A red card on goalkeeper Mandy Haught in stoppage time nearly spelled disaster, but the Gotham FC held on for a 2-1 win over OL Reign in the NWSL Championship.

Haught reached an arm outside the box to bat the ball away, which earned her a handball violation and an ejection for denial of an obvious goal-scoring opportunity after the first VAR review in NWSL Championship history. With Gotham out of substitutions, defender Nealy Martin took her place in net, donning an oversized goalkeeper jersey.

The ensuing free kick from Reign midfielder Rose Lavelle bounced off the wall of players between her and the net. The final whistle blew moments later, sealing victory for Gotham.

The action-packed match included goals from Lynn Williams and Esther González for Gotham, both off assists from Championship MVP Midge Purce. Lavelle scored the lone goal for the Reign, who played most of the match without retiring star Megan Rapinoe after she exited with a suspected Achilles injury in the sixth minute.

Just Women’s Sports writer Claire Watkins broke down the action in San Diego.

Gotham FC’s Midge Purce juked one OL Reign defender by the sideline and another by the goal box. She charged into the box with the ball on her foot and with her team outnumbered by the cage.

As Purce looked up to pass, Lynn Williams sprinted into the box just in front of the net. Williams tapped the ball from Purce into the net to open the scoring in the NWSL Championship, becoming the second player in NWSL history to contribute a goal in three different championship matches.

The early scoring didn’t stop there, as Gotham carried a 2-1 lead over OL Reign into halftime at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego. And despite a frantic end to the match, that would stand as the final score, giving the Gotham its first title in franchise history.

Four minutes after Williams’ opening tally, OL Reign midfielder Rose Lavelle broke through a line of white-clad defenders and booted a breakaway goal for the equalizer.

Purce, though, did not let her team go to the locker room tied. In the second minute of first-half stoppage time, the Gotham FC forward loosed a corner kick high into the goal box. The ball curved toward the front of the net in the air and Esther González jumped to meet it. The 2023 World Cup winner headed the ball into the netting to give New York the advantage at the half.

World Cup stars came up big for their respective squads in the NWSL Championship — at least one national team player cashed in on each goal, with Williams and Lavelle from the U.S. women’s national team and González from Spain.

And while Purce missed out on the World Cup with a quad tear, the USWNT forward put her name in the NWSL history books with her two first-half assists. She is just the second player to record multiple assists in an NWSL final, joining Lauren Holiday, who did so for 2014 champion FC Kansas City. She won the NWSL Championship MVP award for her performance.

The buzz leading into the game centered around the retiring stars, Megan Rapinoe for OL Reign and Ali Krieger for Gotham FC, but the next wave of international stars stepped into the spotlight during the NWSL Championship.

Preview the 2023 NWSL Championship by tuning into the Just Women’s Sports Super Show Presented by State Farm, featuring surprise guest appearances by NWSL stars. Watch here.

Rose Lavelle appeared to be taking in the tea during what turned into a viral moment with Emily Sonnett and Abby Dahlkemper following the NWSL semifinals. But according to Lavelle, it’s not as juicy as some might believe.

The moment, in which the 28-year-old midfielder made a face and covered her ears during the conversation, went viral on social media following OL Reign’s 1-0 win Sunday over the San Diego Wave.

“You guys, I wish it was juicier,” Lavelle said Thursday. “And I’m like, I almost want to keep it off the record so people think it’s juicer. But on the record, it wasn’t juicy at all.”

Instead, Lavelle said she, her teammate Sonnett and Wave defender Dahlkemper were talking about how great the game was and how loud the atmosphere was. The crowd broke the NWSL playoffs record for attendance, with 32,262 people packing into Snapdragon Stadium.

“It got so loud,” Lavelle said. “So many people messaged me that they’re like, ‘I need to know what you guys are saying,’ and I was like, ‘I wish I had a juicier answer.’”

Preview the 2023 NWSL Championship by tuning into the Just Women’s Sports Super Show Presented by State Farm, featuring surprise guest appearances by NWSL stars. Watch here.

Both teams competing in Saturday’s NWSL Championship final had key players return from injury during the playoffs. 

