The blowouts:

Portugal 0, Spain 5 — Thursday, July 3 

From the moment this game began, Portugal never stood a chance. The truest rout of the tournament so far saw Spain scoring early and often —  as early as two minutes in, thanks to Esther Gonzalez, and as often as five times. Gonzalez bagged a brace, and her teammates Vicky Lopez, Cristina Martin-Prieto, and the dominant Alexia Putellas found the back of the net as well. The reigning World Cup champions and No. 2-ranked team in the world will next face Belgium (No. 20) on Monday, while No. 22 Portugal has to face the Italians (No. 13), who continue to rise in the FIFA world rankings. 

Wales 0, Netherlands 3 — Saturday, July 5

The Welsh national team has come a long way, and their participation in the 2025 Euros is emblematic of that; this is the first major women’s tournament Wales has participated in, and it came with a historic fight. But Jess Fishlock, well-known to NWSL fans as a longtime member of Seattle Reign, could not lead her team to victory against one of the most lethal combinations in all of international women’s soccer — Danielle van de Donk and Vivianne Miedema. Miedema’s goal, in extra time of the first half, was her 100th goal for the Dutch national team and was assisted by the formidable van de Donk. By the end of the match, the Oranje had solidly outplayed the Dragons. Wales (No. 30) will face another challenging opponent in France (No. 10), and the Netherlands (No. 11) will take on No. 5 England when Group D plays on Wednesday, July 9.

Germany 2, Poland 0 — Friday, July 4

While this scoreline doesn’t quite meet the requirements of the “blowout” category, this one was never really in doubt. Germany held possession for 70% of the game and saw an outstanding performance from attacking midfielder Jule Brand, who scored the team’s first goal in the 52nd minute and assisted the second (scored by Lea Schüller) in the 66th. Unfortunately for Germany, the team’s captain, 26-year-old outside back Giulia Gwinn, came off in the 40th minute with a knee injury that the federation confirmed will sideline her for the rest of the tournament. Germany (No. 3) will have to figure out how to manage without her as they take on Denmark (No. 12) on Tuesday, July 8, while Poland (No. 27) looks for an unlikely victory against Sweden (No. 6).

The surprises:

France 2, England 1 — Saturday, July 5 

The England Lionesses knew they had a tough opponent ahead of them when they drew France as their first opponent. But the defending champions weren’t prepared for a loss. That is, however, what France handed them on Saturday, July 5, winning 2-1 and flipping the script on a team that had more possession — France had 43% to England’s 57% — and at times looked as unbeatable as ever. England technically struck first with an early goal from national team mainstay Alessia Russo, but it was ruled offside by VAR. France capitalized on its opponent’s frustration and scored twice within three minutes — a goal from Marie-Antoinette Katoto in the 36th minute followed by a goal from Sandy Baltimore in the 39th. A late goal from England in the 87th, nabbed by Kiera Walsh, briefly put the result back up for grabs, but France edged out the win. Les Bleus, ranked No. 10, will ride high as they take on Wales on Wednesday, July 9. England, however, has to contend with a dominant Netherlands.

Iceland 0, Finland 1 — Wednesday, July 2 

The Euros got off to a surprising start with the opening game between the highest and lowest ranked teams in Group A, No. 14 and No. 26, respectively. Though Iceland is a higher-ranked team, Finland controlled more possession and looked sincerely strong on the field. The game-changing moment came before the first goal scored by Katariina Kosola in the 70th minute. In the 58th minute, Icelandic midfielder Hildur Antonsdottir received a second yellow card, ejecting her from the game. She’ll be unavailable when Iceland faces the hosts, Switzerland (No. 23), on Sunday, July 6. Finland will hope to continue their winning streak, though No. 16 Norway will likely prove to be a formidable challenge. 

The predictables:

Denmark 0, Sweden 1 — Friday, July 4 

This game between world No. 12 and No. 6., respectively, went mostly how it was predicted. The sole goal of the game came in the 55th minute from Swedish midfielder Filippa Angeldahl, who was all over the field on Friday. She will be key to Sweden’s ability to go deep in this tournament. Their next test will be against Poland on Tuesday, July 8. The Danes, meanwhile, will take on Germany and will hope to edge out their tough competition now that the eight-time European champions are down a crucial player. 

