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Washington, D.C. (09/27/2025) – The Washington Spirit will return to Audi Field with a chance to clinch a playoff berth against the Houston Dash on Sunday, September 28. Kicking off at 1 p.m. EDT, the match will broadcast locally on Monumental Sports Network and stream on Paramount+ and NWSL+.
The Spirit
Following last week’s road draw with Angel City FC, the Spirit maintained its position on the NWSL table, holding onto second place with five matches to go. Washington can be the second team in the league to clinch a playoff berth with a win on Sunday over Houston.
Star forward Trinity Rodman scored the opening goal last week before reigning Midfielder of the Year Croix Bethune netted the equalizer in the second half in Los Angeles. Rodman’s goal was her third in three matches and Bethune’s was her second of the season. Midfielder Leicy Santos provided the assist on Bethune’s tally and was named the NWSL Player of the Week for her performance.
Sunday’s match will feature the return of midfielder Hal Hershfelt who missed last week’s match due to her red card the weekend prior. In matches Hershfelt has appeared for the Spirit this season, the team is an impressive 6-1-6 with 24 of a possible 39 points.
Washington enters this week’s matchup on a nine-match unbeaten streak in regular season play, earning three wins and six draws across that span. The Spirit’s last loss came 15 weeks ago in mid-June and the team has outscored its opponents 12-8 since then.
The Spirit is currently on a three-match win streak against the Houston Dash, as well as a five-match unbeaten streak, against the Texas-based side. Since the start of the 2024 season, Washington has outscored the Dash 8-2 with two away wins. The Spirit’s longest winning streak in its 11-year history with Houston was four, set across the 2015 and 2016 seasons. Should the Spirit win on Sunday, it would clinch a playoff spot the weekend it hosted the Dash for the second straight season.
Following Sunday afternoon’s match, the Spirit will hit the road for a midweek Concacaf W Champions Cup group stage match against rival Gotham FC on Wednesday night before hosting San Diego Wave FC on Sunday, October 5 in NWSL play. Tickets to tomorrow’s and next weekend’s matches are available here.
The Opponent
Houston enters Sunday’s match in strong form. Since the return to regular season play in early August, the Dash has compiled a 4-1-3 record, earning 15 out of a possible 24 points. Houston has firmly established itself as part of the playoff race after a difficult first half of the season, currently sitting in ninth place, just below the playoff line.
This weekend’s visiting side has seen relatively balanced scoring from its attacking third as the team has seven players with multiple goals on the season. Dash leading scorer Yazmeen Ryan has been integral to the Houston attack lately, providing goal contributions in four of the team’s last five matches. With three goals and an assist, Ryan has helped Houston earn eight points in its last five contests.
In the defending third, the Dash has kept five clean sheets behind the goalkeeping of Jane Campbell and Abby Smith, including two in the side’s last three matches. While Houston ranks in the bottom half of the league in several major attacking categories, the team is third in saves on the season with 82.
Notably, the Dash has the most wins in the NWSL this season when conceding a goal first. With three wins on the year when trailing 0-1 at any point, the side also has two losses when scoring first, tied for the most in the league as well. Look for Houston to lean on its ability to shift momentum should the Spirit strike first on Sunday.
Following Sunday’s match, the Dash will return home to host the Orlando Pride on Friday, October 3.
All-Time Series History
The Spirit holds a 12-8-7 all-time regular season record against the Houston Dash with a +5 goal differential (35-30). Washington is currently on a three-match winning streak against the Dash, one shy of the side’s series-best streak of four set across the 2015 and 2016 seasons.
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