TUKWILA, Wash. - What was supposed to be a coronation day for one of the greatest women's soccer teams in North American history instead turned into a story of redemption.

FC Kansas City got a pair of goals from Amy Rodriguez off two assists from Lauren Holiday to beat the Seattle Reign 2-1 in the NWSL Championship Game on Sunday in front of 4,252 fans. FCKC, who have quietly been the 2-year-old league's most consistent team, clinically finished their chances while a Reign team that had dominated the league all season struggled to find the final touch.

The NWSL championship gives KC their first piece of silverware, redemption for an inaugural season in which they lost out on the NWSL Shield on a tiebreaker and blew a 2-0 lead at home in the semifinals. KC had also posted the second-best regular season record this season.

As they had in compiling a 16-2-6 record, the Reign dominated possession throughout and looked the far better side for the first 20 minutes, as KC struggled to get out of their own end.

But the first real chance from either side came in the 21st minute when Jenna Richmond got a good look from inside the penalty area after a series of poor Reign clearances. Her shot caromed off the post, though, seemingly allowing the Reign to escape danger.

About a minute later, though, Holiday got the ball on the break and put Rodriguez through on goal with only Reign goalkeeper Hope Solo to beat. Although Elli Reed was nearly able to close down from behind, Rodriguez chipped her shot over the on-rushing Solo for a 1-0 lead.

That seemed to wake the Reign up, who suddenly got far more direct. Jess Fishlock put Kim Little in on Nicole Barnhart with a ball over the top, but the FCKC goalkeeper was able to make an acrobatic kick save on the tight-angled shot to the near post.

The Reign continued to press and Little appeared to have set up the equalizer in the 30th minute. After making a nice run to generate an open look down the sideline, Little put in a perfect cross to Nahomi Kawasumi, who was unmarked in front of goal. But Kawasumi's header somehow skimmed wide of the net.

The second half saw KC come out in an even more defensive setup, which seemed to frustrate the Reign attack. The Reign's best look at an equalizer was when Kawasumi somehow got her foot to a ball at the far post from a Megan Rapinoe cross, but Barnhart was there to make the save.

As much as KC may have lacked the ball, they still managed to grab a 2-0 lead off an absolutely amazing bit of individual play from Holiday. After collecting the ball at the edge of the penalty area, Holiday fought off and dribbled around at least three Reign defenders before putting the ball back across the goal where Rodriguez finished it with a sliding effort inside the far post.

With KC showing virtually no interest in building that lead, the Reign attacked relentlessly over the final 30-odd minutes. But it wasn't until the 84th minute when real chances started to come. That's when Rapinoe had a shot deflected off the post and then three minutes later Mariah Nogueira's header went off the crossbar. Following a scramble, Rapinoe finally got the Reign on the scoreboard when her shot through traffic found the back of the net.

That started off a wild finish in which the Reign threw numbers forward. Keelin Winters had a good look from the top of the penalty area, but her shot was blocked in the 88th minute. Fishlock and Rapinoe had even better looks in stoppage time, but both of them sent open looks from about 12 yards wide.