The Washington Spirit secured a 2-0 victory over the Portland Thorns with goals from Gift Monday and Croix Bethune, earning a spot in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) championship game. This win propels the Spirit to their second consecutive NWSL final next week in San Jose, California, where they will face the winner of the upcoming match between Gotham FC and the Orlando Pride.
This marks the fourth championship appearance in the Spirit’s history, with their last season ending in a 1-0 defeat against the Pride. The opening goal for the Spirit originated from a quick counterattack initiated by Rosemonde Kouassi, who set up Gift Monday to score from close range after sprinting 80 yards.
Despite Thorns goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold’s valiant efforts with six saves, the Spirit managed to extend their lead when Croix Bethune broke free and calmly slotted the ball into the net. U.S. women’s national team forward Trinity Rodman made her comeback from a knee injury in the 90th minute, nearly adding a third goal late in stoppage time.
The semifinal match, witnessed by a capacity crowd of 19,365 at Audi Field in Washington, D.C., marked the second consecutive year the Spirit hosted an NWSL Playoff semifinal, with the team enjoying their fourth consecutive sell-out playoff game.