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Fun fact: WashingtonSpirit.com lists Crystal Dunn, who as mentioned in the sub-head won the 2015 NWSL Golden Boot, as a defender. Granted, Crystal Dunn has played her fair share of defense (she won ACC Defensive Player of the Year while at the University of North Carolina), but this seems curious to us. Just an interesting thing we noticed. On to the preview.
Here at The18, we like to talk about goals. Heck, our website is named after the place on the field where the most goals occur. We also like to talk about goalkeepers. In our opinion, a spectacular save is every bit as worthwhile a highlight as a goal. That's why we were delighted when we saw this matchup.
We now are graced with watching the NWSL's top scorer this year (granted many of the NWSL's players played in the World Cup, which took place right in the middle of the NWSL season, and therefore missed large chunks of NWSL play), Crystal Dunn, one of the last cuts from Jill Ellis's World Cup-winning USWNT squad, match wits with Hope Solo, who is either the best or second-best goalkeeper in the NWSL, depending on how you feel about the Portland Thorns' Nadine Angerer.
Washington will no doubt be out for revenge after last year's 2-1 playoff loss at the hands, er, feet, of the Reign, a scoreline that was repeated in the teams' most recent meeting on Sept. 5. In the other two meethings this season, on July 18 and May 2, the teams split, with the Spirit winning 3-1 and the Reign winning 3-0, respectively.
It will be an uphill battle for Washington. Seattle are the top seed in the 2015 playoffs, and boast an impressive plus-20 goal differential.
Seattle scores at a prodigios rate, with their 41 goals 10 more than the second-highest-scoring team. Washington, on the other hand, have a goal differential of plus-three (the lowest-finishing team with a positive differential).
Seattle defends well, too, having allowed just 21 goals on the season (good for second in the league behind Kansas City's 20), to Washington's 28.
Not to perpetuate the whole David vs. Goliath thing too much but the Reign were the only team in the NWSL to finish with double-digit wins in the 20-game season, with a reconrd of 13-3-4, while the Spirit finished 8-6-6.
Our prediction: Seattle win in a game that is closer in both score and level of play than most people expect.
Contact The18 Staff Writer Sam Klomhaus at Klomhaus@The18.com or follow him on Twitter @SamKlomhaus
