2022 NWSL Championship
Thorns celebrating the win | |||||||
| Event | NWSL Championship | ||||||
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| Date | October 29, 2022 | ||||||
| Venue | Audi Field, Washington, D.C., U.S. | ||||||
| Most Valuable Player | Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns FC) | ||||||
| Referee | Natalie Simon | ||||||
| Attendance | 17,624 | ||||||
The 2022 NWSL Championship was the ninth edition of the NWSL Championship, the championship match of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), and took place on October 29, 2022. Portland Thorns FC won 2–0 against the Kansas City Current, becoming NWSL champions for a record third time. The match was played at Audi Field in Washington, D.C.[1][2]
Road to the final
Portland Thorns FC
After winning the NWSL Shield the previous year, Portland Thorns FC placed second in the 2022 regular-season standings.[3] They were led by NWSL Most Valuable Player Sophia Smith, the league's second-highest scorer, and NWSL Best XI midfielder Sam Coffey.[3] The Thorns entered the playoffs in the semifinals against the third seed and expansion team San Diego Wave FC.[3] In the game, Portland's Rocky Rodríguez cancelled out Alex Morgan's early goal before new mother Crystal Dunn scored the 2–1 stoppage-time game winner, sending the Thorns to their fourth NWSL final.[4]
Kansas City Current
After a bottom-of-the-table finish in their expansion year, the Kansas City Current rose to fifth place in the 2022 regular season.[3] In the first round of the playoffs, NWSL Best XI midfielder Lo'eau LaBonta converted an early penalty for the Current before Kate Del Fava scored the 2–1 stoppage-time winner against the fourth seed Houston Dash, the playoff debut for both teams.[5] In the semifinals, Alex Loera and Kristen Hamilton each scored as Kansas City won 2–0 over the NWSL Shield champion OL Reign, advancing the Current to their first NWSL final.[6]
Match
Details
| Portland Thorns FC | 2–0 | Kansas City Current |
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| [1] | Smith 4' Merrick 56' (o.g.) |
Portland Thorns FC
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Kansas City Current
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Most Valuable Player:
Assistant referees:
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Match rules
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References
- ^ "Portland Thorns beat Kansas City Current to win NWSL Championship". ESPN. May 16, 2023. Retrieved August 19, 2025.
- ^ Lev, Jacob (October 29, 2022). "Portland Thorns defeat Kansas City Current to win the 2022 NWSL championship". CNN. Retrieved August 19, 2025.
- ^ a b c d "2021 NWSL Stats". FBref.com. Retrieved August 19, 2025.
- ^ Schnell, Lindsay (October 23, 2022). "Portland Thorns defeat San Diego Wave in NWSL playoff after wild final minute of stoppage time". USA Today. Retrieved August 19, 2025.
- ^ "NWSL Playoffs: Current defeat Dash with last-minute winne". The Equalizer. October 16, 2022. Retrieved August 19, 2025.
- ^ Azzi, Alex (October 23, 2022). "Kansas City continues historic NWSL playoff run with 2-0 win over OL Reign". NBC Sports. Retrieved August 19, 2025.