Belgium 0, Italy 1 — Thursday, July 3 

Italy is home to one of the richest national soccer cultures in the world, but for a long time, the Italian women’s national team was anything but a force to be reckoned with. That’s no longer true. Over the past few years, the Italians have been climbing the FIFA world rankings, ranking as high as No. 13 at the start of the tournament. Their game against Belgium was a close one — the possession share between the two teams was almost 50/50 — but Italy’s Arianna Caruso was the difference-maker. Her goal in the 44th minute, assisted by Lucia Di Guglielmo, elevated Italy to the winner’s circle and further into the international conversation. They’ll look to continue their winning streak against Portugal on Monday, July 7, after the Belgians attempt to redeem themselves against the formidable Spain.

The bummers:

Switzerland 1, Norway 2 — Wednesday, July 2

The tournament’s hosts were hoping to open the tournament with a better start, and for a while, it looked as if they would. They were first on the board when they scored in the 28th minute, as Nadine Riesen found the back of the net. Norway tied the game in the 54th minute with a goal from Ada Hegerberg — her 50th for her national team — but Switzerland didn’t look like they were giving up. Well, until four minutes later, when an own-goal from Julia Stierli changed the mood of the game. Switzerland continued a hard fight but were unable to eke out the win. They next face Iceland on Sunday, July 6, shortly after Norway takes on Finland.

While Canada needs to take some time to recalibrate — and new head coach Casey Stoney said as much in a postgame interview — the United States can conclude its international window feeling good about head coach Emma Hayes’s experimentation and where the team is headed. 

Here are five significant takeaways from the United States’ win over Canada, with a little reflection on this whole international window, too.

1. The kids are ready

When the USWNT released their lineup on Wednesday evening, three significant youngsters had made the starting roster once again — Lilly Reale on defense, Claire Hutton in the midfield and Avery Patterson as a full back. For those watching closely during the international window, this would come as no surprise, but for anyone just tuning in, they’re young — the average age between those three is 21 years old. 

But, while youthfulness can sometimes mean overwhelm or inexperience, in the case of these three, it means energy and drive instead. Their fresh legs and desires to prove themselves were on display on Wednesday night, as Reale played the full 90, with Hutton coming off in the 81st minute — after her first international goal — and Patterson playing all the way to the 86th minute.

If friendlies number one and two against Ireland earlier in this window were more of a trial for the youngsters, friendly number three against Canada was Hayes’s opportunity to put her best experiment forward. It’s becoming clearer and clearer that Reale, Patterson and Hutton have passed Hayes’s test and will be a part of her long-term vision.

2. That doesn’t mean the veterans are being replaced

As much as this recent friendly window was an opportunity for the kids to prove themselves, it was also somewhat of a comeback celebration for USWNT star Rose Lavelle. The midfielder, who has been a mainstay on all the recent U.S. World Cup and Olympic teams, had been sidelined for a few months after her latest injury — an ankle problem, for which she underwent surgery in December 2024. 

But Lavelle was back on the pitch earlier in the friendly window, making her first national team appearance in about seven months, and to the likes of roaring crowds — especially during friendly number two, in her hometown of Cincinnati. And during this friendly window, she looked like her old self again — quick and creative on the ball, and turning set pieces into real chances for the team. Lavelle made it clear, to Hayes and to herself: she’s back.

Other veterans also continued the cases for themselves within a young team. Lynn Biyendolo wearing the captain’s armband for the first time in her up-and-down career with the national team was one of the most emotional moments of the friendly window. And though Hayes has been trying stuff out with center back Tara McKeown, when it came down to it against a formidable team like Canada, Hayes went with the 31-year-old Emily Sonnett, who has 109 caps for the United States.

3. A new midfield has emerged

The combination of Hutton, Lavelle and Sam Coffey in the midfield, with Hutton and Lavelle more central and Coffey occupying space up top, seems to be a winning combination. It was a formation that Hayes used repeatedly throughout the friendly window, and it worked for multiple reasons. Not only did the three use their positioning to open wide spaces for their teammates, but they also took their own opportunities as they came — each of them managed to score a goal during this friendly window. 

Questions circulate around midfield mainstay Lindsey Heaps, who has been one of the biggest names and faces fueling the team for years. Heaps has historically shown no signs of breaking, but at age 31 and no major tournaments for two more years, Hayes might be looking closely at players that can step up as Heaps has to begin phasing out from 90-minute performances. It looks like she may have found some.

4. Alyssa Thompson: back and better than ever?

There’s a path that some USWNT forwards travel in the first few years of their career. They start out young and strong, appear in a World Cup or an Olympics or two, and then they fall to the side for some time. Mallory Swanson went through this rollercoaster, only to redeem herself by scoring the winning goal in the 2024 Olympics, and Jaedyn Shaw may be going through it right now. Maybe it’s because of their youth, and the pressure that comes with being labeled a phenom. Or maybe it’s because being a forward is hard on the body, and no one can avoid an injury. But one thing is for sure — these players do not want to be seen as overrated. 

