Spirit returns to postseason for first time since 2021 championship win!
With tonight’s results, the Washington Spirit has clinched a berth in the 2024 NWSL Playoffs. The draw between North Carolina Courage and Bay FC along with the Chicago Red Stars’ victory over Portland Thorns FC. The result will guarantee the Spirit a top eight finish. This ensures a trip to the quarterfinals in November.
The Spirit stormed out to one of its best regular seasons since the club’s founding in 2012 this year. This success is due to the leadership of Interim Head (now Assistant) Coach Adrián González. It is also due in part to the leadership of new Head Coach Jonatan Giráldez. The stellar play of the club’s veteran players and newcomers alike also contributed.
Star forward Trinity Rodman has tallied a single-season career high seven goals and five assists. Five of the Spirit’s rookies have found the back of the net at least once. This is the most in Spirit history and in the NWSL this season. Goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury and the Spirit back line have recorded four clean sheets on the year. These include three on the road.
With a record of 13-4-2 (41 points) through 19 matches, the Spirit sit in second place in the NWSL. The Spirit’s have seven matches to go. The team has set new club records this season. The records are for wins in a single regular season (13) and goals in a single regular season (39). They have also surpassed 40 points for the first time in club history. If the Spirit finishes in the top four in the league, the team would host a first-round playoff matchup. The match would take place at Audi Field. Fans can sign up here to be the first to know when tickets go on sale.
The Spirit last made the postseason in 2021. They won the club’s first-ever NWSL Championship with a 2-1 victory over the Chicago Red Stars in the final match in Louisville, Kentucky. Previously, Washington made the playoffs in 2014, 2015 and 2016, with two semifinal finishes and a runner-up finish.
The 2024 NWSL Playoffs will begin on Saturday, November 9 with the eight-team quarterfinal round. The semifinals will take place the next weekend. On Saturday, November 23, the 2024 NWSL Championship will take place in Kansas City, Missouri at CPKC Stadium, the first stadium purpose-built for professional women’s soccer.
The Spirit are back and on a tear. The club made some highly questionable decisions during the off-season. They traded away fan favorites Sam Staab and Ashley Sanchez.
Staab left the Spirit ranking fifth in regular season team history in the following categories: appearances (90), starts (90) and minutes (8,015). She also added four goals – scoring one goal in every season – and four assists. As for Ashley Sanchez, she tallied 17 goals and eight assists across 88 appearances (all competitions). She played a crucial role in bringing the club its first NWSL Championship in 2021. She was also named the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup Future Legend as the best rookie in the tournament. In 2023, Sanchez became the first player in Spirit history to score in four consecutive regular season appearances. At the senior international level, she has three goals and four assists in 27 caps competing for the United States.
Loosing players like that for players who’ve yet to play a single professional match is mind boggling. Those players were very successful for the club. They played important roles for the club. Staab provided grit, passion, and a defensive presence. She missed zero matches for the club. Sanchez was a juggernaut of talent up top. She became the first player ever to score against every team in the league. A feat she accomplished this season with NC Courage.
The trades brought in Hal Hershfelt and Croix Bethune. Both grew up in military households. Both have shined for the spirit this season.
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