Two down, six to go! The Washington Spirit became the second club to punch their ticket to the 2024 NWSL Playoffs, joining the Orlando Pride in the postseason picture before even taking to the field this weekend.
The weekly slate of action kicked off on Friday evening with Bay FC and the North Carolina Courage playing to a 1-1 draw at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary. The visitors from California struck first with a goal in the 10th minute, but the Courage equalized in the 28th as Ashley Sanchez scored her fifth goal of the season. Casey Murphy made five saves for the Courage, who maintained their hold on fifth in the standings and extended their home unbeaten streak to 19 consecutive matches, just three shy of the NWSL record.
The Orlando Pride extended their unbeaten run to 21 games overall following a 0-0 draw on Friday against the Kansas City Current. The Pride, who lead the Spirit by four points in the race for the 2024 NWSL Shield, outshot the now fourth-place Current 15-12 on the evening, including a 5-2 advantage in shots on goal while recording their fourth consecutive clean sheet.
Alyssa Naeher recorded her fourth shutout of the season as the Chicago Red Stars blanked the Portland Thorns 1-0 on the road on Friday night. Chicago scored the game’s only goal in the 16th minute and Naeher made two saves on the night as the Red Stars snapped a three-game losing streak and earned just their third win ever at Providence Park. With the win, Chicago moves up to seventh in the standings with 26 points while the Thorns are in seventh with 27 points.
The Red Stars’ Friday night win coupled with the draw between Bay FC and the Courage earlier in the day guaranteed the Washington Spirit a top eight finish and a spot in the upcoming playoffs. With their playoff fate already secured, the second-place Spirit put together an energizing and entertaining performance on Sunday at Audi Field, downing the Houston Dash 3-0. Ashley Hatch scored twice and Trinity Rodman added a goal and an assist as the Spirit earned their fourth win in five games. Hatch put the hosts in front in the seventh minute, converting her attempt from the penalty spot, and scored her second of the afternoon in the 26th, getting on the end of a cross from Rodman for a one-touch finish from close range. Rodman’s assist was her sixth of the season and just after halftime, she scored a goal of her own, bulldozing through the Dash defense before finishing with a powerful strike to the upper right corner. The 2021 NWSL Rookie of the Year, Rodman now has three goals and two assists in four games back with the Spirit following the Olympics and her eight goals are tied for fourth among all scorers in the NWSL this season.
Defending NWSL champions NJ/NY Gotham FC strengthened their pursuit of back-to-back titles, moving into third in the table with a 2-0 win over the Seattle Reign on Monday night. Gotham scored in the 41st and 85th minutes and outshot Seattle 12-7 on the night, including a 6-3 advantage in shots on goal, en route to the club’s seventh shutout of the season.
Racing Louisville FC bolstered its playoff hopes with a 2-1 win over Angel City FC on Saturday night, overcoming an early 1-0 deficit for the victory at home. With the win, Louisville moves into ninth in the standings, just three points back of eighth-place Bay FC who currently hold the eighth and final playoff spot.
San Diego Wave FC were also 2-1 victors on the weekend, snapping a 12-game winless streak with a road win over the Utah Royals on Saturday. The Wave tallied twice in the opening 10 minutes to take control of the match and held off a comeback attempt by the hosts for the club’s first regular season win since May 8. In another bright spot for San Diego, 2024 Olympic gold medalist Jaedyn Shaw returned to the field for her first action for the club since early July.
