CARSON, Calif. — Sky Blue FC from New Jersey completed its storybook rise from bottomfeeder to league champion with a dramatic, 1-0 victory over a valiant, 10-woman Los Angeles Sol team, whose season ended in bitter disappointment at their home park.

Heather O'Reilly earned MVP honors by scoring the match's only goal in the 16th minute of the inaugural WPS Championship Match.

"It's a special team we have here with Sky Blue," said Christie Rampone, who began the season as team captain and ended it as the interim player/coach. "It was a great run for us just battling back to get into the playoffs."

In ideal conditions at The Home Depot Center, Sky Blue FC earned a deep throw-in in the 17th minute. Keeley Dowling floated a cross into the box aimed at Natasha Kai.

Back in the starting lineup after coming off the bench for playoff victories in Washington and St. Louis, Kai, a Kahuku High and University of Hawai'i alum, flicked the ball to the back post at O'Reilly, who did not miss her mark, beating Karina LeBlanc to put the underdog visitors on top.

"Natasha Kai is pretty well known for headers in the box so I was kind of hanging back post," O'Reilly explained. "She got up and got a good flick on it and the ball landed to me in front of the goal. At that point, you just focus on keeping it low and getting it on frame."

Los Angeles, the top-seeded team in championship playoffs, was reduced to 10 when defender Allison Falk was sent off for tripping Kai from behind in the 27th minute.

Referee Kari Seitz pulled out a red card on the basis that Falk was the last defender back to deny Kai an opportunity to score.

"I didn't feel it was a red card. I thought it was a poor decision," Sol coach Abner Rogers said. "Stephanie Cox was a recovering player so (Falk) wasn't the last defender. And it wasn't a blatant tackle."