USWNT legends Megan Rapinoe and Ali Krieger will mark the end of their splendid professional careers as OL Reign and NJ/NY Gotham FC take center stage in Saturday’s NWSL Championship final at the Snapdragon Stadium.
Neither team has won an NWSL final before, which means the league will have a new champion this year. This is Gotham's first time appearing in the championship match, while the Reign lost both final appearances in 2014 and 2015.
After years as an NWSL standard-bearer and boasting three NWSL Shields, the Reign are going for the juggernaut yet again, and will hope for better luck this time around. The Bold put up an unremarkable 9-5-8 performance during the regular season to earn the fourth seed, but have well-and-truly punched above their weight throughout the playoffs.
They took down Angel City FC (1-0) in the quarterfinal, before eliminating the 2023 NWSL Shield winner and top seed San Diego Wave (1-0) in the semifinal to set up this tie.
Standing in the way of glory, however, are a notorious Gotham side who have defied expectations throughout the postseason. The Bats claimed the sixth and final postseason place on the goal difference tiebreaker over the Orlando Pride. They produced upsets by beating the tournament third seed North Carolina Courage (2-0) and second seed Portland Thorns (1-0) en route to the final.
Here GOAL brings you everything you need to know about how to watch, including TV channel, streaming details and more.
OL Reign vs Gotham FC kick-off time
| Date: | Saturday, November 11, 2023 |
| Kick-off time: | 8 p.m. ET/ 7 p.m. CT/ 5 p.m. PT |
| Venue: | Snapdragon Stadium |
| Location: | San Diego, California |
The 2023 NWSL Championship final between OL Reign and Gotham FC will be held at the Snapdragon Stadium on Saturday, November 11, 2023, with kick-off at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT for the fans watching from the USA.
How to watch OL Reign vs Gotham FC online - TV channels & live streams
 | Paramount+ | Watch here |
 | Fubo | Watch here |
 | CBS | Watch here |
The 2023 NWSL Championship final will be broadcast live on CBS Sports Network and will be available to stream on Fubo and Paramount+. For live updates viewers can also visit GOAL's Live Match Centre.
Team news & squads
OL Reign team news
OL Reign boss Laura Harvey has no fresh injury concerns to cope with ahead of the finale, and could deploy a full-strength lineup on Saturday night. The Bold has one of the most talented squads in the league, and there are several key players to keep an eye on.
Indeed, Megan Rapinoe is looking to close out her career with her first NWSL title. She has four goals and five assists in 17 matches while recording 36 key passes this term.
Attacking midfielder Veronica Latsko has scored two match-winning goals for the Reign in their last two playoff rounds, and could well come up as a clutch scorer in this exciting showdown. Then there is the goal-scoring duo of Bethany Balcer and Jordyn Huitema, who have combined for 11 goals in 24 games.
OL Reign Predicted XI: Dickey; Huerta, Cook, Barnes, McClernon; Sonnett, Quinn; Latsko, Fishlock, Rapinoe; Huitema
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers: | Dickey, Ivory |
| Defenders: | Huerta, Cook, Barnes, McClernon, Hiatt, Brown |
| Midfielders: | Sonnett, Quinn, Latsko, Fishlock, Stanton, Lavelle, Angelina, Van der Jagt, |
| Forwards: | Rapinoe, Huitema, Balcer, Bennett |
Gotham FC team news
First-year head coach Juan Carlos Amorós was named the league’s coach of the year for his role in the turnaround that has seen a Gotham side, who finished rock-bottom in 2022, now on the cusp of making history. He has also been helped by several new signings, including Lynn Williams, Yazmeen Ryan, and World Cup champion Esther González.
The Bats have a lengthy unavailability list, including Imani Dorsey (unknown), Abby Smith (lower leg), Taylor Smith (thigh), Taryn Torres (knee), and McCall Zerboni (knee), but Amorós has demonstrated tactical and personnel flexibility throughout the season, and will do the same here.
Gotham FC predicted XI: Haught; Bruninha, Lopez, Krieger, Nighswonger; Martin; Ryan, Gonzalez, Sheehan, Williams-Purce; Williams
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers: | Smith, Betos, McClelland, Haught |
| Defenders: | Dorsey, Jean, Freeman, Flores, Krieger, Smith, Creel, O'Hara, Martin, Edmonds, Bruninha |
| Midfielders: | Ryan, Nighswonger, Sheehan, Mewis, Farrelly, Shim, López, Zerboni, Long, Torres |
| Forwards: | González, Onumonu, Purce, Williams, Hintzen, Stengel |
Head-to-Head Record
| Date | Match | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| 22/5/23 | Reign 1-4 Gotham | NWSL |
| 2/4/23 | Gotham 0-2 Reign | NWSL |
| 22/9/22 | Gotham 0-1 Reign | NWSL |
| 15/8/22 | Reign 4-1 Gotham | NWSL |
| 22/8/21 | Reign 3-2 Gotham | NWSL |