The OL Reign are set to play in their first NWSL Cup Final since 2015 and will therefore have the long-awaited opportunity to earn a first championship star. Saturday will also be the final career match of OL Reign’s Megan Rapinoe and Gotham’s Ali Krieger, both of whom are two-time Women’s World Cup Champions for the US Women’s National Team.
Megan Rapinoe described the occasion of the NWSL Championship being her final career game as “the perfect way to go out”, with Ali Krieger emphasizing the occasion of sharing their final game together as “I couldn’t have dreamt it in a better way”.
Both sides entered the NWSL Playoffs as lower-seeds and thus had to play the additional first round. Consequently, the top-two seeds, San Diego and Portland, who had a bye in the first round, were upset at their own respective home grounds by the two current finalists.
NWSL Round 1: OL Reign 1-0 Angel City FC
The Reign went into this game with the short-term goal of snapping the streak of winless playoff appearances, with Head Coach Laura Harvey sending a strong lineup, as expected. Angel City started the game on the offensive, trying to break down the Reign with possession. However, the Reign contained Angle City’s pressure and picked up the momentum, particularly in the second half.
Rose Lavelle made her highly-anticipated return from injury in the 64th minute, receiving a serenading cheer from the home crowd. Rapinoe expressed her characteristically unfiltered excitement at Lavelle’s return to play after the game with a loud “f**k yeah”, and began talking about her love to play: “We’ve seen Rose struggle a battle, and it’s been a tough year for her … you have to drag her off the practice field”.
The game remained scoreless until the 87th minute, and after a series of OL Reign attempts at goal, Veronica Latsko sealed the victory from a cross. Angel City goalkeeper Angelina Anderson was barely out of reach of making the save, and the 12,000+ supporters erupted in celebration.
Megan Rapinoe spoke about the playoff struggle of the past, where the victory marked the Reign’s first NWSL Playoff victory since 2015: “I don’t think it was a curse; I think we’ve just been playing not that well in the playoffs—certainly last year we didn’t. The year before that, we actually played really well and just didn’t get the result”.
Due to the nature of the playoff structure, this fixture would be the Reign’s final home game of the season. Laura Harvey, at the post-match press conference, thanked the supporters and expressed her belief in the team’s hunger for success.
NWSL Semifinal: San Diego Wave 0-1 OL Reign
The Reign traveled to San Diego to play the top-seeded Wave, a team that has not defeated the Reign in any competition. The recent meetings between the Reign and San Diego Wave had most commonly finished with a one-goal margin, and the semifinal was no exception.
Laura Harvey decided to change the team’s formation to better incorporate Rose Lavelle into the starting eleven, switching to a 4-3-3. Despite the Wave having more shots in this game, the Reign finished with more shots on target—and a goal. Assisted by Rose Lavelle, a goal once again came from Veronica Latsko. The 47th-minute winner came as a cross that was sent in from Latsko; however, the ball floated perfectly into the top-left corner of the net. Latsko clarified her shot was meant to be a cross, but given the weight of the goal’s purpose, no one will truly worry about the intent.
San Diego was pressing to find an answer, and as the clock was ticking, an equalizer became a desperate necessity. Ultimately, Latsko’s goal ended up being the only necessary moment to secure the Reign’s championship meeting with Gotham.
The scenes after the final whistle made the occasion look like a championship, consisting of a field of visibly heartbroken San Diego players mixed with the entire OL Reign team celebrating together. Latsko’s thoughts after the game detailed her team-oriented mindset in a very short statement, as she said, “Honestly, I’m just happy that we’re going to the championship. That’s all I care about”.
NWSL Final: OL Reign vs NY Gotham FC, 11/11/23
The OL Reign and Gotham will be playing for their first NWSL-era championship star, and since the league’s inaugural season in 2013, both have come relatively short of the main prize at some point. The OL Reign, formerly known as the Seattle Reign FC, finished as runners-up in 2014 and 2015 and have not won an NWSL Championship until the current season. Gotham’s last playoff appearance was the first round of the 2021 NWSL Playoffs, and the time prior was the semifinals back in their Sky Blue FC era, near the conclusion of the league’s inaugural season.
In the 2023 regular season, the two meetings between the Reign and Gotham finished as a 2-0 road victory for the Reign, and the most recent fixture was a 4-1 road victory for Gotham. The Reign edge out Gotham 4-0-3 (W-D-L) in the head-to-head record since 2021, and a noticeable trend we can observe is the amount of goals, where it follows the aggregate score of 11-11 each.
The championship game will kick off at 5 p.m. PT on Saturday in San Diego, a neutral venue, and stream options are the CBS Television Network and Paramount Plus.
Cover Photo by Nathan Berg / Berg Media (Partner of ASN)