After over 180 games spanning eight months, the time has finally arrived: a 2025 NWSL champion will be announced this Saturday.
The competitors? On one side, there’s the NJ/NY Gotham FC, a squad that clinched the title two years prior and managed to sneak into this season’s playoffs as the lowest seed. Opposing them are the Washington Spirit, who lost in last year’s finale to the Orlando Pride.
As we approach Saturday’s championship, ESPN analysts Joseph Lowery and Megan Swanick delve into the significant narratives – underdogs, Trinity Rodman‘s contract, and more – and share their predictions on how the match will unfold.
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Underdog: Which team’s place in the final is the bigger shock this season?
Lowery: I understand you Jaedyn Shaw — «underdog, my ass,» and all that. Throughout the postseason, NJ/NY Gotham has been pushing back against the underdog tag that has been assigned to their journey from the NWSL’s eighth and final playoff position to Saturday’s final. Yet here I am, declaring NJ/NY Gotham the underdog again.
Even with their differing seeds, the divide between Gotham and Spirit isn’t vast. In fact, without a completely healthy Trinity Rodman, the gap may be negligible. Still, the Spirit have been performing better in the playoffs, making them appear as the favorites.
Perhaps Gotham is fine with that. Just two years after leading his team from the bottom playoff seed to an NWSL Final win in 2023, coach Juan Carlos Amorós has experience on his side. NJ/NY won’t be rattled by my doubts — or anyone else’s — regarding their opposition.
Swanick: To me, Gotham stands out as the clear answer due to who they had to contend with first in the playoffs.
Gotham boasts a solid roster with notable names, yet they ended the season in the eighth and final playoff position after striving for a top-four finish in the concluding weeks. Consequently, the ’23 champions faced a record-breaking Kansas City Current squad that ended the regular season 21 points ahead at the top of the table and had yet to lose at home this season. I, along with many others, presumed they would be eliminated in the opening round.
However, they achieved the unimaginable at CPKC Stadium, then defeated the reigning champions Orlando Pride in the subsequent round. Observing the talent within their squad, it’s not surprising, but the odds suggested a different outcome.
1:11
The Spirit advance to the NWSL finals following a victory over the Thorns
The Spirit progress to the NWSL finals after defeating the Thorns.
Player to watch: Which individual might influence the outcome?
Lowery: Although Rosemonde Kouassi may not be the standout name on either side this weekend, she has been integral to the Spirit’s achievements in 2025. Besides her teammate and striker Gift Monday, no player from Washington or NJ/NY with a minimum of 1,000 regular-season minutes has a higher average of expected goals plus expected assists per game than Kouassi, according to American Soccer Analysis.
A dynamic player on the right flank with exceptional service, the 23-year-old has provided an assist in every postseason match for Washington thus far this year. It’s not merely Kouassi’s delivery that makes her a dangerous threat — her ability to smartly time direct off-ball runs to penetrate the opposing defense and her rapid pace leaves rival defensive lines in disarray.
Especially if Jaedyn Shaw pushes forward along the left wing, Gotham may find themselves short-staffed when dealing with Kouassi’s combination of vertical threat and quality crosses.
Swanick: Ann-Katrin Berger. The 2024 Goalkeeper of the Year was once again a finalist this season, showcasing her notable performances for Gotham. For both club and country, the 35-year-old keeper has made significant match-saving plays that have propelled her team to the next stage, whether guiding Germany to victory over France at the Euros or helping Kansas City just weeks ago.
While goalscorers typically receive the limelight, Berger has been pivotal in both of Gotham’s playoff triumphs. She recorded seven saves against the Current and several key stops against Orlando, including a spectacular save in the final moments to secure a clean sheet and avert extra time. Though Washington has an impressive lineup of goalscorers, a standout performance from Berger could lead Gotham to their second Championship.
Like a script: Which winner would create a more compelling narrative?
Lowery: Can it get much better than a team pulling off two Cinderella stories in three years?
NJ/NY Gotham’s transformation from the lowest-seeded playoff team to a trophy celebration in 2023 was remarkable. Achieving the same feat two years later provides ample narrative material for me to assert that a Gotham victory would yield the more storybook outcome.
Additionally, a Gotham win would add further narrative momentum to the Trinity Rodman contract saga. Should the Spirit triumph on Saturday yet lose Rodman to a higher bidder, they’d at least add another NWSL title to their accolades. Conversely, if they fall on Saturday, parting ways with Rodman can’t be an option, can it?
Swanick: I align with Joe’s perspective. Underdog narratives captivate audiences (even if Gotham contests their underdog status). Two in three years is nearly too generous. Speaking of Gotham’s disagreement about being underdogs, Jaedyn Shaw, who asserted to reporters, «underdog, my ass,» after defeating the Shield winners, presents an incredible subplot in this underdog narrative.
The 20-year-old burst onto the scene as a teenager, delivering extraordinary performances for both club and country but encountered a slump at both ends. However, since joining Gotham in September, Shaw has found her form. Entering the Championship match with significant performances and goals in each of the team’s postseason encounters, if she continues this in the final, her journey would offer an inspiring story of its own.
Versus: Which matchup on the field intrigues you the most?
Lowery: While Washington manager Adrián González may not be as fixed as Juan Carlos Amorós regarding his team’s positioning, the coaches share a common goal: they both desire possession. Amorós’ Gotham ranked second in possession during the regular season at 53.4%, while the Spirit were fifth at 52.5%, as per FBref.
Which team will take the role of the game’s lead protagonist at a neutral venue?
If Gotham takes this role, they’re likely to utilize possession to minimize the Spirit’s chances — only the Current permitted fewer non-penalty xG than NJ/NY during the regular season, according to FBref’s statistics. If Washington takes the lead, they are likely to take risks in possession and advance players forward — no team created more non-penalty xG in the regular season than the Spirit.
Both squads desire possession but have differing strategies for it. Which squad will ultimately achieve what they desire?
Swanick: Tara McKeown vs. Esther González. Gotham’s Spanish forward concluded 2025 with 13 goals and one assist across 23 matches, narrowly missing out to Kansas City’s Temwa Chawinga in the chase for the Golden Boot. She started Gotham’s most recent match but is returning from injury and has not scored in her last five appearances for the ’23 champions.
Nonetheless, Esther can be lethal in crucial situations and has experience scoring pivotal goals. The 32-year-old (who was the top scorer at this summer’s Euros) netted the decisive goal in Gotham’s 2023 Championship as well as in their Concacaf W Champions Cup triumph.
Containing her while she operates near the goal will require a collective effort. However, I am eager to see how McKeown, the NWSL’s 2025 Defender of the Year, performs in Saturday’s final, as her role will be vital in limiting Esther’s scoring chances.
Alright, prediction time: Select the champion and final score
Lowery: The Spirit ought to be cautious about leaving themselves too exposed when pushing players forward, but I can’t help but lean in their favor as the more in-form and threatening attacking side. If Trinity Rodman is fit enough to contribute off the bench once more, they should be able to manage the match effectively. I predict a score of 2-1 in favor of the Washington Spirit.
Swanick: Both teams are hard to break down, but I expect to see goals from both squads, culminating in a Championship decided by penalties after finishing 1-1 through 120 minutes. Aubrey Kingsbury and Ann-Katrin Berger are outstanding goalkeepers — precisely the kind you wish to have when penalties are on the line — but I believe Gotham will come out on top.
