The Washington Spirit concluded their regular season at home in dominant fashion with a 2-0 win over the Chicago Red Stars in front of a raucous crowd of over 17,000 fans at Audi Field. But what does it truly mean to the Spirit? More importantly, what can one expect from a team that seems to be hitting its stride right before the playoffs?
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D - Spirit's Dominance from the Opening Whistle
The Washington Spirit immediately showed that they would not give any room to the Chicago Red Stars. Considering the low average possession of the opposite team, around 40% per game, the Spirit invested much in high pressing and fast counterattacks. Resulting in a series of forced errors by Chicago but without immediate success of finishing.
The Spirit easily controlled possession and showed why they are one of the favorites in the NWSL this season. Dominant on the pitch, their persistence in finishing finally paid off.
In the 31st minute, Heather Stainbrook found the back of the net and scored a goal in the history of the club. Now all six Spirit rookies have scored during the regular season, an unprecedented feat in the NWSL. Also, the Spirit has reached a total of 15 different players scoring in the season, another quite impressive record.
Total Control in the First Half
The first half was a true lesson in dominance. The Spirit wrapped up the half with ten shots and seven corners, pinning the Chicago Red Stars back into their defensive third. What's more impressive: over 50 percent of the action in the final fifteen minutes of the first half came within Chicago's final third. This speaks not only to the Spirit's offensive pressure but to the lack of response from the Red Stars, lost against such an organized team.
But then the second half still had some surprises, and not all of them were good.
A Heated Second Half with Tense Moments
The Spirit continued their pressure into the start of the second half with a great chance from Ashley Hatch, whose cross into the box was snatched out by Chicago's goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher. The game took on a bit more of an intense pace with the entrance of Trinity Rodman, who came into the action to enthusiastic applause. She is unquestionably one of the brightest stars on the team; every time she steps onto the field, something happens.
It wasn't until the 70-minute mark, though, that things boiled over. Rosemonde Kouassi, who had been the Spirit's main facilitator all game, got into an altercation with Chicago's Ludmila, seeing both players sent off. Initially, Ludmila was only given a yellow, but after VAR took a look at it, it was upgraded to a red for added drama.
A player down, but with ten on each side, Spirit knew just how to take advantage of their opponent's weaknesses.
Trinity Rodman Shines as Spirit Secures Victory
The necessity of having to do without Kouassi's presence immediately brought about a quick re-organization for the Washington Spirit, and that is when Trinity Rodman made her presence known. Technically capable of just about doing everything on the field, plus having good game vision, Rodman made a great play, breaking down Chicago's defense before finding Ashley Hatch at an excellent position. Hatch coolly finished, putting the ball in the back of the net, as the Spirit went ahead 2-0 in comfort.
That second goal was more than just relief-it symbolized the Spirit's absolute control over the match, particularly in such a crucial game at this late stage of the season. Makenna Morris also had a crucial role to play, netting her fifth goal of the season, tying other NWSL rookies for most goals by a rookie in 2024.
An Unbreakable Defense and Aubrey Kingsbury's Story
As the offense was in full song, the defense for the Washington Spirit was as tight as ever. Through the final 30 minutes of the match, the Chicago Red Stars had zero shots as the Spirit's defensive organization, paired of course with the sterling performance of their goalkeeper in Aubrey Kingsbury, allowed no such effort.
With the clean sheet, Kingsbury now has six on the season, good for third in Spirit history for shutouts in a single season. Her presence in goal has been crucial in Spirit's success, and her performance tonight is just another reminder: while the offense scores the goals, the defense-and Kingsbury-are there to shut the door.