The 20-year-old Alyssa Thompson is the latest USWNT forward to walk this path. She made the 2023 World Cup team, only to be dropped off of the 2024 Olympic squad. She recovered from a back injury, made her way back into the national team rotation, and, during this recent stretch of friendlies, looked back to be at her original form — a player with not only unmatched speed but true determination and grit that fuels her up and down the field. She’s had the ups and the downs, but after the past few matches, she proved that she, too, should be a part of Hayes’ vision for the future.

5. It’s crowded at the top

Thompson’s youthful speed and Biyendolo’s years of experience provided two distinct and effective strategies for the USWNT’s front line during this friendly break. There’s obviously space for others up front, but who there is space for remains unclear. Forwards like Emma Sears, Ally Sentnor and Yazmeen Ryan made big splashes during this friendly stretch and are certainly being given real consideration by Hayes. But the inevitable return of Triple Espresso — although that’s at least months away — means there won’t be room for everyone. Who will make the final cut? Luckily, as the international window closes for now, there’s time to figure that out. 

Naturally, though, Hayes’ roster pool had to shrink down at some point. Hayes told ESPN that after this window, she expects to have narrowed down the core of players she will lean on at World Cup qualifying next year and at the 2027 Women’s World Cup. And as the summer gets underway, some of her experiments and choices are starting to find permanence. One choice Hayes made for Thursday night’s friendly was to put some faith in forward Alyssa Thompson, and it paid off.

Thompson’s goal in the 63rd minute was the fourth of the night; given that Ireland didn’t find the back of the net once, that goal was not a game-changer. But it was impossible to look away as Thompson received a pass from Reale, broke away into space on the left side — a change from the USWNT’s heavy right-side preference throughout the night — and scored her second-ever international goal at lightning speed.

At that point, the United States’ victory was nearly secured, but the moment was a massive vote of confidence for the 20-year-old Thompson, whose journey with the national team has ebbed and flowed. She first appeared for the senior national team in 2022, when she was only 17, and made headlines when she chose to forego a college career and signed with Angel City FC, her hometown club, in 2023. 

Like many others who have received astonishingly early call-ups, she’s moved up and down since. She was named to the USWNT’s 2023 FIFA World Cup roster, which was knocked out in the quarterfinals. The next year, Thompson was not a part of the team’s 2024 Paris Olympics run, which saw the USWNT bring home the gold in what felt like a redemption tour for the team. She’s dealt with injuries, mostly related to her back, and at times has prompted questions about whether she was called up too early. 

But Thursday night’s goal showed viewers — and Hayes — that her speed and tenacity are traits one wants on the front line, especially while normal starters Mallory Swanson and Sophia Smith are on pregnancy leave and Trinity Rodman is recovering from an injury. 

“Alyssa Thompson is improving every game for us, and I was pleased for her to score such a quality goal,” Hayes said in the postgame press conference. “She had a lot of space, a lot of time, she created opportunities.” 

Though Thompson’s runaway goal was assisted by Reale, a fellow young player hoping to become a mainstay on the senior national team, Hayes acknowledged that Thompson is most skilled in making space and opportunities for herself.

“I want to keep developing her understanding with other players,” Hayes continued, “so she can keep creating for others, too.”

As Hayes’s window narrows, Thompson was not the only young player to make a case for her longevity. Reale’s strong debut proved her intelligence on defense, as well as her endurance — the Gotham FC defender not only started but played the full game. Houston Dash fullback Avery Patterson also started and scored her first international goal, garnering praise from Hayes, who called her a “threat from deep spaces,” as well as a “great learner and great listener.” Impressive debuts from two Seattle Reign players, 25-year-old goalkeeper Claudia Dickey, who kept a clean sheet, and 18-year-old defender Jordyn Bugg, also sent home the message that the USWNT has a bright future. 

A game filled with memorable performances from the young stars was both an exciting and reassuring reminder that the USWNT is in good hands under Hayes. But the older guard still got their flowers. Midfielder Sam Coffey controlled the center of the field with ease, stepping up to fill the gaps left by Lindsay Heaps (nee Horan), who was left off the roster so she could rest and go on her honeymoon, but, of course, couldn’t stay away from the game in her home state. 

Perhaps no goal of the night was more thrilling to fans than Rose Lavelle’s — her first international goal since December. Lavelle has struggled with injuries over the past few years and may never play as big of a role again on the team as she did between 2019-23. And as young players start to show their mettle, minutes for the veterans will naturally wane. But, Thursday night proved that the old guard won’t be easy to replace, too. As Hayes said after the game, “there is only one Rose Lavelle.” 

