Sinead Farrelly's comeback story poised for glorious crescendo

Most of the headlines in the build-up to tonight's NWSL Championship decider between OL Reign and Gotham FC have focused on Megan Rapinoe and Ali Krieger, two stalwarts of the American game who will bow out after the season finale in San Diego [8pm local time, 4am Sunday Irish time].

Rapinoe is looking to crown a brilliant career by leading OL Reign to a first ever title; Krieger - another serial winner who soldiered alongside Rapinoe in an all-conquering USA team for years - is aiming to do the same with Gotham.

There's another story too; a tale of defiance and resilience that's a triumph in itself.

Back in 2015 Sinead Farrelly and Mana Shim were playing at Portland Thorns. By 2016 Farrelly was gone after being involved in a serious car crash. It led to an eight-year exile from the game.

Shim moved on to Vaxjo DFF in Sweden in 2017, joining Houston Dash a year later when Vera Pauw was at the helm.

Both careers withered. They had effectively retired by the time concealed emotional scars were fully exposed in 2021 when Farrelly and Shim went public with allegations against former Portland Thorns coach Paul Riley.

The subsequent investigations found widespread sexual abuse and misconduct in the NWSL. It changed the landscape completely, and led to a much greater emphasis on player safety in the league.

In March of this year, Farrelly took her first tentative steps back into football with Gotham FC. By July she was playing at the World Cup after then-Ireland boss Pauw handed her a shock first call-up in the springtime and immediately made her a starter.

While Farrelly was in Australia with the Girls in Green, Shim signed a short-term injury replacement contract with Gotham. These two old friends were reunited, and now they're 90