2018 NWSL Championship
The 2018 NWSL Championship was the sixth edition of the NWSL Championship, the championship match of the National Women's Soccer League, and took place on September 22, 2018. In a rematch of the 2017 NWSL Championship, the North Carolina Courage became the first NWSL Shield holders to complete the league double, winning 3–0 against defending champions Portland Thorns FC. The match was played at Portland's home field Providence Park.After coming short of the league double in the 2017 NWSL Championship, the North Carolina Courage repeated as NWSL Shield champions in the 2018 season with the best record in the league, with just one loss all year. NWSL Defender of the Year Abby Erceg and returning NWSL Defender of the Year Abby Dahlkemper guided a defense that conceded the fewest goals in the league. McCall Zerboni and Crystal Dunn were also named in the NWSL Best XI, and NWSL Golden Boot runner-up Lynn Williams led the league's highest-scoring offense. In the playoff semifinals, the Courage won 2–0 over the fourth seed Chicago Red Stars, with goals scored by Jessica McDonald and Sam Mewis, to reach the franchise's third consecutive NWSL final.After winning the 2017 NWSL Championship, Portland Thorns FC placed second in the 2018 regular-season standings. They were led by NWSL Most Valuable Player Lindsey Horan, the league's third-highest scorer, along with fellow NWSL Best XI honorees Tobin Heath, Emily Sonnett, and repeating NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year Adrianna Franch. In the playoff semifinals—the first Cascadia rivalry playoff game—the Thorns won 2–1 against the third seed Seattle Reign FC, with goals from Heath and Horan, to reach their second consecutive NWSL final.Match
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