It’s going to be a fierce competition on the pitch Saturday night as New York’s Gotham FC, with Esther González, takes on the Washington Spirit and Trinity Rodman, competing for the 2025 National Women’s Soccer League championship title.

There’s history between the two teams. They’re the most-played matchup this season.

Fans are ready for what’s expected to be a nail-biting performance between rivals — with around 18,000 in attendance for the sold-out match at San Jose’s PayPal Park. The NWSL closed its 2025 regular season with record-breaking numbers, reporting a 22% bump in viewership year-over-year.

Here’s what to know about the highly anticipated matchup.

How to watch Washington Spirit vs. Gotham FC

You can watch the Washington Spirit vs. Gotham FC on CBS or stream the game on Paramount+ on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET. Here’s more information on how you can watch pregame coverage.

Who’s singing the national anthem?

Country music star Mickey Guyton is going to kick off the big game with the national anthem. Guyton, who previously performed “The Star-Spangled Banner” at the Super Bowl LVI, acknowledged it’s one of the hardest songs to sing.

“Listen, I don’t always feel patriotic lately, but when it comes to women and women’s sports, I’m always going to show up for us,” Guyton told “CBS Mornings.”

Artists have different renditions of the national anthem, but Guyton said she’s going to stick to what she knows. “Just keep it very traditional; just sing it through,” she said.

Washington Spirit vs. Gotham FC: What to expect 

Two teams are vying for one championship trophy in what’s expected to be an intense matchup.

“This is going to be a nail-biter,” NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman said, adding that five of the six playoff games went to penalty kicks, extra time, or were decided in the last minute. 

1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup winners Brandi Chastain and Briana Scurry agreed the game is going to be really exciting, but urged players to stay focused on the game plan. 

“We love those dramatic moments…we love all of that as fans,” Chastain told “CBS Mornings.”

“Seeing the growth, seeing the activity, just seeing all the investment that’s been happening has been absolutely fantastic. I’m just excited to be here and see it with my own eyes,” Scurry added.

Lori Lindsey, CBS Sports NWSL lead analyst and former Women’s National Team member, said the NWSL championship title will come down to “offense versus defense.”

The Washington Spirit capitalizes on its offensive attacks, with plenty of players who can find the back of the net, Lindsey said. Meanwhile, she said, Gotham FC is one of the most experienced defensive teams, led by Ann-Katrin Berger in goal.

“It’s so fun. We have goal scorers. We have great defense. We have great goalkeepers. I mean, you name it, those players are here,” Lindsey said of NWSL players.

Women’s soccer has its first million-dollar player after United States defender Naomi Girma moved from San Diego Wave to Chelsea on Sunday.

Chelsea announced the signing of Girma without disclosing the fee but The Athletic and the BBC were among those reporting the English champions have spent 900,000 pounds ($1.1 million) on the transfer.

That surpasses the world-record fee of $788,000 that Bay FC paid to sign Zambia striker Rachael Kundananji from Madrid CFF last year.

It is the third time Chelsea has paid a world-record fee for a player, after Denmark forward Pernille Harder ($355,000) in 2020 and Colombia forward Mayra Ramirez ($542,000) last year.

The 24-year-old Girma was under contract with the Wave until 2026. She was drawing interest from French club Lyon and Arsenal, Chelsea’s rival in the Women’s Super League.

Girma was presented on the field in front of Chelsea’s fans ahead of Sunday’s game against Arsenal at Stamford Bridge in the WSL.

“I’m so happy and really excited to be here. It doesn’t feel real,” Girma said.

“There are a lot of things about Chelsea that made me want to come here — the culture, the winning mentality, staff and players. It’s a top environment to learn and grow in. Right now, that’s what I’m looking to do. It was an easy choice for me.”

Girma made her debut for the national team in 2022. She has appeared in 44 games with the United States and played on the squad that won the gold medal at the Paris Olympics.

Girma was named U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year for 2023. She also won the federation’s Young Player of the Year award in 2020. During the Olympics, U.S. coach Emma Hayes, the former coach at Chelsea, called Girma “the best defender I’ve ever seen.”

“Naomi is a world-class defender who is now coming into the prime years of her career,” said Paul Green, Chelsea’s head of women’s football.

“Her composure on the ball, ability to read the game coupled with her pace and athleticism will add top quality to an already very talented squad.”

Girma was captain of the Stanford team that won the national championship in 2019. She was taken at No. 1 in the 2022 National Women’s Soccer League draft by the Wave. She was named the league’s Rookie of the Year and Defender of the Year in her first season.