ISI Photos/Mark Novak The Western New York Flash, led by superstar Marta, made it to the WPS final as an expansion team.For the first time in the three-year history of Women's Professional Soccer, the No. 1 seed will meet the No. 2 seed in the final.
The top-seeded Western New York Flash will host the Philadelphia Independence on Saturday at 4 p.m. at Sahlen's Stadium in Rochester, N.Y.
Last year, Philadelphia won a first-round game at home as the third seed and then upset the second-seeded Boston Breakers to reach the final, where the Independence lost to No. 1 seed FC Gold Pride.
In 2009, fourth-seeded Sky Blue FC fought through the unique WPS stepladder system, ousting the third-, second- and top-seeded teams (at their home fields) to take the title.
Here are five storylines to watch for the WPS final:
1. Battle of the single names
The WPS player of the year is Philadelphia's Veronica Boquete, but most people around the league these days simply call her "Vero."
The Spanish playmaker has had a rapid rise in 16 months. Last year, she played with a previous incarnation of the Flash in the mostly amateur W-League, winning the league title, then moved to the Chicago Red Stars for the last few games of the WPS season. Not content to stop there, she moved to Spain's Espanyol to play that team's fall and spring seasons.
Vero debuted for Philadelphia on June 4, and the Independence are 10-1-1 with her in the lineup. Though Boquete usually lines up in the midfield and can set up teammates' chances, she's also a potent goal scorer.
Like Vero, Flash superstar Marta can create chances or put them away. She earned her one-name moniker the old-fashioned way: She's Brazilian.
The five-time FIFA World Player of the Year also had an argument for WPS player-of-the-year honors, returning from the World Cup to push Western New York into first place and the right to play in and host the final.
Marta has played every minute of the first two WPS finals, losing with Los Angeles in 2009 and winning with FC Gold Pride last year.
