player who could decide the game are you keeping an eye on?
Swanick: Trinity Rodman. It’s been three years since the then-19-year-old helped the Spirit to their first NWSL Championship trophy. Rodman, who was NWSL Rookie of the Year that season, assisted Kelley O’Hara‘s game-winning goal in that 2-1 win over Chicago Red Stars. Still just 22, Rodman has only grown since then.
She has worked her way into a starting role with the USWNT, experienced the pressure of a disappointing World Cup, then scored three goals for Team USA on their way to a gold medal. Rodman’s eight goals and six assists make her joint top scorer for the Spirit this year, and the NWSL Championship could see her find another level.
Kassouf: Barbra Banda. She’s one of the best players in the world and, on most days, she is unstoppable.
She had a cold run of scoring this fall as defenders marked her out of games, but Orlando successfully found goals from the rest of its deep roster of players. Banda has come alive again in the playoffs, though, scoring a brace in the quarterfinal and a magnificent goal in the semifinal that was overshadowed only by Marta’s iconic game winner. Banda (like Marta, granted) changes games single-handedly. She could do that again Saturday.
OK, prediction time: Pick the winner and the final score
Kassouf: The margins between the top four have been so thin, and I expect that to continue in this match. Their October meeting, which the Pride won to clinch the Shield, is a poor barometer for this one given the injuries Washington had at the time.
I’ve got this game going to extra time (it’s prime time sports!) with Banda and Washington’s Ashley Hatch trading goals in regulation, and Summer Yates striking the winner for Orlando in extra time. The win goes to Orlando 2-1 in AET.
Swanick: I think it’ll be a close game, with goals scored by both teams in a fiercely contested battle. With the game hosted in neutral territory, both squads are playing away from home for the first time in the playoffs. It’ll be interesting to see how that impacts the game, as both teams have benefited from home-field advantage. Either team can win this.
But I think Orlando Pride will make more history and walk away as the winners 2-1.