It’s all come down to one match. The National Women’s Soccer League Championship match will be contested on Saturday at 8pm ET in Rochester, NY between Portland Thorns and Western New York Flash, two teams that don’t have a whole lot of separation between them. And it is the Championship match-up that many invested parties hoped for: having the so-called “face franchise of the NWSL” face off against one of the most successful franchises in American Women’s Professional Soccer history (or it could be billed as the match that pits the heralded USWNT veteran vs the rising USWNT star…aka Abby vs. Alex). Regardless what you call it, it’s going to be a great contest. Here’s a breakdown of the Final as well as the second of three OGM All-NWSL Best XIs.
Why Both Teams Got to the Final
In the semifinal round, one of the winners was a team that got ahead and stayed ahead while the other fought back from adversity to win.
For the Flash, it was a pretty straightforward result, with Carli Lloyd netting both goals. You can’t take away anything from their opponents in the match, Sky Blue FC. Jim Gabarra took a chance playing a 3-5-2 formation and it worked for the most part, keeping Abby Wambach quiet for most of the night (something that doesn’t happen often). But for a team to win, defense and offense has to be equally strong and Western New York broke down every attempt that Sky Blue had offensively, limiting them to five shots on the night and while the stats say that Flash goalkeeper Adrianna Franch had three saves, I don’t remember her being challenged throughout the 90 minutes. What made the Flash so dominating on the night was the fact they scored before half, never panicked throughout the second half as Sky Blue tried to go forward and eventually put it to rest with a late counter attacking goal.
For the Thorns on the other hand, it seemed that when FC Kansas City took a 2-0 lead at the half hour mark that the hosts wouldn’t let up. But what happened next was something that I didn’t see coming but it echoed a pattern for FCKC. They did what I like to call “Turtled,” meaning that the Blues went into a shell; protected what they had and played defensively. And FCKC aren’t really a defensive team in the sense of just packing it in. They can wear down teams by possessing the ball and if they did that they would have been fine. But Portland scored right before halftime which was very crucial, made a couple of great substitutions in the second half and just wanted it more in the extra time periods. While they did lose Tobin Heath through the match with an injury, the Thorns persevered and now have a chance at the title.
Key Factors for Each Team in the Final
Western New York: Continue to Play With the Same Mentality. Western New York Head Coach Aaran Lines stated that they have been playing every match for the past month as it is the most important match of the season. And it has worked for them to get to this point, so don’t expect any changes from here. And it also helps that the Flash have finished the season (including playoffs) playing seven of their last eight matches at home so they have gotten very comfortable in the same surroundings week after week and the expansive dimensions of Sahlen’s Stadium only helps their wide play.
Portland: Keeping Allie Long on the Field. When Tobin Heath came out of the match with a foot injury, it allowed Long to go forward more freely and create. With that freedom, she changed the dynamic of the game offensively. But at the same time, she committed a fair few fouls that could have warranted her a second yellow card in referee Christina Unkel’s eyes, after picking up her first card on the hour mark. But she did stay on for the entire 120 minutes so it will be crucial for the Thorns to keep Long in check when she goes in for challenges, because if she stays on the field she has the potential to change the dynamic of the game.
Wild Card Factor: Lack of Separation. There is no secret that these two sides are very similar on the field. So similar to the point when both times these two sides faced each other, it was played to a draw. So extra time might be necessary to separate Western New York and Portland. And while the Thorns have already had experience in the playoffs in playing the extra 30 minutes, the Flash have won their last two league championships in Sahlen’s on PKs. Also coming into the Championship, both teams are peaking at the right time, which will make this match all the better to watch. The Thorns are playing their most inspired soccer of the season in the past few weeks because they have had the mindset of playing together as a unit, no matter what obstacle has been thrown their way. And the Flash, outside of the “history” they can make by winning the title and their record at home this season, they have been the most consistent team this season and play a nice fluid brand of attacking soccer. Overall, it will be quite an entertaining match to witness on Saturday night.
The Unsung Hero XI
Unfortunately, I wanted to use the “All-Madden” moniker for this team but basically this best XI is to recognize the players in the NWSL that go out each week, play their role exceptionally to the point of that each individual can change a game based by their efforts but aren’t the ones who score all the goals or get their names in the headlines. This week’s team will be in a 4-4-2 with same as last week, no regard for exact position, just slotting in defenders, midfielders and forwards.
GK: Brittany Cameron (Sky Blue). After allocated goalkeeper Jill Loyden went down, Cameron took the opportunity for the number one shirt and proved her worth. Near the top of all all goalkeeping statistical categories and with a little more polish to her game she could be a very strong professional netminder.
Def: Estelle Johnson (Western New York). With a lot of question marks surrounding the WNY back four at the start of the season, Johnson and Co. answered the questions. One of three players in the league to play every minute of every match this season, she has been a steady work horse in center back and a key contributor to the leagues best defense.
Def: Sonja Fuss (Chicago). When the former German international stepped onto the field for the first time in June, she gave a calming presence to a very streaky defense. Fuss took charge of organizing the team from the back and was a main reason why Chicago almost cracked into the top four after a poor start to the season.
Def: Cat Whitehill (Boston). It seems that the former USWNT center back keeps getting better with Boston. Playing all but two minutes, Whitehill was a staple in the Breaker lineup and created many chances from the back, deploring her ever-present service over the top. It wouldn’t be a surprise that she could get a recall to the national team very soon.
Def: Taryn Hemmings (Chicago). This story was one of the best player improvement stories this season in the NWSL. Partnering in center back with Sonja Fuss, we saw Hemmings’ game grow week after week and the confidence of her play was coming full circle. It was tough to see her season end the way it did with a torn ACL but she had a great season nonetheless.
Mid: Angela Salem (Western New York). Ever since the former Divsion III player came onto the professional scene, Angela Salem’s game has grown bigger and better every season. And her 2013 campaign may have been her best season yet. Featuring in 21 matches Salem was a holding midfielder that controlled the pace of the game to her liking and starting may scoring opportunities for the Flash. She will be a big key in this weekend’s championship match.
Mid: Jen Buczkowski (Kansas City). The second of three players to play every minute of the regular season, Buczkowski was a rock in the midfield, playing more of a defensive midfield position with Desiree Scott. She controlled the game when in possession, had two assists and was a presence in defense, making FCKC one of the tougher teams to break down through the middle of the field.
Mid: Allie Long (Portland). One of the veteran leaders for Portland, Long had to make the switch from an attacking midfielder role to a defensive mid when Becky Edwards went down with an injury. But she rose to the challenge and put together a great campaign, starting all 22 matches and had three goals and three assists.
Mid: Katy Freels (Sky Blue). Another player that had her stock rise in 2013 was the Sky Blue midfielder was Katy Freels. The former Auburn grad felt at home in the center of the field and was key down the stretch. She had one goal (and if not for a few posts & good saves, should have had a few more) and six assists in 2013 and with another season under her belt, she could break into the USWNT pool.
Fwd: Monica Ocampo (Sky Blue). In a league of quality strikers, Ocampo went under the radar in that category but put together a solid season. Combining well with the before mentioned Katy Freels, Ocampo got on the end of plenty of Freels’ service and bagged eight goals (tied for fourth in the NWSL) and a couple of key game winners.
Fwd: Dani Foxhoven (Portland). First the University of Portland product was the super-sub for the Thorns. But her performances off the bench promoted her to the starting XI and put together a solid first season in the NWSL. Four goals on the year plus plenty of experience playing with some of the worlds best strikers will only help Foxhoven’s game going forward.
Next week, we will reveal the last of the three OGM Best XI teams: the all-NWSL Best XI (with a bench).