NWSL championship on line in Louisville on Saturday; league names MVP
The National Women’s Soccer League will decide its champion Saturday in Louisville, after also naming its Most Valuable Player and other award winners this week.
The Washington Spirit will face the Chicago Red Stars and University of Kentucky Hall of Famer Arin Wright (Gilliland) at Lynn Family Stadium at noon Saturday.
The Spirit reached the championship match by beating the OL Reign 2-1 in last weekend’s semifinals. The Red Stars knocked out the top-seeded Portland Thorns in the other semifinal, 2-0.
Reign midfielder Jessica Fishlock has been named the NWSL MVP for this season.
Fishlock, who has been with the Reign since the league’s launch in 2013, had five goals and four assists in 21 starts this season, with 76.4% passing accuracy.
The Reign finished second in the NWSL standings, despite the upheaval of switching head coaches midway through the season.
“If you speak to most people around the league and ask the coaches if they could take one player from our team, it would always be (Jess),” Reign Coach Laura Harvey said. “I think that’s just a compliment of what she’s always brought to this team. The journey that she’s been on to get to this point has been phenomenal. I’m glad that she’s getting some recognition that she deserves.”
Harvey won NWSL Coach of the Year after taking over the team in July following the dismissal of Farid Benstiti. It is Harvey’s second stint as coach of the Reign, which she led from 2013-17.
“I was just so excited to work with Laura again, truly so excited. I knew she was going to be phenomenal for us and especially for the youngsters in this group. We learned loads from her and that just made us better and better,” Fishlock said.
The league previously announced that Caprice Dydasco of Gotham FC was named Defensive Player of the Year.
Winners of the league’s postseason awards are determined by a vote of players, coaches, front office staff, media and fans.
Saturday
Chicago Red Stars vs. Washington Spirit
What: NWSL championship game
Where: Lynn Family Stadium in Louisville
When: Noon
TV: CBS-27