The possibility of a fairy-tale finish didn’t work out for San Diego Wave FC.
With the NWSL Championship game slated for San Diego, the club was eliminated in their semifinal match Sunday. But there’s another potent story line involving two of the game’s top names of the past generation as OL Reign, which defeated the Wave, takes on Gotham FC in Saturday’s title match at Snapdragon Stadium.
Megan Rapinoe, of OL Reign, and Ali Krieger, of Gotham, will face off in what is expected to be the final game for both stars.
And both squads are scrappy. OL Reign, a No. 4 seed, got past top-seeded San Diego to meet No. 6 seed Gotham. NJ/NY upset a No. 3, NC Courage, and a No. 2, the Portland Thorns, on the way to the title game.
“It seems a bit poetic that the championship game is ending with Krieger and Pinoe’s last game,” OL Reign midfielder and fellow U.S. national team veteran Rose Lavelle told Reuters.
The victory over the Wave marked a milestone for OL Reign, 9-8-5 during the regular season. It was their first postseason win since 2015 and followed a series of playoff semifinal defeats. The championship trophy has remained elusive for Rapinoe and other veterans, like Lavelle. midfielder Jess Fishlock and defender Lu Barnes.
Gotham FC, like OL Reign, one of two original NWSL teams – the inaugural season in San Diego, for instance, didn’t happen until 2022 – went 8-7-7 in the regular season. But they doubled their win total from last season and didn’t clinch a playoff berth until the final game of the year.
Krieger, Gotham’s captain, made the NWSL’s Best XI First Team, as did teammate Lynn Williams, while Jenna Nighswonger, like Krieger, a defender, was named to the second team.
No OL Reign players received those honors, but Rapinoe was among the league leaders in assists, while her team ranked third in the league for goals scored.
And as far as physical play goes – each team lead the league in yellow cards, with Gotham garnering 47 to OL Reign’s 33.
The game starts at 5 p.m. Saturday and tickets remain, starting at $25.
