Story: Jamie Goldberg | Photos: Kent Frasure, Special to The Oregonian/OregonLive, Fabian Radulescu/AP

The Portland Thorns will face the NWSL Shield-winning North Carolina Courage in the NWSL Championship on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time at Orlando City Stadium in Orlando, Florida. Fans can watch the game on Lifetime (In Portland: Comcast 69/769). Here are seven reasons why you won't want to miss the game.

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Photo: Associated Press

The world-class players

If you want to see elite soccer in the United States, you need to be watching the National Women's Soccer League. The NWSL Championship will feature some of the top players in women's soccer today. A total of 11 different national teams will be represented in the game, with players from the USA, Canada, France, Australia, Brazil, Japan, Norway, New Zealand, Ireland, Iceland and Denmark all competing in the match. Among the players on the field will be 2016 NWSL MVP and rising star Lynn Williams and Canadian Women's National Team legend Christine Sinclair, who ranks second all-time in international goals scored.

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Photo: Don Wright/AP

The World Cup champions

The U.S. men's national soccer team shockingly failed to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup earlier this week, but you can still watch proven World Cup champions compete in the United States by tuning into Saturday's NWSL Championship. Thorns midfielder Tobin Heath and defender Meghan Klingenberg both helped lead the USA to the 2015 Women's World Cup title, the country's first World Cup title since 1999. Along with the two 2015 Women's World Cup champions, Saturday's game will also include seven other players that represented their respective countries at the 2015 Women's World Cup.

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Photo: Randy L. Rasmussen/Staff

The revenge storylines

Whether you root for the Portland Thorns or the North Carolina Courage in the NWSL Championship Saturday, you will be able to embrace a revenge and redemption storyline. The Thorns won the NWSL Shield in 2016, but were upset by the then-Western New York Flash in the semifinals of the NWSL Playoffs. The Flash went on to win the 2016 NWSL Championship title. This year, the Flash were rebranded as the North Carolina Courage, but their roster remains very similar to 2016. The Thorns have the opportunity to earn revenge after last year's semifinal defeat with a win over the Courage in the NWSL Championship Saturday. The Courage are also led by former Thorns head coach Paul Riley, who the club parted ways with after the 2015 season. Riley, who is up for NWSL Coach of the Year and has several former Thorns on his roster, has the chance to beat the team that let him go to win the NWSL Championship.

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Photo: Kent Frasure/Special to The Oregonian/OregonLive

The return of Tobin Heath

The most skilled women's soccer player in the world will be on the field Saturday. World-renowned midfielder Tobin Heath is expected to start in the NWSL Championship after missing 22 games this season with a back injury. Heath has long dazzled fans with her incredible skill with the ball at her feet, but the 29-year-old took her game to yet another level in 2016 as she won the U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year award and was named as a finalist for the NWSL MVP. Fans didn't have the opportunity to watch Heath compete in the NWSL for most of this season due to her back injury, but her return couldn't have come at a better time. The last time Heath competed in an NWSL Championship, she scored the game-winning goal on an incredible free kick to lead the Thorns to the 2013 NWSL title.

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Photo: Pete Christopher/Staff

The chance to watch Amandine Henry and Nadia Nadim compete in the NWSL one last time

The NWSL Championship will be final NWSL game for both France Women's National Team star Amandine Henry and Denmark Women's National Team forward Nadia Nadim. Both players have been integral pieces for the Thorns over the last two seasons, but will be leaving the club for new opportunities in Europe next year. Henry, who previously earned the Silver Ball as the second best player at the 2015 Women's World Cup, scored the opening goal to help lead Portland to a 4-1 win in the semifinals of the NWSL playoffs. Nadim, who led the Thorns with nine goals in 2016, recorded an assist in the semifinals to help the Thorns earn a berth in the NWSL Championship.

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Photo: Kent Frasure/Special to The Oregonian/OregonLive

The up-and-coming stars

Along with featuring some of the biggest stars in women's soccer today, the NWSL Championship will also showcase some of the best young and up-and-coming talent in the game. Australian forward Hayley Raso, who was waived by the Washington Spirit in 2016, has developed into a star for Portland this year, recording six goals and three assists in the regular season before netting an important goal in the semifinals against the Orlando Pride last week. North Carolina forward Ashley Hatch is up for NWSL Rookie of the Year after finishing second on the team with seven goals in just 13 starts this season. Last season, a tremendous performance in the NWSL vaulted Lynn Williams to the U.S. Women's National Team. This year, it looks like a new crop of players may be able to turn their NWSL performances into greater opportunities on the international level.

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Photo: Sarah Silbiger/Staff

The well-rounded clubs

While there will clearly be a lot of individual talent on the field Saturday, the Thorns and the Courage have also been successful because of their well-rounded, team-oriented approaches. Both clubs have deep and talented rosters that have been incredibly successful as units on the field over the last two years. Eight different players contributed goals and assists for the Thorns in their 4-1 win over Orlando in the semifinals. On the defensive end, the Thorns have been the stingiest club in the NWSL over the last two years and conceded a league-fewest 20 goals this season. Along with a few well-known attacking stars, North Carolina boasts top NWSL players at almost every position on the field. The Courage have players up for NWSL Rookie of the Year, Defender of the Year, Goalkeeper of the Year and 2017 NWSL MVP.