Two talented, well coached teams that are well matched face each other in the final
The 2015 NWSL Final tonight is a rematch of last year when FC Kansas City clinched their first championship. When the Seattle Reign (the best team in the regular season) face FC Kansas City again, they will be looking for redemption. The Blues will look to repeat and send Lauren Holiday off with a win.
The match is at 8:30 CT at Providence Park and can be seen on FOX Sports 1.
FC Kansas City is the only team to make the playoffs all three years of the NWSL and Seattle finished on top the league this and last so it really is a meeting of the best of the NWSL.
The Reign's manager Laura Harvey won coach of the year in 2015 and 2014 while the Blues Vlatko Andonovski was the inaugural winner in 2013.
Line by line, coach by coach, these two team match up well. The Blues were the best defense and scored the second most goals while Seattle had the best offense and the second best defense in 2015. Both teams have playmakers, goal scorers, great keepers and talent up and down the line.
Seattle Beverly Yanez (10 goals), Kim Little (10 goals) and Jessica Fishlock (8 goals) benefitted from the World Cup players being gone in the league but are potent scorers at any time.
The Blues feature the World Cup's best defender in Becky Sauerbrunn and a healthy Amy LePeilbet as a center back tandem filled with experience, confidence and skill. With Leigh Ann Brown (Robinson) and Becca Moros on the outside and veteran iron woman Jen Buczkowski in front of them, the Blues are very difficult to break down.
With this being Lauren Holiday's last competitive match, the whole team and especially Amy Rodriguez, want to send her off with one more trophy.
Seattle's midfield is strong, very strong. Little, Fishlock, Keelin Winters and former Blues mid Merrit Mathias are a tough group to match up with but the Blues counter with Holiday, Erika Tymrak, Heather O'Reilly, Buszkowski and Mandy Laddish.
Up top Rodriguez is typically the lone forward while Seattle boasts one of the most dynamic players in Megan Rapinoe.
Seattle will likely try to keep the ball away from Holiday and Rodiguez but in doing so may open up Tymrak and HAO. The match may be determined by which coach sets up the best game plan or reacts to the others. Or one unlucky bounce could decide the match forth these two well matched and talented teams.
| # | NWSL | GP | W | L | T | PTS |
| 1. | Seattle Reign FC | 20 | 13 | 3 | 4 | 43 |
| 2. | Chicago Red Stars | 20 | 8 | 3 | 9 | 33 |
| 3. | FC Kansas City | 20 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 32 |
| 4. | Washington Spirit | 20 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 30 |
| 5. | Houston Dash | 20 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 24 |
| 6. | Portland Thorns FC | 20 | 6 | 9 | 5 | 23 |
| 7. | Western New York Flash | 20 | 6 | 9 | 5 | 23 |
| 8. | Sky Blue FC | 20 | 5 | 8 | 7 | 22 |
| 9. | Boston Breakers | 20 | 4 | 13 | 3 | 15 |
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