Washington, D.C. (06/10/2023) – The Washington Spirit defeated Angel City FC, 2-1, in a highly contested match. The victory helps the Spirit clinch the season series against Angel City. With a 5-1-5 record (20 points), the Spirit is off to its second-best start and has the fewest losses through 11 games in club history.
Angel City kicked off the action with a cross in the fifth minute that Spirit keeper Aubrey Kingsbury stifled easily. Moments later, Angel City’s Savannah McCaskill sent the first shot of the match on goal to no avail. The Los Angeles-based side dominated pace and control of the game early on with five shots (each registered by five different Angel City players) and four touches inside the box within the first 15 minutes. In that time, the Spirit had zero shots, zero touches inside the box and controlled a mere 35% of possession.
Spirit forward Trinity Rodman registered the team’s first shot in the 19th, with a laser at goal that was blocked by Angel City keeper DiDi Haračić. This was the catalyst for a change in momentum as the Spirit dazzled offensively over the next 15 minutes. Rodman sent in a cross on a fast break that went just past the head of Ashley Hatch.
In the 33rd, Hatch headed the ball perfectly past Haračić to erase the scoring drought. After deliberation, the goal was called offside, but a VAR review decided Hatch was not offsides, giving the Spirit the lead.
— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) June 10, 2023
The goal not only puts Hatch in the lead for the Golden Boot race with six goals but marks her third goal against Angel City – the most of any player in the NWSL. Hatch is now tied with Carli Lloyd for eighth all-time in NWSL history with 43 goals. Additionally, Hatch has now scored three or more goals against seven NWSL clubs.
The Spirit didn’t stop there. Eight minutes later, first-year midfielder Paige Metayer looped in a cross into the box that Ashley Sanchez headed into goal. The goal was Sanchez’s ninth career regular season goal.
— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) June 10, 2023
The Spirit allowed a rare concession at Audi Field in the 47th when M.A. Vignola dribbled undefended into the box and got off a shot that would blow past Kingsbury, cutting Angel City’s two-goal deficit in half. The five minutes of stoppage time were largely uneventful after the Vignola goal until Hatch put off a shot from nearly midfield as Haračić was caught outside of the box after a free kick. The ball was only inches away from crossing the line when Haračić dove and swiped the ball away.
— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) June 10, 2023
The Rodman and Hatch connection continued in full force out of halftime, when Rodman launched a through ball for Hatch who made a series of touches inside the box but had no support. In the 60th, Angel City answered with an attack of its own, getting a shot off near goal that deflected off of a number of Spirit defenders.
Both teams ramped up the intensity and the game turned into duel of keepers with Kingsbury and Haračić making a number of plays. In the 71st, Rodman fired off a shot on goal that Haračić saved and two minutes later, Kingsbury punched a dangerous cross and smothered a deflection in the box.
In the 81st, Kingsbury collided with an Angel City player while making a save and was downed. She stayed in the game but went down again in the 87th and exited the match. Nicole Barnhart entered the match for Kingsbury.
Barnhart’s appearance in today’s match was her first since July 11, 2021. She broke her own record of being the oldest goalkeeper to play in the NWSL and is now the second-oldest player to play in the league behind Christie Pierce.
Ten minutes of stoppage time was added to the game and Angel City was awarded a free kick just outside the box. The ball was crossed into Sydney Leroux for a header directly at Barnhart, who deflected it out of play. The Spirit maintained its defensive integrity and held on to earn three points in a 2-1 victory.
With 20 points, the Spirit is tied with San Diego Wave FC for the most points in the league. The win gives head coach Mark Parsons his 25th win with the Washington Spirit making him the first coach to ever earn 25 wins with two different NWSL franchises. Finally, the Spirit has surpassed its points total from the entirety of the 2022 season just halfway through its 2023 regular season campaign.
On Wednesday, the Spirit plays in its third 2023 UKG NWSL Challenge Cup game against the North Carolina Courage at 7:30 p.m. EDT. The matchup will feature the club’s highly anticipated Pitchside Pups match. You can buy tickets, with and without a pup!
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