The Washington Spirit will look to make its second National Women’s Soccer League championship game in four years, but will need to pass one final test on Saturday to do so. Here’s what you need to know.
The Spirit (18-6-2, 56 points) will take on reigning champions NJ/NY Gotham FC at D.C.’s Audi Field at noon Saturday. Tickets for the match sold out within 72 hours of going on sale, marking the third sellout for Washington at the Buzzard Point venue this year.
Washington earned the right to host the semifinals after securing second place in the NWSL standings, leaping over their East Coast foes via a goal differential tiebreaker.
It was a solid comeback year for Washington after it missed out on the postseason last season by one point, in turn prompting ownership to make a coaching change, bringing in Jonatan Giráldez, regarded as one of the most sought-after head coaches in women’s soccer.
The Spirit’s pressing attack surprised teams early, leading Washington to win four of their first five matches and going on two different four-game winning streaks.
However, the Spirit limped its way to the postseason, losing star rookie midfielder Croix Bethune and midfield stalwart Andi Sullivan to season-ending injuries. Leading scorer Ouleymata Sarr (8 goals) hasn’t played since Sept. 9 due to a back injury and will miss the semifinal. Meanwhile, stars Trinity Rodman and Leicy Santos have slowly made their returns from injury layoffs.
With all the absences, Washington’s rookie class has stepped up. The trio of Heather Stainbrook, Courtney Brown and Hal Hershfelt have kept the midfield steady during portions of the season while forward Makenna Morris scored three goals and recorded an assist in Washington’s last four matches before the playoffs.
Washington’s injury woes caused multiple league pundits to choose expansion side Bay FC to upset the home side in the quarterfinals. During the physical affair, striker Asisat Oshoala scored first off a cross in the 82nd minute for the visitors, silencing the Audi Field crowd.
However, three minutes later, center back Tara McKeown tied the match after collecting a Bay clearance, rushing forward and striking a low shot to the lower left corner from outside the penalty area for the goal. McKeown, who converted from striker last year, revealed she missed her sister’s wedding to play in the quarterfinals and was motivated to score her first goal of 2024.
“When we went down a goal, I knew our season wasn’t over and I didn’t miss my sister’s wedding for nothing,” McKeown said Sunday. “When I saw the opportunity to shoot, I did, and I’m glad that it went in.”
Tara McKeown takes it herself and Audi is ROWDY!#NWSLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/4vkyJf1osQ
— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) November 10, 2024
During extra time, Rodman delivered a cross that bounced off Bay FC defender Caprice Dydasco for an own goal, giving Washington a 2-1 lead. The Spirit were able to hold on for the win with support coming from the 19,215 fans in attendance, Hershfelt said.
“Even though we went down a goal in a very important game, there was never a doubt in my mind that this was our last game,” she said. “I just did not feel that way. I knew we were going to come back and the crowd helps with that. It’s the energy. When someone is screaming at you, you’re going to run harder.”
The resolve seen in the quarterfinals led to comparisons of Washington’s 2021 title run, which was fueled by multiple off-the-field controversies.
To keep this run going, Washington must defeat last year’s defending champions, who signed multiple U.S. women’s national team players during the offseason — including former Spirit stars Rose Lavelle, Crystal Dunn and Emily Sonnett — to complement an already experienced roster.
However, Washington has beaten Gotham twice during the regular season and has only lost twice during regular season play since Giráldez’s midseason debut.
“We have a lot of different tools and solutions that we can use to handle whatever teams throw at us, so whatever Gotham brings, I think we will have something in our back pocket to whip out,” Brown said on Friday.
Giráldez believes his team’s resilience during the semifinal was necessary for their continued growth. He called on Spirit fans, whom he calls “the 12th player,” to join his players and to show the same amount of passion on Saturday to help Washington return to the league’s title game.
“We are going to need them,” Giráldez said. “We have to keep pushing and we have to keep going. We have no easy games to play in the regular season, especially in the playoffs. The crowd (on Sunday) did their job but we are going to need them next week.”
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