The Washington Spirit played the Utah Royals to a 1-1 draw on Wednesday night at Audi Field. Rebeca Bernal scored the early goal for the Spirit, and Mina Tanaka scored late for the Royals. The match doubled as a homecoming for two players from Utah. Courtney Brown, who played for the Spirit last season, and Kameron Simmonds, who hails from Northern Virginia.
The Utah Royals arrived in D.C. winless after two weeks, suffering 2-1 defeats to KC Current and San Diego Wave. The hosts have a 1-1 record after losing their home opener to the Portland Thorns (1-0) but earning a hard-fought draw (2-2) on the road in Louisville.
After just two weeks, rookie Kameron Simmonds went from a gently used substitute to a full-on starter. “It felt amazing [to start]. It’s so funny playing in this stadium because I grew up watching D.C. United games,” Simmonds began. “It heightened the stakes a little bit just knowing that my loved ones were out here and kinda playing close to home. Feeling all the love motivated me tonight for sure.”
Featured on the left side as a wing-back, the recent signing had her first big matchup ahead of her: Trinity Rodman. The newbie was outpaced on a few occasions but always made up for it, either closing down the second chances or cutting off passing lanes to key targets.
It didn’t take long for the former NCAA champion to get into the action on the other end of the pitch. Within the first 20 minutes of play, she tracked back into her own half after losing possession, played a key cross into the box on a counterattack, and earned her first yellow card for good measure.
In the second half, Utah’s defense adjusted. Previously, everyone pushed forward except the two center backs, who sat at the midline. After halftime, the combination of Simmonds, Del Fava, and Riehl sat at the half line unless Simmonds pushed higher in attack.
I honestly told myself to play my game as much as I could; I didn’t want to alter anything just for her,”
Kameron Simmonds on defending an inspiration in Trinity Rodman
The second half saw the Jamaican international extend her responsibilities to heading away corner kicks and supporting goalkeeper Mia Justus with blocking shots. Even though she was subbed off in the 71st minute, she played a major role in defense, leaving a fitting calling card against a formidable Spirit side.
Trinity Rodman had two chances on goal early in the first half and skied both attempts. Her 1 v 1 with Justus in the second half ended with an impressive point-blank save by the keeper, with the second attempt cleared by Simmonds. She showed her best in the 80th minute on a counterattack down the left flank. She sent a low cross to Claudia Martínez in the center of the box, with the new signing connecting with a sliding one-timed effort that sailed wide of the post.
An erratic goal from Rebeca Bernal put the Spirit on the board early. In the 18th minute, the Mexican international was the closest to a long ball from a corner that just sailed by the keeper. With a defender tight on her mark, Bernal out-muscled her to the ball and headed it into the back of the net.
But it was Mina Tanaka who put the Royals level late in the match, helping them earn their first point of the season. The 84th-minute goal held the clubs level until the final whistle.
“It’s nice to get this point on the road,” Simmonds said confidently. “The last two results have been pretty frustrating. We felt like we were right there. It’s nice to get this point on the road and that this is the standard.”
The Spirit have a quick turnaround with an away match against the Denver Summit on Saturday, March 28.
-Jon Jones