A record crowd of 19,254 fans, clad in yellow and black Washington Spirit gear, rolled up to Audi Field on Saturday night to watch their team open the 2025 season at home. Although the Spirit were unable to secure the win, falling 0-2 to the impossible talent of Temwa Chawinga and the rest of the Kansas City Current, the supported their club to the very end. 

That was no mean feat, considering the game ended with eleven minutes of stoppage time.

The 34-year old Leroux has been a mainstay in professional women’s soccer for over a decade. Though she came up through the Canadian youth system, she opted to play for the United States women’s national U-20 team in 2012. Shortly after, she became a central piece of the USWNT, appearing with the national team for both the 2012 London Olympics and the 2015 Women’s World Cup, the latter of the two making her a world champion. She totaled 77 caps before phasing out of the national team around 2017.

On the club side, Leroux has played for a variety of US and Canadian teams for nearly fifteen seasons. Of the eight clubs for which she has suited up, three don’t even exist anymore — Seattle Sounders Women (2012), Boston Breakers (2013), and Western New York Flash (2015). Her most recent stint with Angel City FC started off with bad luck, as an ankle injury kept her sidelined for most of her first season in 2022 (also the club’s inaugural season). Since then, however, she’s become a central component of the Southern California club’s fabric. She made her 150th regular-season appearance for the National Women’s Soccer League in June 2024, and she is currently tied for 8th place with Angel City teammate Christen Press for all-time NWSL goals, with 48.

Leroux knows that her career is winding down. When she signed a new contract with Angel City in Oct. 2024, which will keep her at the club until 2027, she announced that this would be her “last go.” She’s planning to finish her professional career with Angel City. “My family and I are so excited to continue to be a part of Angel City and I promise to give my everything until the wheels fall off,” she told Goal.com around the time she signed her contract extension.

This type of dynamic, zesty language is something fans have come to expect from, and appreciate about Leroux, who for many years has allowed her Instagram account to be a portal into her personal life. On there, she frequently posts about her training, her children, Cassius and Roux, and her time outside of professional soccer, which she often spends with teammates and friends from the soccer world.

Leroux’s public voice is funny, but also forthright and honest. She likes to poke fun at her teammates and she isn’t afraid to laugh at herself. But she’s also spoken with various outlets about darker times in her life, like the miscarriage she suffered in the summer of 2018 and the time she spent away from soccer in order to recover. She posted a tweet in October of that year to honor Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, and in that tweet she described her miscarriage and difficult recovery.

Leroux’s willingness to open up about issues relating to mental and physical health has gone beyond social media. She’s gone on the record countless times to talk about topics like fertility, motherhood, mental toughness, and women’s rights with outlets like Elle Magazine, PopSugar and others. She also went on DaMarcus Beasley and Oguchi Onyewu’s podcast in 2020, The Crack Podcast, to discuss former USWNT head coach Jill Ellis’s mistreatment of players. “She’s not good for people’s mental health, that’s for sure,” Leroux said on the show.

While further context behind Leroux’s decision to step away from soccer remains unknown, her decision is being greeted by both teammates and fans with grace. Former USWNT teammates like Crystal Dunn and Carli Lloyd commented supportive messages and hearts on her Instagram post, and current Angel City teammate and Australian national team star Alanna Kennedy sent love to her “work wifey.”

And, in classic Leroux fashion, she ended a serious post on a light note. “I know some of you can get a little carried away,” she wrote, “so I wanted to squash the pregnancy rumors right away.”

Due to a mixture of injuries, which have also sidelined rookie phenom Croix Bethune, the Spirit were heading into an important game without some of their most talented and reliable players. But this less-than-ideal situation didn’t keep them from securing a 2-1 win, collecting three points on the road and showcasing unwavering confidence the whole time. 

“We have a strong mentality,” assistant coach Adrián González said after the game. “We’ve shown so many times that we know how to compete.”

The game, while ultimately a victory for the Spirit, was not an easy one. For starters, a road game in Los Angeles is never a layup for a visiting team – Angel City’s impressive stadium and exciting crowd will always intimidate an opponent. And arriving in this unnerving environment without key members of their team could have naturally rattled the Spirit. 

However, they played relatively unphased. After a few strong attempts, the Spirit broke open the scoring in the 39th minute with a goal from Ashley Hatch. Angel City equalized in the 51st minute, but the Spirit took the lead again the 78th with a goal from Makenna Morris and held onto their 2-1 lead to the end. 

“This win was huge,” acknowledged Hatch after the game. “It was a huge testament to our hard work. We have a deep roster. Coming here, it’s not easy, but the most important message is that we need to compete.” 

