NY/NJ Gotham FC and OL Reign will square off in the 2023 NWSL championship after defeating Portland Thorns and San Diego Wave FC, respectively, in Sunday’s semifinal tilts. Here’s what you need to know:
- Gotham’s Katie Stengel broke a scoreless tie in the 107th minute with a spectacular strike that held as the game-winner in a 1-0 decision over the defending NWSL champions.
- OL Reign knocked off top-seeded San Diego with a 1-0 victory thanks to a 47th-minute goal from Veronika Latsko.
- USWNT legends Ali Krieger (Gotham) and Megan Rapinoe (Reign) — who are both set to retire after the 2023 NWSL season — will meet in the final. Both are seeking their first career NWSL title.
- The 2023 NWSL Championship is set for Nov. 11 in San Diego at 8 p.m. ET.
How Gotham FC secured the win
The Thorns looked the far nervier side in the first half, perhaps still not entirely past their regular season-ending 5-1 loss to Angel City despite the three-week break between that game and their semifinal against Gotham. That might have been part of the reasoning behind the change in goal as well, with usual starting keeper Bella Bixby benched for Hogan. But if the Thorns were the nervier side, then Gotham were a little duller in the final third, which meant Hogan was never particularly…
