It comes down to one final game Saturday. Portland Thorns FC will take on the North Carolina Courage in the 2018 NWSL Championship at Providence Park (1:30pm PT, Lifetime | NWSL Playoffs presented by Tillamook Yogurt). Here's a position-by-position look at how the teams stack up.
Portland’s attack versus North Carolina’s defense
Broadly, there are two reasons why the Courage have the best defensive numbers in the league: their attack alleviates pressure on the group; and the group, without any weaknesses, is led by one of the best defenders in the NWSL.
Abby Erceg’s arrival at Western New York in 2016 was part of a new leadership foundation that arrived with head coach Paul Riley.