Photo Credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images
Throughout the 2025 National Women’s Soccer League season, the Washington Spirit always seemed to have three goals in mind: get back to the final, get their second trophy, and have fun.
In front of a raucous crowd of 19,305 on Saturday afternoon at Audi Field, they crossed off the first item on that list. Thanks to a joyfully dominant attacking performance, the Spirit are back in the NWSL Championship, knocking off the Portland Thorns 2-0.
“I feel like we are having more fun on the field this year,” Spirit defender Tara McKeown said. “I feel like we are able to play our style more and defend more and enjoy the moments that we are getting in front of goal.”
The Spirit continued their blitzing attacking play, which has become a calling card for them in 2025. Utilizing the speed of midfielder Croix Bethune and defender Esme Morgan, the Spirit forced the Thorns’ defense to backtrack to at least impede their diagonal runs towards the box. Those movements in turn opened up space for the Spirit’s dynamic attacking duo of Gift Monday and Rosemonde Kouassi to exploit.
In the fifth minute, Monday nearly had the opening goal, finishing off a pass from Bethune. However, she was ruled offside after a VAR check. Bethune had her own chance at goal minutes later, firing off a cracking strike that forced goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold to make a diving save to avert disaster.
Despite being foiled early, the Spirit attack remained determined, continuing to press the Portland defense through their diagonal runs at goal. It paid off in the 19th minute after Kouassi won a 50-50 ball from the Thorns defense. With acres of space to operate, the Ivorian international sprinted down the right flank and delivered a crisp pass for a waiting Monday to hammer into the back of the net.
While the match remained 1-0 throughout the end of the first half and entering into the second forty-five, the urgency never truly left the Spirit. Although there were some nervy moments during the second half that gave the sellout crowd a few gray hairs, the side remained resolute and composed. Implementing a high press with midfielder Hal Hershfelt, the Spirit managed to quickly snuff out any and all dangerous opportunities that Portland attempted.
Their containment resulted in a dominant 57-43 advantage in possession. Portland struggled to muster significant attacking chances throughout the match, with the Spirit outshooting the visitors eight-to-three on shots on goal while earning 11 corners to Portland’s two.
For Hershfelt, their passing dominance and stout defensive work can be attributed to maintaining their health down the stretch of the regular season.
“We are finally back together for longer periods of time, and it is nice that it is clicking right before a final,” she said. “I feel like last year we suffered through injuries right before the final, and this time we are all coming back together and we are all looking good. So I think it is just the timing and the time at practice to develop that chemistry and fluidity.”
Their dogged defensive work paid off in the 83rd minute after Bethune collected an errant pass to Arnold, running past the Portland goalkeeper to coolly slot home the key insurance goal.
While the Spirit players certainly seemed happy about the result, there is still unfinished business. That business is, of course, the NWSL Championship — a trophy that they nearly had last year before falling short in a 1-0 loss against the Orlando Pride.
Washington will face Sunday’s semifinal winner between Orlando and Gotham FC in the NWSL Championship game on Nov. 22 at 8 pm ET at PayPal Park in San Jose, California.
While one might expect the Spirit players to have a desire to seek redemption and face the Pride for a second consecutive season, forward Trinity Rodman — who made her return from injury in the 90th minute, much to the delight of rowdy Audi — summed up a different mindset heading into the championship.
“Neither,” Rodman said of which team they’d prefer to face. “Every time we play Gotham it is a hard game, and it would be crazy if we were to play Orlando again. But no matter what, I am confident in our team.”
Though making it back to the NWSL Championship was part of the goal, there is still work for the Spirit players and their fans to attend to before calling it a day on the 2025 season.
