The story of the 2023 NWSL Final; which legendary player was going to get the opportunity to have the fairy tale ending.
Two players that morphed into icons for Women’s Soccer, Megan Rapinoe of OL Reign, and Ali Krieger of NY/NJ Gotham FC, squared off in the NWSL Final at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego on Saturday evening. It was to be the last match for both players, both of whom were retiring after the season. It was Krieger who got the dream ending, as Gotham came out on top of a back-and-forth first half, then held down OL Reign defensively in the second half, and though it had to overcome a wild ending, a championship-clinching win is still a championship-clinching win, as Gotham captured its first ever title with the 2-1 win.
“I just want to ride off into the sunset and enjoy this,” Krieger said. “I don’t think I could dream of a better ending for myself. I love it so much and I have had so much fun. But it’s time and this is a perfect ending for me.”
Gotham’s win was made possible by the performance of Midge Purce, who assisted goals from Lynn Williams and Esther Gonzalez, who capped off an amazing 2023 with an NWSL title three months after winning the World Cup with Spain. Gotham’s title also marked a remarkable accomplishment for Williams, who won her fourth NWSL title, having won three other times, first with the Western New York Flash in 2016, then two more times when the franchise relocated and became the North Carolina Courage. However, aside from Krieger, the stage belonged to Purce, as her influence on the match earned her the match’s Most Valuable Player honors.
“I was just really humbled,” Purce said. “We have so many talented people on our team and to be able to score in different ways and to be able to count on so many individuals to do something special, it’s crazy to go into games like that, and it was a moment of gratitude.”
Troubled appeared for OL Reign and Rapinoe just two minutes into the match, as she fell to the ground just two minutes into the match and the training staff had to be called in. Rapinoe admitted she feared the worst, and was eventually subbed out for Bethany Balcer. The capacity crowd of 25,011 still gave Rapinoe a standing ovation.
“Disappointing and sad, A bummer for so many reasons,” Rapinoe simply said.
Gotham jumped ahead in the 24th minute. Midge Purce got things going when she dribbled down the right side and in the process sidestepped Phoebe McClernon, evaded Jess Fishlock’s tackle attempt, then deked Lauren Barnes as she dribbled into the penalty area, Purce’s run then played a ball into the six-yard box and Williams one-timed the ball into the back net uncontested to stake Gotham to the lead. OL Reign however eventually shook off the shock of losing Rapinoe and got themselves back into the game. Alana Cook won a ball in the backline, played a ball to Fishlock, who then played a short pass to Balcer before she sprung Lavelle with a through ball, Lavelle dribbled into the penalty area, then slotted the shot past keeper Mandy Haught into the back net for the equalizer.
Gotham however was up to the task. Gotham had another chance in the 38th minute, as Purce sent a header towards goal, but if hit off the near post, but the ball fell to Delanie Sheehan, who immediately fired the rebound chance at goal, but it hit off the crossbar. Gotham however retook the lead, and it couldn’t have come a a better time, as Purce sent a corner into the penalty area and Gonzalez headed the ball past keeper Claudia Dickey into the back net to put Gotham back in front just before halftime.
The pace of the game slowed down a little bit in the second half, with the only real chance coming from OL Reign in the 60th minute, as Lavelle back-heeled a ball to evade Sheehan, then sprung Veronica Latsko with a ball down the right side, Latsko touched into the penalty area, then fired the shot, but it was saved by Haught. The game however ended hectically, as in the final minute of stoppage time, Haught tried to beat Latsko to a 50-50 ball, a battle which she won, as she got her hands on the ball. However, referee Katja Koroleva wen to VAR, and it clearly showed that Latsko handled the ball outside the penalty area, and with Haught being the last player back for Gotham, she was determined to have denied Latsko a goal-scoring opportunity, meaning she received a straight red card, and Gotham had to finish the match with 10 players, an especially perilous situation considering the Reign were awarded a free kick right outside the penalty area. Nealy Martin, a defender, had to fill in as emergency keeper, but she ended up not having to do much, as Lavelle sent the free kick off the Gotham wall, and NY/NY was able to run out the remaining time to clinch the title.
