NWSL Washington Spirit

Spirit Resumes League Play with a Draw

Published on July 30, 2022 under National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
Washington Spirit News Release


Cary, NC - The Washington Spirit battled to an action-packed, hard-fought 3-3 result in its first game back from the NWSL summer break. With six goals in twenty minutes, neither team was able to break the stalemate for long enough.

The Washington Spirit opened up the action early with a fifth minute opportunity off an Ashley Sanchez cross that eventually fell to the feet of Trinity Rodman, putting it just off target. In the following minute, the Spirit found itself on the defensive foot with Kelley O'Hara making a crucial tackle inside the box, giving way for Aubrey Kingsbury to collect and see her first action of the match.

The Spirit kept knocking at the door with another chance coming from Jordan Baggett in the 23rd minute as she placed a rocket just high from 18 yards out. In the 24th minute the match was delayed due to severe weather in the area.

Wasting no time after the delay, the Spirit scored the first goal of the match in the 42nd minute via a Trinity Rodman finish. Netting her third goal of the year, Rodman clinically finished her opportunity into the top right corner. The opportunity came off a beautifully crafted move by the Spirit with the final assist coming from a no-look pass by Sanchez. Two minutes later, the Courage found the back of the net on the opposite end of the field with a goal from Brittany Ratcliffe. Ratcliffe beat out Sam Staab in a one-on-one race, finishing her opportunity past Kingsbury.

After knocking on the door for most of the first half, Tara McKeown finally found herself with a prime opportunity off a long ball dumped into the box from O'Hara. From seven yards out, McKeown made sure to capitalize on the opportunity, flicking the ball past Courage keeper Casey Murphy and into the back of the net in the first minute of first half stoppage time.

The Courage came out fast in the second half applying pressure to the Spirit, eventually resulting in a Kingsbury giveaway. Making no mistake, the Courage capitalized on the opportunity with Meredith Speck sending a cross into the six-yard box, just outside the reach of a sprawling Kingsbury, before the ball was finished in by Diana Ordoñez.

Rodman and the Spirit, however, refused to be shut down. Just three minutes later Rodman found the back of the net for her second of the game, and fourth of the regular season. Off the back of a defensive tackle by Rodman, she then hammered home a near-post finish, leaving the Courage keeper with no chance. In the 62nd minute, Ordoñez found her second of the game, slotting home a penalty kick just past an outreached Kingsbury hand to tie the game again.

Kingsbury would prove to continue her dominating presence in the box. In the 69th minute, the Courage placed in a cross that was confidently collected in traffic by Kingsbury. As the Courage kept looking to break the draw, Kingsbury made another easy save in the 81st minute off a shot outside the 18-yard box. The Spirit fired back in the following minute off a shot from Dorian Bailey that went just wide.

In stoppage time, the Courage found itself with one more opportunity coming in the 92nd minute. Coming off the back of a cross down the right-hand side, Courage substitute Jorian Baucom placed her header off the bar. With the Spirit equally pushing for the winning goal, Sanchez placed a shot wide from inside the 18, with roughly two minutes to play.

In the sixth minute of second half stoppage time, the Courage found itself with a free kick just outside the edge of the 18, which was placed over the bar by Carson Pickett. Ultimately the two teams would have to settle for a draw.

The Washington Spirit will hit the road again next week with a match in Louisville on Friday, August 5 as it faces Racing Louisville FC before heading back home to face Portland Thorns FC at Segra Field on Wednesday, August 10.

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