MVP Smith stars as Thorns crowned 2022 NWSL Champions

The Portland Thorns claimed the 2022 NWSL Championship with a 2-0 triumph implicit the Kansas City Current connected Saturday night.

NWSL MVP Sophia Smith enactment the Thorns up 1-0 successful the 4th minute, pouncing connected a antiaircraft miscue to decorativeness disconnected a breakaway opportunity. The Thorns remained successful power for overmuch of the match, and yet doubled their pb successful the 56th minute, with Yazmeen Ryan's debased transverse deflecting disconnected Current defender Addisyn Merrick into the nett for an ain goal.

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Kansas City did what they could to get backmost into the match, but with Portland looking composed successful defense, the Current ne'er looked each that threatening, and the Thorns were deserved winners.

JUMP TO: Player ratings | Best/worst performers | Highlights and notable moments | Key stats

Rapid reaction

1. A trying play for the Thorns ends with a title

Portland's players and coaches weren't the lone ones to person to woody with the trauma of the maltreatment ungraded that rocked the full league, but the Thorns inactive had plentifulness with which to cope. Not lone were the allegations made against erstwhile manager Paul Riley featured prominently successful the Yates Report, but Portland executives, including proprietor Merritt Paulson, came successful for dense disapproval arsenic well. The organization's president of shot Gavin Wilkinson, and president of concern Mike Golub were fired. The ensuing weeks saw Thorns fans demanding that Paulson merchantability some the Thorns and MLS broadside the Portland Timbers -- adjacent aft helium stepped down arsenic CEO -- and the Thorns proprietor chose not to be Saturday's final.

Yet the Thorns players and unit showed unthinkable resoluteness done each of the upheaval, with first-year manager Rhian Wilkinson uncovering the close equilibrium betwixt giving players abstraction oregon providing enactment erstwhile that was needed.

Of course, it helped that Portland has a talented squad with exemplary equilibrium betwixt onslaught and defense. The seasoned beingness of Becky Sauerbrunn, Meghan Klingenberg and Christine Sinclair was vital, arsenic was the outstanding play of Smith. Players similar Rocky Rodriguez and Ryan emerged arsenic good to springiness the Thorns much options successful attack. It each added up to a stellar play that ended with the team's 3rd NWSL championship.

2. Smith for show, defence for dough

Smith's outstanding NWSL play saw her go the league's youngest MVP successful history. She continued that signifier successful the final, pouncing connected a mistake by Kansas City defender Elizabeth Ball to tally successful unsocial to circular goalkeeper AD Franch and enactment the shot successful an bare net. She is present the youngest subordinate to people successful an NWSL championship, and the 2nd NWSL subordinate to triumph league MVP and people successful an NWSL Championship successful the aforesaid season, joining Lynn Williams who accomplished the feat with the Western New York Flash successful 2016.

Smith remained an implicit fistful for the remainder of the archetypal half, and had respective chances to score, including a 28th-minute effort that saw her bushed 3 opponents and occurrence conscionable inches wide of the acold post.

Portland's triumph was by nary means a one-woman affair. Ryan successful peculiar was a menace successful attack, and it was her transverse that led to the ain goal.

The Thorns had their defence to convey arsenic well. While the Current did instrumentality 9 shots, nary of them were connected goal. Portland midfielders Sam Coffey and Rodriguez provided an effectual bulwark, and the backline, ably led by Sauerbrunn, was good positioned to cleanable up immoderate threats that managed to get through. Natalia Kuikka was besides awesome connected some sides of the ball.

3. Disappointment for KC, but aboriginal inactive bright

It was a nighttime wherever the magnitude of the juncture seemed to get to the Current, with a basal mistake creating an aboriginal deficit, 1 that they could ne'er rather overcome. Portland's possession crippled oftentimes manipulated Kansas City's antiaircraft shape, with cardinal midfielders Desiree Scott and Alexis Loera getting pulled retired of the middle. That created abstraction for Portland's onslaught to interruption through.

Once Portland scored its 2nd goal, Kansas City done much into attack, bringing connected Elyse Bennett, but was incapable to find a goal. Attacking midfielder Lo'eau LaBonta ne'er truly got going to supply the benignant of violative menace the Current needed.

But this doesn't fig to beryllium the past clip that Kansas City finds itself successful a title final. Owners Angie and Chris Long, arsenic good arsenic Brittany Mahomes, person invested implicit $135 cardinal for a caller grooming installation and stadium, and that should bash plentifulness to pull prime players. This is simply a squad and enactment connected the rise.

Player ratings

Kansas City: Franch 5; Merrick 4, Ball 3, Edmonds 5; Del Fava 5, LaBonta 4, Scott 5, Loera 5, Mace 5; Hamilton 5, Kizer 6
Subs: Bennett 5, Rodriguez 5

Portland: Bixby 6 Kuikka 7, Hubly 7, Sauerbrunn 7, Klingenberg 7; Sinclair 5, Coffey 6, Rodríguez 6; Ryan 8, Smith 8, Weaver 6
Subs: Beckie 6, Sugita 6, Dunn 5, Moultrie NR

Best and worst performers

BEST Sophia Smith, Portland

Smith looked each spot the MVP, scoring the all-important archetypal extremity and creating different opportunities arsenic well. She was ever a information disconnected the dribble.

WORST: Elizabeth Ball, Kansas City

It was Ball's nonaccomplishment to chopped retired Ryan's done shot that allowed Smith flight connected a wide breakaway and people to springiness Portland the aboriginal lead.

Highlights and notable moments

Smith's fourth-minute extremity for Portland acceptable the code for the evening, and the Thorns ne'er looked back.

.@sophsssmith puts @ThornsFC up EARLY aboriginal 👀#NWSLChampionship | #BAONPDX pic.twitter.com/AJsIsB9r5S

The infinitesimal the last whistle rang retired astir Audi Field was 1 to saviour for the Thorns aft a tumultuous season.

🏆 THE CHAMPIONS 🏆@ThornsFC #NWSLChampionship pic.twitter.com/CFSkrkc4Yh

Key stats (provided by ESPN Stats & Information)

- Portland Thorns person won their 3rd NWSL rubric (2013, 2017, 2022), breaking a necktie with North Carolina Courage and FC Kansas City (defunct) for the astir successful league history.

- Thorns striker Smith became the archetypal subordinate to beryllium named league MVP and triumph Championship MVP successful aforesaid season.