For the past two seasons, a rivalry has developed between the Washington Spirit and the Kansas City Current. Between testy regular-season matches and a feisty playoff elimination, to say the two sides are competitive would be an understatement. The Spirit came into the night searching for their first home win. Similarly, the Current were looking for their first road win.
The Spirit would get their first home win of the season in front of a sellout crowd of 19,215, their second of the season and their sixth highest of all time. The four goals for the Spirit came from Trinity Rodman (who played in her 100th match), a brace from Leicy Santos, and a first-ever for new signing Claudia Martínez. Goalkeeper Sandy MacIver earned a clean sheet. The match also served as a heartfelt homecoming for former Spirit midfielder Croix Bethune, who was traded to the Current back in the January transfer window.
“It definitely felt good (the win) it was a good test for us,” said Spirit midfielder Hal Hershfelt after the match. “It showed how much work we’ve been putting in. That first and second ball? We were relentless.”
In the 13th minute, the Spirit’s worst possible scenario almost occurred: Croix Bethune scoring on her homecoming. While she’s missed by players, fans, and the District at large, she’s now an opposing menace. She showed her quality on a dispossession in the Spirit’s defensive third. After breaching the backline, Bethune was 1 v 1 with goalkeeper Sandy MacIver. After two dribbles, she tried a cheeky toe poke through MacIver’s legs, but she was quick to shut it down.
In the 25th minute, the Spirit broke the deadlock with a goal from Leicy Santos. Trinity Rodman had been flying down the left flank all through the half without anyone in the box. Santos took notice and backed down her defender inside the 18. When Rodman found space, she sent a low cross into the box that was one-timed by Santos. More for accuracy than power, the tap-in rolled past Lorena to make the match 1-0.
Just before half, it looked like the Current were about to make things level with a Lo LaBonta goal, but MacIver made herself wide quickly and saved the breakaway goal effort.
About two minutes later on the other end, Trinity Rodman brought the lead up to two. Lorena had bobbled the ball the play before, which almost led to a Sofia Cantore goal. Here, she leaped to catch a ball and dropped it on her way down. The ball fell straight to Rodman’s feet, and the USWNT star immediately poked the ball in with a quick single touch.
The second half saw more of the same from the Spirit: attack, attack, attack. In the 56th minute, Santos earned her brace after receiving a cross from Sofia Cantore in the middle of the box. After squaring her boots, she sent a rocket on frame that Lorena got a touch on, but because of the power, it bounced into the back of the net.
The Current put the Spirit on their heels in the 68th minute and almost pulled one (goal) back. Michelle Cooper sent one of the quickest, cleanest low crosses I’ve seen this season into the box to a streaking Ally Sentnor. The U.S. international one-timed the quick cross with so much power that MacIver never had a chance. Fortunately for the hosts, Sentnor was ruled offside.
The goals kept on coming for the Spirit, and the new signing, Claudia Martínez, got in on the action about midway through the second half. The Spirit were on a 2 v 1 breakaway with Martínez and Rose Kouassi leading the counterattack. Kouassi passed the ball up to Martínez, who missed her first shot, but recovered the deflection and beat Lorena to make the match 4-0 in favor of the hosts.
The Spirit will enjoy tonight’s win and get ready to host Racing Louisville, another fierce opponent from last season. The match will take place on Wednesday, April 29, at 7:00 PM at Audi Field.
-Jon Jones
Photo: Eyoel Fassil