We have finally arrived at the NWSL final, where two somewhat unlikely finalists will meet to crown a new league champion. The Chicago Red Stars and the Washington Spirit face off Saturday at Louisville’s Lynn Family Stadium in a game that isn’t quite easy to preview, let alone predict.

Before you place your bets on the championship game, let’s look at the keys to the matchup and how they could play into the final result.

The road so far

The Red Stars and the Spirit play very different styles of soccer, with unique sets of tools at their disposal. Chicago had a lackluster start to the season that included heavy defeats and doubts about their performances, both in the attack and on defense. But even after losing Alyssa Naeher and Julie Ertz to season-ending injuries, they figured out their team identity and started to string together more wins.

Chicago defends narrowly with a compact core. Gotham FC and the Portland Thorns, the two teams they’ve beaten so far in playoffs, were forced to play the ball wide and deliver crosses into the box from outside. The Red Stars took them out of their comfort zones and capitalized on it, upsetting both teams to advance to the final.

Washington has faced different kinds of problems throughout the season, most notably off the field with their coaching staff and front office. On the pitch, they stuck to a system of play that stemmed from organized defense. Kelley O’Hara and Emily Sonnett held down the backline, Aubrey Bledsoe won NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year for her play in net, Andi Sullivan guided the midfield and Ashley Hatch, Trinity Rodman and Ashley Sanchez spearheaded a fast and crafty attack.

Washington has also had a knack for winning games late. Of all six teams that qualified for the NWSL playoffs, the Spirit scored the most goals in the final 15 minutes of games and scored the most on counter-attacks, recording seven in each category.

What to expect

It might sound simple, but whichever group of midfielders has more possession of the ball and disrupts the flow of play will have the upper hand in this match. If Morgan Gautrat, Sarah Woldmoe and the rest of the Red Stars’ midfielders can press effectively in the middle of the park and deliver clean passes to Mallory Pugh (cleared to play Friday after missing the semifinal due to COVID-19 protocol), Chicago can wear Washington down.

Chicago’s defense has to be rock solid, since Washington’s speedy strikers will jump on any mistake. Washington’s front three resemble Portland’s with their pace and willingness to go 1v1. After shutting out the top-ranked Thorns last weekend, the Red Stars should look to play a similar style of defense on Saturday.

On the other side, if Washington’s midfield can do the same with Sullivan and Dorian Bailey, by exploiting gaps and lapses of concentration by the Chicago defense, Washington has a better chance of controlling the game. Look for the midfielders to set the tempo and pace of the game from the opening whistle.

It’s also worth noting that the Spirit have played more minutes than the Red Stars in the past two weeks after going into overtime with the North Carolina Courage in the quarterfinals. How well interim head coach Kris Ward sets up the rotation and times his substitutions will be a difference-maker for Washington.

Set pieces can also make or break this game. Chicago has scored six times on set pieces, more than any other team in the league. Washington has conceded four, making up almost a quarter of the goals they’ve given up all season.

Betting lines: What to bet?

The slight favorites for the sportsbooks are the Washington Spirit, as the higher seed in the playoffs and the team with more players who received national recognition this year, from Golden Boot winner Ashley Hatch to Rookie of the Year Trinity Rodman to Goalkeeper of the Year Aubrey Bledsoe. If you think the Spirit will win by the end of regulation time, DraftKings has the best line for you at +170. If your faith and money are with the Red Stars, who return Pugh and Kayla Sharples from COVID-19 protocol on Saturday, DraftKings offers the best line at +185.

As you can see, there’s not a lot separating these teams, but what caught my attention is the line for the draw. Given the possibility of the game going into extra time, it might be tempting to place your money on it. DraftKings has a good line at +210, but PointsBet has a slightly better one at +215. I think it’s worth considering for bettors.

Unibet, BetRivers, SugarHouse and Caesars also offer the opportunity to bet on the championship game. The lines are not as advantageous as the ones mentioned above, but maybe one not tied to the result will catch your eye.

Antonio Maza is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports covering NWSL betting. He also contributes to Bet Her. Follow him on Twitter @NwslAnalitica.

USWNT stalwart Alex Morgan will miss at least one week of NWSL action after suffering a left ankle knock in her last club appearance, Wave manager Casey Stoney said on Thursday.

Morgan was helped off the field after rolling her ankle in the later stages of the Wave’s 1-0 loss to the Orlando Pride last weekend, despite the San Diego side being out of available substitutes.

“She's got an ankle injury and she's out for this weekend, and then it'll be week by week from there,” Stoney said, confirming that Morgan’s been ruled out for Saturday’s showdown with NWSL newcomer Bay FC.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Just Women’s Sports (@justwomenssports)

Depending on its severity, Morgan’s ankle issue might have larger ramifications than missing a few weeks of NSWL play. Morgan was added to the team's Gold Cup roster after an ACL injury sidelined young striker Mia Fishel, and she's since made a number of USWNT starts in the team's Gold Cup and SheBelieves wins. A long-term injury could potentially derail the center forward’s Olympic plans.

With her return timeline uncertain, it's possible the injury could also impact Morgan's ability to participate in new head coach Emma Hayes' first U.S. friendlies in June and July.

