Washington Spirit faces unbeatable curse: Can they end the streak against Red Stars?

One of the more serious encounters on Sunday, October 20, will take place at Audi Field in Washington, D.C., when Washington Spirit hosts Chicago Red Stars. Both teams are sure qualifiers for the NWSL playoffs, but this last regular-season game has enormous strategic dimensions-final standings and possible goal differentials may come into play in the quarterfinals.

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Currently second in the table, Spirit aims to remain in that lofty position. That would guarantee home-field advantage to the NWSL final if they advance. On the other hand, the sixth-place Chicago Red Stars will be eager to nail their postseason slot and perhaps dream of an upset win over the mighty Washington outfit.

Washington Spirit: A dangerous team coming off a loss

There is little doubt that the Washington Spirit is a team that gets up and does better after defeats. Six losses this season were followed up each time by Spirit victories, with an incredible +11 goal differential in those games. Last weekend, it continued with an impressive 4-1 win over Racing Louisville FC, putting them near the top of the table.

Among these, one such highlight was rookie Makenna Morris, who shone bright with a brace of first-half goals to become the first pick of the 2024 NWSL Draft to notch multiple goals in one game this season. Ashley Hatch was not to be left behind, netting her 11th penalty this season and notching her 150th league appearance. Let's not forget Lena Silano, who got that goal from outside the 18-yard box quite literally just before the final whistle to seal the victory.

With such a solid outing, Spirit heads into the match against the Chicago Red Stars riding a four-game home win streak, three of those victories by three-goal margins. That makes Washington one of the toughest teams to beat right now-especially at Audi Field, where they've simply dominated.

Chicago Red Stars: Resiliency on the road

Chicago Red Stars come into this match as well on the back of a respectable run of late. They have claimed back-to-back road wins and now are in search of a third in a row to better lock down playoff positioning. While they didn't exactly turn in an inspiring job in a 2-0 loss to Gotham FC in their last outing, for the most part, Chicago hasn't shown much weakness on the road. That Gotham match remained scoreless until the penalty finally opened the floodgates in the waning minutes.

With six away wins this season, the Chicago Red Stars have already matched their second-best regular-season total. Coach Lorne Donaldson consistently speaks to how his team approaches every game with a playoff mentality, and at this stage in the season, it couldn't be any more apt.

Interestingly, the recent history between these teams has gone the way of Chicago. The Red Stars have not lost in the last seven regular-season games played away to the Spirit, earning a 5-0-2 record. That provides extra pressure upon Washington, who are still looking to break this streak and prove their recent home success can overcome this lingering challenge.

Spirit must be aggressive

The most intriguing question about Sunday's game seems to be: Will Washington Spirit keep up their recent efficiency in offense? The team has already scored 48 goals this season-the most in franchise history-and they're coming off their third four-goal victory of the year. Adding on, Washington has an exciting attacking lineup, with Makenna Morris, Ashley Hatch, and Lena Silano in great form.

Historically, though, Red Stars have been a tough nut to crack for Spirit, who average less than one goal per game in the 26 matches that both teams have played against each other. This means Washington will need to keep their aggressive offense going while having a sense of decorum not to be surprised by organized Chicago.

Meanwhile, Chicago knows they need to avoid losing possession and make sure the passing accuracy is going to be far better. During their last game against Gotham, Red Stars posted an alarming pass accuracy rate of less than 70%. Something like that cannot happen again against a team like Washington Spirit that has ready players to use every little mistake.