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NWSL final: Washington Spirit, Chicago Red Stars a great title game after controversial season

After a thrilling pair of playoff games last week that yielded two underdog finalists, the NWSL will crown a champion Saturday between the Washington Spirit and the Chicago Red Stars, and it will cap off the most difficult season in the young league's existence.

Little more than a month ago, the National Women's Soccer League was going through a so-called reckoning during which the league simply stopped. The backlash and emotional toll over abuse from coaches -- and the systemic failures that allowed such behavior to go unchecked -- prompted the players to cancel a weekend of games.