Key events
The CBS pregame show, which has spun forth a lot of content over the fact that commentator Kelley O’Hara played on the 2021 championship Spirit team and the 2023 championship Gotham team, says Cantore will be up front with Monday on the left for the Spirit, as opposed to what was on the NWSL’s graphic. We’ll see. It’s not baseball. Positions are a state of mind. I’m mindless, which is why I played “bench.”
Incidentally, I will also be on duty for tonight’s F1 race from Las Vegas.
I wrote a book on the Spirit, and I live near Washington, but I’m rooting for anything that ends in 90 minutes.
Who’s not here?
For Gotham, US gold medalist Tierna Davidson and Taryn Torres have been out for the season.
For Washington, their second-leading scorer on the season is still Ashley Hatch, who only played 10 games before leaving for maternity leave. US internationals Andi Sullivan and Casey Krueger has also been out for the same reason. Ouleye Sarr has been out with a back injury. And Gabby Carle has been ruled out after recently suffering a thigh injury.
Gotham FC lineup
Wow, both teams have a lot of creativity in the middle. And fantastic goalkeepers. And a terrific English center back alongside a strong US defender.
Goalkeeper: Ann-Katrin Berger
Defense (left-right): Lilly Reale, Jess Carter, Emily Sonnett, Mandy Freeman
Midfield: Jaelin Howell behind Jaedyn Shaw and Rose Lavelle
Left wing: Sarah Schupansky
Right wing: Midge Purce
Forward: Esther Gonzalez
Washington lineup
Nope. Rodman doesn’t start.
Goalkeeper: Aubrey Kingsbury
Defense (left-right): Kate Wiesner, Tara McKeown, Rebeca Bernal, Esme Morgan
Midfield: Hal Hershfelt behind Croix Bethune and Leicy Santos
Left wing: Sofia Cantore
Right wing: Rosemonde Kouassi
Forward: Gift Monday
Preamble
First, do me a favor and don’t go back and read my predictions for the playoffs.
Not that any of us did well. Kansas City had a season for the ages – until the playoffs hit. Washington’s best players have been about as healthy as the sense of bipartisanship in the capital, and the Jonatan Giráldez era ended before it really started. Gotham FC barely scraped into the playoffs.
But these are two first-rate teams by any measure. We’ll have the lineups shortly, and they will be both be strong. (Rodman’s going to play, right??)
Beau will be here shortly. In the meantime, here’s a breakdown of the game’s key battles:
At the close of quintessential NWSL playoffs rife with last-minute goals and upsets, the eighth-placed underdogs Gotham FC will face second-placed Washington Spirit for the trophy. Both teams have won the NWSL Championship once before: the Spirit in 2021 and Gotham two years later. Washington are the likely favourites, but Gotham’s talent cannot be discounted.
As we look forward to Saturday night in San Jose, here are a few key battles that could decide the game.
Ann-Katrin Berger (Gotham) v Aubrey Kingsbury (Spirit)
Unless we find ourselves in a penalty shootout and either keeper takes one, these two won’t face strikes from one another. But their battle could be the most decisive of all.
Both made player-of-the-match-worthy performances in the first round. Gotham upset the record-setting, first-place Shield winners, Kansas City, thanks to a massive seven-save performance from NWSL’s 2024 Goalkeeper of the Year, Berger. In Washington, Kingsbury saw the Spirit to a narrow victory against the post-season debutantes Racing Louisville with seven saves of her own across 120 minutes, then two more to secure the win in a penalty shootout.
In the semi-finals, the pair faced fewer shots on target, but were called on to make highlight reel-worthy saves to send their teams to the final. An elite performance from either keeper could decide the championship.
Emily Sonnett v Washington’s attacking depth
Berger is the reigning goalkeeper of the year and is deservedly nominated again for 2025. But the fact that Gotham conceded the second-fewest goals (25) this season and claimed the second-most clean sheets is because their defence has been superb. Hats off to the veteran centre-back Emily Sonnett, who has had a superb year for club and country.
The Spirit have an impressive cadre of players who are threats in front of goal; and Sonnett needs to coordinate their containment. With injuries limiting starts for some (such as Croix Bethune and Trinity Rodman, the latter of whom is still returning to full fitness and came off the bench late in the semis) Washington have five players with four or more goals this season (Gotham have three), while collectively accruing 42 in total – second only to Kansas City. Sonnett’s backline performance will need to be top notch to limit them, with the help of key players around her such as fellow centre-back Jess Carter.
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