Morgan's injury concerns aren't uncommon in the U.S. player pool, but add a sense of urgency as Hayes eyes the NWSL for top-performing players in the upcoming weeks. Gotham's Tierna Davidson and Rose Lavelle have also been dealing with injuries: Lavelle has yet to appear for Gotham, while Davidson exited last weekend's match early with a hamstring injury.

Gotham has yet to issue an update concerning Davidson's status.

This week, legendary Brazilian superstar Marta announced that she’ll retire from the national team at the end of 2024.

In an interview with CNN Esportes published Thursday, the iconic footballer confirmed that she would be hanging up her boots regardless of whether or not she ends up making Brazil's 18-player roster for the 2024 Paris Olympics. 

“If I go to the Olympics, I will enjoy every moment, because regardless of whether I go to the Olympics or not, this is my last year with the national team,” she said. “There is no longer Marta in the national team as an athlete from 2025 onwards.”

Marta will retire as a giant of the women's game, having appeared in five Olympics and multiple World Cups. When discussing her retirement, she stressed confidence in the rising generation of Brazilian players, noting that she was, “very calm about this, because I see with great optimism this development that we are having in relation to young athletes." 

The statement echoes back to a plea she made during the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup after Brazil lost to France 2-1 in the Round of 16. “It's wanting more. It's training more. It's taking care of yourself more. It's being ready to play 90 plus 30 minutes. This is what I ask of the girls,” she said then, addressing the young players following in her footsteps. 

In 2023, she signaled a farewell to World Cup competition with the same sentiment, telling media, “We ask the new generation to continue where we left off.”

If selected for the 2024 Olympic team, Marta has a shot at extending her own consecutive-scoring record with the ability to score in an unbelievable sixth-straight Olympic Games. She currently stands as Brazil’s top goalscorer, racking up 116 career goals in 175 matches, as well as the leading goalscorer in any World Cup, women’s or men’s, with 17 to her name. 

Marta will continue to play for the NWSL’s Orlando Pride through at least the end of 2024. The longtime forward and club captain has already contributed to multiple goals this season.

U.S. Soccer announced Tuesday that the USWNT will play their last home game on July 16th in the lead-up to the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris.

The 2024 Send-Off Match against Costa Rica will take place at Washington, DC’s Audi Field — home to both the Washington Spirit and DC United — at 7:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, July 16th. The friendly rounds out a four-game Olympic run-up campaign under incoming head coach Emma Hayes’ side, with the last two set to feature the finalized 2024 U.S. Olympic Women’s Soccer Team roster.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Just Women’s Sports (@justwomenssports)

Hayes will appear on the USWNT sideline for the first time this June, helming the team as they embark on a two-game series against Korea Republic hosted by Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado on June 1st followed by Allianz Stadium in St. Paul, Minnesota on June 4th. 

The team is then scheduled to meet a talented Mexico squad on July 13th at Gotham FC’s Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey, where the Olympic-bound lineup will attempt to rewrite February’s shocking 2-0 loss to El Tri Femenil in the group stages of this year’s Concacaf W Gold Cup. And while clear roster favorites have emerged from both of this year’s Gold Cup and SheBelives Cup rosters, a spate of recent and recurring injuries means making it to the Olympics is still largely anyone’s game.

Broadcast and streaming channels for the USWNT's final July 16th friendly at Audi Field include TNT, truTV, Universo, Max, and Peacock.

The USA Basketball Women's National Team is still considering Caitlin Clark for a spot on the Paris Olympics squad, says selection committee chair Jennifer Rizzotti. 

On Monday, Rizzotti told the AP that the committee will be evaluating the college phenom’s Olympic prospects by keeping a close eye on her first few weeks of WNBA play with Indiana.

The move is somewhat unconventional. While Clark was invited to participate in the 14-player national team training camp held earlier this month — the last camp before Team USA’s roster drops — she was unable to attend due to it coinciding with Iowa’s trip to the NCAA Women’s Final Four.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Just Women’s Sports (@justwomenssports)

Judging by the immense talent spread throughout the league in what might be their most hyped season to date, competition for a piece of the Olympic pie could be fiercer than ever before.

"You always want to introduce new players into the pool whether it's for now or the future," said Rizzotti. "We stick to our principles of talent, obviously, positional fit, loyalty and experience. It's got to be a combination of an entire body of work. It's still not going to be fair to some people."

Of course, Clark isn’t the first rookie the committee has made exceptions for. Coming off an exceptional college season that saw her averaging 19.4 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 4 assists per game for UConn, Breanna Stewart was tapped to represent the U.S. at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil less than two weeks after being drafted No. 1 overall by the Seattle Storm. Eight years prior, fellow No. 1 pick Candace Parker punched her ticket to the 2008 Games in Beijing just two weeks after making her first appearance for the L.A. Sparks.

In the lead-up to Paris’ Opening Ceremony on July 26th, USA Basketball Women’s National Team is scheduled to play a pair of exhibition games. They'll first go up against the WNBA's finest at the July 20th WNBA All-Star Game in Phoenix before facing Germany in London on July 23rd.

While an official roster announcement date hasn’t yet been issued, players won’t find out if they’ve made this year’s Olympic cut until at least June 1st.