OL Reign’s Rose Lavelle and Gotham FC’s Kristie Mewis missed long stretches of the regular season. But in the postseason, each has made her presence known on the pitch. 

After not playing since Sept. 3 due to a nagging knee injury, Lavelle made her return on Oct. 21 in OL Reign’s first postseason win since 2015. In the Reign’s following game — the NWSL semifinal against the San Diego Wave — Lavelle assisted on Veronica Latsko’s game-winning-goal. 

“It’s been really nice to build back my minutes, I’m feeling good,” Lavelle said Thursday. “Hopefully I can shake a little rust off, but I’m happy to be back in a position where I can help on the field.”

Mewis made her own return from a lower-leg injury in Gotham’s semifinal game against the Portland Thorns in similar fashion to Lavelle. In Mewis’ first appearance for Gotham since she played for the U.S. women’s national team in the World Cup, she assisted on Katie Stengel’s game-winning tally to send their club to the final. 

“Obviously, I’ve been out for a bit so I do feel a little bit rusty, but I feel really good. I’m not in pain anymore, which is a huge deal for me. . . I’m just excited to help the team in any way that I can and play whatever role I need to play,” Mewis said.

Both Lavelle and Mewis are expected to be available for the NWSL Championship at 8 p.m. ET Saturday, when either Gotham or OL Reign will emerge as first-time champions.

“I think the team has been so incredible and has absolutely carried everybody to this point,” Mewis said of her squad. “I’m feeling good, I think the team feels so good. We’re in such a good spot mentally and physically right now, so I’m so excited to see what we bring on Saturday.”

Rose Lavelle has had an up-and-down year.

A lingering knee injury sidelined her for all but four regular-season NWSL games. The World Cup featured the earliest exit in USWNT history. But through it all, the 28-year-old midfielder has continued to fight her way back.

Lavelle played limited minutes – just 26 of them – in OL Reign’s first playoff game, a 1-0 win against Angel City FC on Oct. 20. But she played 82 minutes in Sunday’s 1-0 semifinal win over San Diego to help send the Reign to their first NWSL Championship appearance since 2015.

“Rosie is one of the best players in the world, there’s no question and she makes our team better, she always has done, and it’s been a really frustrating year for her with injuries,” head coach Laura Harvey said Sunday. “So to get back at this moment, she’s just something different. There’s no one like her.”

What Lavelle brings to the field is unmatched. She’s “so hard to defend,” according to Harvey, and makes the team’s dynamic different.

“She travels at pace with the ball like no one else,” Harvey continued. “And when we have her in our team, our dynamic is just different. Because we are solid we’re hard to play against. We don’t concede a lot of goals. I don’t know how many minutes it has been now since we haven’t conceded a goal. But you need different makers and we’ve relied upon a lot of people this year and unfortunately it hasn’t been Rose a lot. But you just saw tonight she’s exceptional. She’s world class.”

Megan Rapinoe and Ali Krieger are set to hang up their cleats at the end of the 2023 NWSL season. But both will have to wait just a little bit longer, as their teams combined to script a storybook ending for the retiring stars.

With victories in Sunday’s semifinals, OL Reign and Gotham FC set up an NWSL Championship meeting between Rapinoe and Krieger as a fitting finale to their illustrious careers. One of the U.S. women’s national team legends is guaranteed to take home the title.

Both Rapinoe and Krieger are two-time World Cup champions, having been teammates on the 2015 and 2019 USWNT squads. Rapinoe, 38, made her final appearance for the national team in September, while Krieger, 39, played her last match with the team in 2021, but they have kept their stories going in the NWSL.

Yet in the waning weeks of the season, they seemed destined for quiet ends. OL Reign and Gotham FC were in danger of missing the playoffs entirely. And even after both teams narrowly clinched postseason berths, history stood against them: The Reign had not won a playoff game since 2015, and Gotham had never won a playoff game in franchise history.

Rapinoe’s and Krieger’s teammates, though, rallied around them. And with the Reign’s 1-0 win over the No. 1 seed San Diego Wave and Gotham’s 1-0 win over the No. 2 seed Portland Thorns, the dueling Cinderella stories reached the league final.

“The fairytale is Pinoe and Kriegs,” OL Reign head coach Laura Harvey said. “It’s a great story.”

