Gift Monday and Croix Bethune found the net as the Washington Spirit secured a 2-0 victory over the Portland Thorns on Saturday, securing their spot in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) championship game.
Following this triumph, the Spirit are set to compete in their second consecutive NWSL final next weekend in San Jose, California. They are poised to take on the winner of the upcoming semifinal clash between Gotham FC and the Orlando Pride.
This marks the fourth time the Spirit will appear in the championship game in their history. In the previous season, the Spirit suffered a 1-0 defeat against the Pride.
The Spirit’s initial goal was triggered by a corner kick from the Thorns in the 27th minute. Rosemonde Kouassi initiated a swift counterattack, sprinting 80 yards before providing the assist for Monday to score from close range, putting the Spirit in the lead at 1-0.
This season, Kouassi has assisted Monday on six occasions, and this was the second playoff game in a row where the duo combined for a goal.
Despite Thorns goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold’s efforts to keep the scoreline tight with six saves, including two remarkable back-to-back saves in the 56th and 57th minutes, the Spirit pressed on.
Sofia Cantore missed a chance to double the lead when her shot hit the post in the 69th minute, but Bethune secured the victory with a goal in the 83rd minute. The midfielder broke free, outpaced Arnold, and calmly slotted the ball into the empty net to seal the 2-0 win for Washington.
In the 90th minute, U.S. women’s national team forward Trinity Rodman returned from a knee injury, replacing Cantore. Rodman almost extended the lead to 3-0 in stoppage time, but her shot narrowly missed the target.
The semifinal match drew a capacity crowd of 19,365 at Audi Field in Washington, D.C., marking the Spirit’s second consecutive year hosting an NWSL Playoff semifinal and their fourth consecutive sold-out playoff game.
