2022 NWSL Championship -Recap
On October 29, 2022, the Portland Thorns Football Club took on the Kansas City Current at Audi Field in Washington DC for the 2022 National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) championship. It was an action packed 90 minutes. These teams were not necessarily the favorited to make the championship, but they fought to get there.
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After finishing the 2021 season in last place, The Kansas City Current felt like they had something to prove. They proved everyone wrong, and . The KC Current are the second attempt at a NWSL team in Kansas City. The first team moved to Utah in 2017, but they returned to Kansas City in 2021. The Current dominated the playoffs this season. They took down the 4th ranked Houston Dash 2-1 Then they rolled through the OL Reign winning 2-0. Now, they were ready for the championship game.
The Portland Thorns Football Club is as old as the NWSL, winning the first championship in 2013. They have long been playoff regulars, and already had two championships. It was not surprising when they finished in 2ndplace on the NWSL table this season, winning the first-round bye and a second-round home match. They took down the San Diego Wave Football Club 2-1. The Thorns couldn’t wait to see what DC had in store for them.
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Just six days after the semi-final matches, the NWSL geared up for its first ever nationally covered, primetime championship. Each team came prepared, with the best starting XI (eleven) they could muster. People were especially paying close attention to the 2022 NWSL Most Valuable Player, Thorns’ forward, Sophia Smith who is just twenty-two.
The Thorns offense came to play, they were pressing hard toward the KC goal from the first second. Portland opened the scoring early with a fourth minute goal by Sophia Smith. The goal came after a missed save by goalie, Adrianna ‘AD’ Franch, leaving no one between Smith and the net. Portland continued to challenge the Kansas City defense. The Kansas City offense, typically led by midfielder Lo’eau Labonta couldn’t seem to find their rhythm. They missed a lot of passes and suffered quite a few takeaways. They did not look like the explosive Kansas City team people expected after the first two rounds of the playoffs. Everything seemed just a little disorganized. The first half ended, Portland 1, Kansas City 0.
When the second half began, Kansas appeared to have a little bit of momentum. They were finally able to get to the eighteen-yard box and started to create a few chances. However, they still couldn’t get a shot on goal. They barely tested Portland goalie, Bella Bixby. Things only went downhill for the Current after that. In the fifty-sixth minute, Addisyn Merrick, a KC defender, scored an Own Goal, doubling Portland’s lead. After that, it seemed like Kansas City was just waiting for the game to end. Portland however, never stopped pushing. They created a few more chances for themselves, forcing AD Franch to make some miraculous saves. When the final whistle blew, the score line read 2-0, and the Portland Thorns won their third NWSL Championship. Sophia Smith was named Finals MVP, becoming the second player to win both League MVP and Finals MVP in the same year.
Image 1 (left): Jessica Rapfogel, USA Today Sports Image 2 (center): Brad Mills, USA Today Sports Image 3 (right): Nick Wass, AP