USWNT and OL Reign midfielder Rose Lavelle concurred, noting: “It seems a bit poetic that the championship game is ending with Krieger and Pinoe’s last game.”

For the Reign, to cap Rapinoe’s career with her first NWSL title is the goal. For Gotham, to win a first title for Krieger has become a literal rallying cry.

“We all just feel this need to keep Ali Krieger in the game and to keep playing,” Gotham goalkeeper Mandy Haught said. “And it’s just the amazing camaraderie in this group that just like, we’re going to do this for us and we’re gonna do this for Kriegs. We’re not done yet. We’re going to go all the way.”

OL Reign’s Rose Lavelle dribbled near the right corner with two San Diego Wave defenders in her path. Lavelle passed to the nearby Veronica Latsko, who carried the ball further up the line.

Just feet from the baseline, with Wave defenders crashing into the box in front of her, Latsko let loose a high cross. The ball hung in the air as it sailed across the goalmouth before ringing off the far post and into the netting.

“That was not supposed to be a shot,” the 27-year-old forward admitted after the match.

Yet Latsko’s improbable goal propelled the No. 4 Reign to a 1-0 win over No. 1 San Diego and secured them a spot in the NWSL Championship against Gotham FC at 8 p.m. ET Saturday, Nov. 11.

The Reign started their 2023 playoff run with their first postseason win since 2015. They have not played in an NWSL final since 2015, and they have never won the title. Gotham won their first two playoff games in franchise history this postseason. So the season will end with a first-time champion.

And with her goal against the Wave, Latsko became the third player in NWSL history to score in back-to-back playoff games.

OL Reign’s offensive dominance showed itself at the beginning of Sunday’s semifinal, as the club managed three shots on goal in the opening 30 minutes. They finished the first half with four scoring chances to the Wave’s two.

But the Seattle-based club didn’t break through until early in the second half, when Latsko’s boot put an end to San Diego’s season.

And it’s a good thing the Reign got on the board when they did. After the club controlled the ball for much of the first half, San Diego made its presence known in the second half. The Wave eventually took the majority of possession, shots and chances created in front of their home crowd at Snapdragon Stadium. But the Reign defense stood fast, clearing two crucial corners in the 87th and 88th minutes to prevent the Wave from breaking through.

“I think that our team is built on the foundation of defense, and when you get the defensive part right from top to bottom, that’s when you can win games,” Latsko said.

In the end, Latsko’s wide-angle shot was enough to extend the Reign’s season and retiring star Megan Rapinoe’s career. And Rapinoe’s teammates plan to rise to the occasion at the NWSL Championship.

“I think it’s really special to be able to get her there,” Lavelle said. “I think it’s really special to finally get to this moment and be able to be on this stage. Obviously, the job is not done and we have a big week ahead of us preparing for that.”

The NWSL has announced its expansion draft for Bay FC and Utah Royals FC, but there appears to be an important loophole: unsigned free agents aren’t available for selection.

The 12-round draft, which will be held at 7 p.m. ET Friday, Dec. 15, features rules similar to past expansion drafts, with teams permitted to protect nine players. Players with a “no trade” clause are required to be protected by their club — and if one of the expansion teams selects a player from a team’s roster, that team is allowed to protect one additional player.

With free agents exempt from the draft, though, teams could wait to sign players until after Dec. 15. Top unrestricted free agents include Rose Lavelle of OL Reign, Crystal Dunn of the Portland Thorns and Sarah Gorden of Angel City FC. By waiting to sign a new contract, their teams would not have to protect them.

Several teams have a large number of free agents. The Chicago Red Stars and Houston Dash have 10 free agents each, while Gotham FC has eight, as do the Portland Thorns and Angel City FC.

There are 75 total players eligible for free agency this offseason.

Top unrestricted free agents include:

  • Tierna Davidson, Chicago Red Stars
  • Crystal Dunn, Portland Thorns
  • Sarah Gorden, Angel City FC
  • Casey Krueger, Chicago Red Stars
  • Savannah McCaskill, Angel City FC
  • Rose Lavelle, OL Reign
  • Emily Sonnett, OL Reign
  • Mallory Swanson, Chicago Red Stars

Top restricted free agents include:

  • Emina Ekic, Racing Louisville
  • Emily Fox, North Carolina Courage
  • Madison Hammond, Angel City FC

Rose Lavelle made a triumphant return to action in OL Reign’s first NWSL playoff win since 2015.

