Washington, D.C. (09/15/2024) – The Washington Spirit will face the Houston Dash on Sunday in the final regular season matchup between the sides this year. The match begins at 1:00 p.m. EDT at Audi Field in Washington, D.C. and will be broadcast nationally on ESPN2.
The Spirit
Last time out, the Spirit earned three hard-fought points against Portland Thorns FC. The 2-1 victory helped establish new Spirit single seasons records for wins (13) and points (41). The 2016 season marked the previous high with 12 wins and 39 points.
The Spirit is on pace to establish a new single season record goal differential, as well. Currently, the Spirit posts a +18-goal differential, higher than its best of +9, also set in 2016. Additionally, the come-from-behind victory was the Spirit’s fourth comeback win this season, the first NWSL team to do so since the 2021 Spirit team. Only one team has more in a single season in NWSL history – Seattle Reign (six in 2014).
Trinity Rodman and Leicy Santos are players to watch out for this weekend. The duo has traded off scoring, accounting for the Spirit’s last four goals, excluding own goals. Their impact was evident during last week’s victory when Rodman assisted Santos on the game-winning-goal.
Rodman scored herself in the 60th minute. The goal was her seventh of the season, setting a new single-season career high. She is one goal shy of tying Diana Matheson for the second-most goals in a Spirit career and has now scored a goal against 12 of the 13 NWSL teams she has faced in her career. Her assist to Santos was the 20th (all competitions) of her career, becoming the youngest (22 years, 110 days) player to reach that milestone by nearly three years (Lynn Williams in 2018 — 25 years, 90 days).
Despite leading the all-time series against Houston, the Spirit’s victory over the Dash in April was only its third win in the last 15 regular season meetings between the two clubs dating back to 2017. The Spirit has not defeated Houston in consecutive meetings since a four-match win streak from 2015 to 2016. A victory over Houston would mark the fourth season series sweep by the Spirit this year (Bay FC, Utah, Gotham FC).
Before Sunday’s game, the Spirit clinched a playoff berth, its first since 2021 when it won the NWSL Championship. Now, the Spirit’s efforts will be committed towards the NWSL Shield and #1 seed for the NWSL Playoffs.
Next up, the Spirit hits the road to conclude its season series with the Kansas City Current. Kicking off at 8:00 p.m. EDT, the match will be broadcast on Prime and on the Washington Spirit Radio Network found on WashingtonSpirit.com or the ESPN 630 app.
The Opposition
Last Sunday, the Dash fell on the road to reigning NWSL champions, Gotham FC, 2-1. The match was knotted at one goal apiece until the 93rd minute when Esther scored a game-winning goal.
The loss is Houston’s fifth in a row, its first time losing five straight regular season matches since 2017. However, the Dash managed to find the net in consecutive matches for the first time since a three-match run of games with a goal in March and April.
The lone Houston goal came from Diana Ordôñez. It was the eighth headed goal of her career, more than any other player in regular season play since she joined the NWSL in 2022.
The 2024 season has yielded disappointing results for the Dash. Sitting in last place on the NWSL table, the Dash have won three matches and scored 13 goals through 19 matches, both NWSL lows. The Spirit has scored three times as many goals (39) as the Dash this season. With seven games remaining, the Dash has a small runway to make a play at the NWSL playoffs — heading into the weekend, only nine points separated the Dash and the eighth-placed Chicago Red Stars.
On April 12, the Dash and Spirit met in Houston, resulting in a 3-1 Spirit victory. The Dash stormed out to a 1-0 lead off of a first-minute goal by Natalie Jacobs, but the Spirit scored three unanswered to punctuate the victory.
Notably, rookies Hal Hershfelt and Croix Bethune logged their second goals of the season in the match, becoming the second and third players in Spirit history to score multiple goals in their first four games with the club. Brittany Ratcliffe also scored her first-ever goal with the Spirit in the match.
Entering Sunday’s match, look out for Michelle Alozie, the Nigerian forward has shined for the Dash since joining the team in 2021. She signed a two-year deal that will be effective on January 1st, 2025.
The Dash will next face Seattle Regin FC at home on Saturday, September 21 at 8:30 p.m. EDT.
Series History
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