Spirit Tallies 4th Straight Win in Four-Goal Performance | Spirit at Pride Highlights | 05.02.26

The Washington Spirit tallied its fourth consecutive win Saturday night with a four-goal outing against the Pride on the road. Forward Sofia Cantore set a new NWSL record with the fastest brace in league history before Claudia Martínez and Trinity Rodman added two more goals in the second half.

After a 90-minute weather delay, Washington started the match off with a bang as Cantore scored in the second minute of action. Less than four minutes later, a great save from Spirit goalkeeper Sandy MacIver led to Cantore doubling the Spirit’s lead at the other end.

Roughly 20 minutes later, the Pride was awarded a penalty kick for a foul in the Spirit box. Looking to cut the Spirit lead in half, Ally Lemos stepped up to the spot but was saved to the right by diving MacIver. Not quite out of danger yet, the ball bounced out for a Pride corner kick. Orlando would find star forward Barbra Banda in the box on the ensuing corner for a turnaround shot into the back of the net to make it 1-2 Washington.

The Spirit worked to maintain the lead heading into halftime but Banda would strike again in the 39th minute. Possessing the ball in a crowded box once again, Banda fired the ball near-side between MacIver and the post to level the score at two goals apiece going into the break.

Washington made two adjustments to start the final 45 with midfielder Andi Sullivan coming on for Hal Hershfelt and defender Kate Wiesner for Lucia Di Guglielmo. Ten minutes into the second half, forward Claudia Martínez gave the Spirit the lead once again with her second career NWSL goal.

Shortly after, forward Rosemonde Kouassi entered the match for Cantore to add fresh legs in the attack. Kouassi made an impact quickly, creating a fourth Spirit goal in the 71st minute with Rodman. Kouassi made a run down the right side and sent a cross in close where Rodman tapped it home to restore Washington’s two-goal lead.

The Spirit was able to limit Orlando chances on the attack throughout the final 20 minutes of play until the final whistle blew. With four straight wins, Washington will head home with 15 points on the table through eight matches. After today’s action, Cantore, Rodman and Santos are the team’s leading scorers at three goals apiece while Kouassi and Rodman are tied for the most assists this season at three as well.

Next up, the Spirit will continue a streak of away matches as it heads west to Seattle for a matchup with Reign FC on Sunday, May 10. Kicking off at 7 p.m. EDT, the match will air on Victory+.

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About The Washington Spirit

The Washington Spirit is the premier professional women’s soccer team based in Washington, D.C. and plays at Audi Field in Buzzard Point. The Spirit was founded on November 21, 2012 and is an inaugural member of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) the fastest-growing sports league in the US. The club is home to some of the best players in the world who have won championships for both club and country. In 2024, the Spirit drafted an epic class of rookies who are already breaking records and wowing fans.

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