The 28-year-old midfielder had not played for club or country since Sept. 3, but she came on as a substitute in the 64th minute of OL Reign’s 1-0 quarterfinal win over Angel City FC, relieving fellow midfielder Quinn.

“F— yeah,” Rapinoe said of Lavelle’s return. “That’s how I feel about it.”

In April, Lavelle picked up a knee injury that has nagged her throughout the 2023 season. While she joined the U.S. women’s national team at the 2023 World Cup, she has made just five appearances for OL Reign, including Friday’s playoff victory.

She played near full minutes in two matches late in the season, on Aug. 27 and Sept. 3, before that she had not played for the club since April 1.

While Lavelle was available if “desperately needed” in OL Reign’s regular-season finale, she remained on the bench for the playoff-clinching in. Head coach Laura Harvey was glad for the extra week of rest, which allowed Lavelle to make an impact as a substitute in the first postseason contest.

“I think Rose was not really ready last week and obviously getting her out there tonight was important for us,” Harvey said. “I felt that she made the difference.”

With Friday’s win, No. 4 seed OL Reign advances to the NWSL semifinals. They will face the No. 1 seed San Diego Wave at 9:30 p.m. ET Sunday, Nov. 5, with a spot in the 2023 NWSL Championship on the line.

While Sophia Smith and Becky Sauerbrunn returned from injury for the U.S. women’s national team roster, several big names remain out for the October friendlies against Colombia.

Tierna Davidson

The 25-year-old defender received a kick to the face in the Chicago Red Stars’ Sept. 30 match against Racing Louisville. She missed the team’s final two matches of the regular season, and she is not ready for international minutes, USWNT interim head coach Twila Kilgore said Wednesday.

“That contact to the face was pretty severe,” Kilgore said. “She’s recovering and moving forward.”

Rose Lavelle

The 28-year-old midfielder has played intermittently since picking up a leg injury in April. She joined the USWNT at the 2023 World Cup but made just two appearances upon her return to the NWSL — and none since Sept. 3. She’s played just four NWSL matches total in 2023.

Following OL Reign’s win Sunday in their final regular season match, Laura Harvey said that Lavelle would be available only if her team really needed her.

“Rose was sort of there if we desperately needed her to be there, and thankfully we didn’t,” OL Reign head coach Laura Harvey said Sunday. “I know she was still running (on the field) after the game so that we can keep her ticking over in preparation for Friday.”

Kilgore echoed that sentiment Wednesday.

“Both players [Lavelle and Davidson] aren’t ready for international minutes,” she said. “We’re also being very careful with protecting players. Rose is making progress, just not ready for this event.”

Catarina Macario

Macario has not played in a competitive match since tearing her ACL last June, and she hasn’t featured for the USWNT since last April. The 24-year-old midfielder signed with Chelsea in June, and she has been settling in with her new club in the Women’s Super League. But she has yet to play in a game in the WSL through the first three matches of the season.

“Cat is integrating at Chelsea, she’s just not ready for international minutes yet,” Kilgore said. “We’re collaborating with them in terms of keeping in touch and making sure she has everything she needs, but she’s just not ready for international minutes yet.

“She’s just continuing on her timeline there and we trust the people that she’s working with and that she’s entrusted herself to. Things seem to be moving along well.”

Kelley O’Hara

The 35-year-old defender is out with a lower leg injury. She made the World Cup roster but played just nine minutes in the tournament. Since her return to the NWSL, she has played in three matches for Gotham FC, most recently seven minutes as a substitute on Oct. 1.

While she initially was named to the USWNT’s September roster, she was replaced ahead of the friendlies against South Africa. At the time, the USWNT said in a release that the defender’s “return to play has been slower than anticipated and she will remain with her club to continue her progression to full fitness.”

Mallory Swanson

Swanson has remained out since tearing the patellar tendon in her left knee during an April friendly against Ireland. While she has been seen practicing with the Chicago Red Stars, the 25-year-old forward continues to rehab her injury.