Spirit Head Into June Break on a High Note | Spirit vs Reign Match Highlights | 05.30.26

The Spirit won its third straight home match by way of a 2-1 result against Seattle Reign FC in front of yet another sellout at Audi Field on Saturday night. The team also won its fifth straight against Seattle, extending the club record in the series.

In Washington’s first home match in over a month and following a 16-day away trip, the Spirit and Reign opened up today’s match with even possession and quick counter attacks. Fifteen minutes into the first half, the Spirit started to dominate the attacking third. Trinity Rodman earned a free kick just outside the 18-yard box, and Leicy Santos finished the job. In classic Santos form, she bent the ball just sneaking past the inside right goal post to give the Spirit a 1-0 lead.

Rodman continued to threaten Seattle’s goal with back-to-back shots inches away from the net. Washington Spirit keeper Sandy MacIver saw some action, coming up with a big stop after a scuffle in front of the goal. In response, Washington turned the attack around and barreled down the field. Rosemonde Kouassi dodged between defenders and slotted the ball to a patiently waiting Sofia Cantore, whose one touch was just shy of the right post.

Despite the Spirit’s control of the first half, a forward run by Seattle’s attack and a mix-up in the back led to the Spirit conceding an own goal in the 44th minute. Washington finished out the final minutes of the half with Kouassi dominating the right side of the field.

The Spirit started the second half with high pressure on the Reign back line, forcing a corner in the 60th minute – followed by another Spirit corner kick that was well defended by the Reign.

Both teams battled hard refusing to give up the upper hand. In the 66th minute, Andi Sullivan replaced Rebeca Bernal in the midfield along with Esme Morgan joining the back line for Élisabeth Tsé and Claudia Martínez taking Sofia Cantore’s spot up top. Hal Hershfelt intercepted a misplaced pass from Reign FC keeper Claudia Dickey but ripped a close up shot just above the crossbar.

As the heated match unfolded, both teams were issued fouls. In the 78th minute, Andi Sullivan was shown a yellow card after a rough foul in the midfield. Finally, the scrappy back-and-forth paid off for the Spirit after Rodman picked the ball off a defender and found Hershfelt waiting in the middle of the field. Hershfelt’s rocket of a shot ricocheted off a Seattle defender and netted her first goal of the NWSL season. The goal marked Rodman’s fourth assist of the year, tying her for most in the league.

After Washington regained its lead, Paige Metayer and Gift Monday subbed in for Gabby Carle and Leicy Santos to help the team close out the match. With the final whistle, the Spirit maintained its position in the top four of the league table heading into the June break. Following the break, the Spirit will take on the Houston Dash at Audi Field on Friday, July 3. The match will kick off at 8 p.m. EDT and air on Prime.

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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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