The NWSL season has led to this: On Saturday, the Washington Spirit will face the Orlando Pride in the NWSL Championship to crown the winner after a thrilling playoffs.

In Orlando, we have a team making its first finals after years of being a bottom dweller in the NWSL amid on-court struggles. After the Pride set a record for the best regular season in NWSL history this year, Brazilian legend Marta was finally able to earn a championship after years of toiling in Orlando.

In the Spirit we have a team that has reached new heights since businesswoman Michele Kang won a boardroom power struggle to take over the club. While the Spirit already had the likes of Trinity Rodman, Kang’s additional investment with the goal of creating a women’s soccer powerhouse has only made the Spirit even more formidable.

So, which of these two sides will lift the NWSL Championship trophy and make history on Saturday? ESPN’s Jeff Kassouf and Megan Swanick look at this final from all angles and predict the winner.

Are you surprised that any of these teams made it to the finals?

Kassouf: No, we ended up with two deserving teams. The top four teams were clearly a cut above the rest of the NWSL this year, and the semifinals rightly included all of these teams. The margins were as close as expected, and any combination of Orlando, Washington, NJ/NY Gotham FC or the Kansas City Current would have been a worthy final.

Thanks to Orlando for following up the Shield win with a trip to the final, which we haven’t seen in this competition since 2019. The Spirit also suffered a slew of late-season injuries and got production out of their rookies in the playoffs. To be fair, they’ve been getting that all season. I think there’s an ironic surprise in that we finally got “chalk” playoffs in a league that almost never does anything predictable.

Swanick: Not this year. There’s always an element of “anything can happen” in NWSL, and multiple playoff contenders could have pulled off an upset. But this season saw a few teams really gain an edge over the pack.

The Orlando Pride are of course the main culprit, as they set an unbeaten record of 24 matches on their way to the Shield. The fact that they are in the final only feels logical given the season they have had. Washington Spirit, which finished the regular season in second place, was also consistently strong throughout the year despite coaching changes and numerous injuries.

Which team winning would be a more exciting story?

Swanick: I find it almost impossible not to jump aboard the Orlando Pride train. They have it all: charisma, chemistry, cohesion, dedication to each other and to the team. After years of disappointment, they have been the best team in the league all season. They won their first trophy in program history with the NWSL Shield. And with 38-year-old Brazilian legend Marta now in her first NWSL final, it would be beautiful poetry to see them lift the trophy on Saturday night.

Kassouf: I’ll repeat everything Megan said. I already wrote about Orlando’s rise from laughingstock to perhaps the best NWSL season ever. I can’t emphasize enough that this is the best story in sports right now.

To counterbalance, let’s talk about the more explicit investment made by the Spirit: they went out and lured Barcelona coach Jonatan Giráldez away from what is considered the best job in the world, brought him halfway through the season and they have achieved great results. acquisitions on the international market and through the college game. Spirit owner Michele Kang continues to throw money at the table in the women’s game. She walks the walk. A victory for Washington would point to some version of, “Build it and they will come” – but more like, “Spend the money if you want to do something great.”

What on-field battle are you most interested in?

Kassouf: This match will be decided in midfield. Yes, the world-class attackers in this game will get a lot of attention, but this game could be one in the middle of the park. Orlando had the stingiest defense in the NWSL and Washington is the best counter-attacking team in the league.

Can the Spirit’s midfielders – be it Leicy Santos from a higher position or Hal Hershfelt from a deeper area – regain the ball high up the pitch and find quick outlet passes? Or will the Pride’s unsung heroes, Haley McCutcheon and Angelina, continue to dominate the middle of the park and allow Orlando to maintain long runs of possession? Those fights are the catalyst for whatever Barbra Banda, Marta or Trinity Rodman will do.

Swanick: Casey Krueger vs. Marta is the fight I’ll be watching. There are some tantalizing on-field battles planned for Saturday. That includes some big names and notable rookie talent. But two productive NWSL veterans could go head-to-head as 34-year-old American defender Krueger occupies Washington’s left flank, while 38-year-old Brazilian legend Marta is looking for her first NWSL Championship trophy in attack.

Marta’s nine goals are the second most behind Banda for the Orlando Pride. While the teams are collapsing on Banda, Marta has proven she is still world class, as we saw with her goal in last week’s semi-final. Krueger, who was named in NWSL’s Best XI alongside Marta, will be a key to keeping them at bay.

Which player who could decide the game are you keeping an eye on?

Swanick: Trinity Rodman. It’s been three years since the then 19-year-old helped the Spirit to their first NWSL Championship trophy. Rodman, who was NWSL Rookie of the Year that season, assisted Kelley O’Hara’s game-winning goal in that 2-1 win over Chicago Red Stars. Rodman is only 22 and has only grown since then.

She worked her way up to a starting role with the USWNT, faced the pressure of a disappointing World Cup and then scored three goals for Team USA en route to a gold medal. Rodman’s eight goals and six assists make her the co-top scorer for the Spirit this year, and the NWSL Championship could take her to a new level.

Kassouf: Barbara Banda. She is one of the best players in the world and most days she is unstoppable.

She scored poorly this fall when defenders marked her out of games, but Orlando successfully found goals from the rest of her large roster of players. However, Banda has come back to life in the play-offs, with a goal in the quarter-final and a magnificent goal in the semi-final that was only overshadowed by Marta’s iconic game-winner. Banda (like Marta, admittedly) changes his game on his own. She was able to do that again on Saturday.

Okay, prediction time: choose the winner and the final score

Kassouf: The margins between the top four were so small and I expect that will remain the same in this match. Their October meeting, which the Pride won to capture the Shield, is a poor barometer for this, given Washington’s wounds at the time.

I gave this game extra time (it’s top time sports!) with Banda and Washington trading Ashley Hatch in regulation, and Summer Yates scoring the winner for Orlando in overtime. The win goes to Orlando 2-1 in AET.

Swanick: I think it will be an exciting match, with goals from both teams in a closely fought battle. Because the match will be played on neutral grounds, both teams will play away from home in the play-offs for the first time. It will be interesting to see how that affects the game as both teams have benefited from home advantage. Both teams can win this.

But I think Orlando Pride will make more history and walk away 2-1 winners.