Four key battles on the pitch, and one on the touchline, highlight what to watch for ahead of NWSL final Saturday afternoon.
The 2023 NWSL Championship is set to be contested between two teams, New Jersey/New York Gotham FC and OL Reign, that have yet to lift the league’s top trophy.
The match will pit two contrasting styles against each other: the possession-oriented football implemented by Coach of the Year Juan Carlos Amorós at Gotham against league veteran Laura Harvey’s highly disciplined defensive press.
OL Reign were in better form heading into the playoffs, with a win and two draws in their final three matches whereas Gotham recorded a draw and two losses in their last three regular-season contests. New Jersey, however, is peaking at the right moment, having beaten the No.3 and No.1 seeds, North Carolina and Portland, to reach the final.
GOAL takes a look at the key battles that will decide the 2023 NWSL Champion.
Getty ImagesUSWNT fullback Sofia Huerta vs NWSL Rookie of the Year Jenna Nighswonger
Rookie of the Year Jenna Nighswonger is new to the left back position this season, but she’s readily taken to her defensive responsibilities, leading her team in tackles and tackles won. She also contributes going forward, leading her team—and ranking in the top five leaguewide—in successful crosses, and has notched three goals this season.
Playing on the same side of the field will be OL Reign right back Sofia Huerta, a converted forward whose name is synonymous with pinpoint long-range crosses. Huerta’s service from the right is a key component of the Reign attack, who lead the league in headed goals with 11. The Idaho native also has years of experience at this level, having competed in five previous NWSL playoff tournaments.
Shutting down Huerta’s service into the box as much as possible is key to stymieing the Reign attack, and that responsibility will fall to the youngster.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesTwo USWNT legends in their final career matches: Rapinoe vs Krieger
Two legends of the game will play their final match today, and although they won’t necessarily face off directly on the field, their influence as leaders shouldn’t be overlooked.
At 38 years old, Rapinoe has remained a major component of Reign’s attack in her final year as a pro. Setting up on the left wing, her famous crossing has been a mainstay in head coach Laura Harvey’s attack. The two-time World Cup champion is one of three “Reign originals” alongside Fishlock and defender Lu Barnes, and has played in two previous NWSL championships, but has yet to come out on top.
Krieger is also no stranger to this stage, having faced the Western New York Flash in the championship when she played for Washington Spirit in 2016—a game she lost. She’s been a bulwark for Gotham this season, ranking first on the squad in interceptions and clearances. Her veteran leadership both on the back line and in the locker room is a massive asset to a team that’s taken on an entirely new system this year.
Both Krieger’s and Rapinoe’s teammates say they want to lay it all on the line for their retiring veterans—so the one thing that’s certain is a hard-fought battle.
USA Today Sports Veteran Jess Fishlock vs former Golden Boot winner Lynn Williams
Gotham’s fluid movement makes it difficult to guess which opponent will be tasked with marking who at any given moment, but one crucial component of Reign’s defense in the center of the pitch is Jess Fishlock, the 36-year-old Welsh international who has been with the club since 2013. Fishlock can play throughout the central midfield, but with No. 10 Rose Lavelle back in the team, the veteran has dropped deeper and taken on a more defensive role.
Williams, meanwhile, who has played across the forward line at different moments in her career, is the top scorer for Gotham. A No. 9 on paper, she often finds her way into games by dropping deeper to both defend and serve as the connective tissue between Delanie Sheehan or Yazmeen Ryan and Midge Purce or Esther. In addition to her seven goals, she also ranks first on the team in successful duels.
For Fishlock, the key will be controlling the space in the midfield and not letting Gotham dictate her defensive movement. That’s going to be a difficult task, but as one of the most intelligent players in the league, she’s the right woman for the job.
USA Today Sports USWNT star Rose Lavelle vs midfield cornerstone Nealy Martin
Reign’s wild card in the playoffs has been the return of Rose Lavelle, the enigmatic USWNT midfielder who was injured early in the season at a national team camp and sat out almost the entire regular season. Entering as a substitute in the final half-hour of Seattle’s quarterfinal against LA, Lavelle provided an immediate spark. She started against San Diego in the semis and looked just as good. In short, Lavelle’s passing vision and skill on the ball immediately change any team she steps into, and Gotham can’t expect this match to go the same as their last meeting with Reign, a 4–1 win on the road.
Martin, a defender in her time at her last club, Racing Louisville, has been instrumental stepping into the No. 6 role for Gotham. Her defensive skills have beefed up her team’s aggressive press, as she works with Ryan and Sheehan to squeeze opponents off the ball. Only Ali Krieger has more interceptions for the team.
Lavelle, though, is the kind of Swiss Army Knife player who presents a puzzle to opponents: take away one option, and she’ll find her way into the game some other way. Whether Amorós will trust his press to keep her quiet or assign a player to man-mark her remains to be seen, and both are a roll of the dice.