The National Women’s Soccer League arrived in Washington this week for its championship game carrying the weight of a recent report documenting widespread malfeasance but also bearing signs of a brighter future.

Saturday night’s title game at Audi Field, pitting the Portland Thorns against the Kansas City Current, will culminate a month of surging interest in the 10-year-old league: The four largest playoff crowds in NWSL history came in a seven-day block this month, with an average of more than 22,000. Read More