Hatch is one of a handful of players who have especially stepped up in the absence of some Spirit stars. She got her fourth start in a row in Friday’s game, and her goal tied her with Megan Rapinoe for the sixth-most goals scored in NWSL history (51). 

González especially recognized the crucial way that Hatch has been stepping up for the team. He accredits much of her contributions to her strong mentality and her ability to thrive under pressure. “I’m so happy for Hatchy,” González said after the game. “She’s training really good, she deserves that goal.” 

Morris’s goal in the 78th minute – ten minutes after she was subbed into the game – also demonstrated that the roster has depth and can continue to thrive and win without its marquee members. Per González, Morris’s goal was a product of an offensive change that the team made later in the game as they tried to adjust to Angel City’s strong attack. 

“We knew we had to take a step forward in terms of creating chances with different players,” González said. “We can score in different ways, and we did a good job of being dynamic, especially with Hatch Rose [Kouassi], and Makenna. They’ve done a great job. … We all have different strengths in terms of attacking and we could exploit that today.”

Friday night’s win came with an additional rewarding feeling – the Spirit could give themselves permission to officially put last week’s loss against Kansas City behind them. The lopsided 3-0 loss to Kansas City, a team that the Spirit beat just a few weeks earlier, was a hard pill to swallow after performing with such strength and formidability throughout the season. 

But the team was able to tap into its mental toughness and resilience to capture the win on Friday, and members of the Spirit reestablished their confidence in themselves in the process. “We always want to win, it don’t matter where we are,” said González. He knows bad news is unavoidable, but, per González, “we always prepare to win.” 

Next up for the Spirit is a match against the undefeated Orlando Pride on Sunday, Oct. 6. While both teams have already clinched a playoff berth, the Pride will be looking to maintain their unbeat-ability. But the Spirit, even without some of their stars, will pose a true threat to that record.

That’s how Washington Spirit head coach Jonatan Giráldez summed up Saturday’s 3-0 loss against the Kansas City Current, a team that the Spirit had walloped 4-1 just a few weeks ago. The Spirit, who have dominated the National Women’s Soccer League all season, sit at second place in the table, and have already clinched a playoff berth, looked unfamiliar to coaches, fans, and to themselves on Saturday afternoon.

But, the Spirit know that bad days are part of the game. “This is sport, this is soccer,” defender Gabby Carle said after the game. “It’s never going to be perfect.” Accepting the result is not the hard part; rather, understanding what went wrong and learning how to correct their errors is where the challenge can come in.

At face value, it’s not hard to see what went wrong for the Spirit on Saturday. The first goal of the game, scored by Canada national Nichelle Prince, came after just four minutes. The Current continued to dominate on the attack throughout the game and appeared to overwhelm the Spirit. Though Washington generated some chances – including six corners in the first half – they were unable to convert them. 

The Current’s additional two goals – one in the 31st from Lo’eau LaBonta and another in the 69th from Temwa Chawinga – rubbed salt in the wound. And to make matters worse, Spirit star Trinity Rodman went down late in the game with an “intense back spasm” as later identified by her agent in a statement to The Washington Post. The physicality of the game also led to a red card for Lena Silano in extra time, and she’ll sit out the Spirit’s next game in Los Angeles. 

“I think they were ready for us, and I just don’t think we were ready to respond to that,” Carle reflected. 

For the Spirit, a lot went wrong tactically on Saturday, and they knew it. Kansas City is a strong team in transition, and in that area specifically, the Spirit couldn’t keep up. 

“We know they’re good at transitions, there are a lot of balls that enter the middle of the pitch or deeper,” midfielder Paige Metayer said after the game. “We know we have to get a challenge on [those], because if not, they will burn us with their speed.” The Spirit knew going into Saturday’s game that the Current would provoke them with their transitions, and like Carle acknowledged, they just weren’t ready for the challenge.

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Additionally, the Spirit, in unusual fashion, were unable to generate the offensive power they’ve reliably executed for most of this season. Ashley Hatch, who has stepped up to provide crucial offensive energy in Croix Bethune’s absence, was stymied in her attempts on Saturday because her normal role of playing in the pocket wasn’t working. 

“We didn’t have the space,” Giráldez said to the press after the game, acknowledging that using Hatch in the pocket didn’t work. “They were defending with the lines close, and we didn’t have the spaces between the lines, so we needed other types of strikers.” This unsuccessful approach caused him to sub in Gabby Carle and Makenna Morris in the second half, ideally to generate more offense, but that didn’t produce results either. 

Another adjustment Giráldez made at halftime was to have midfielder Hal Hershfelt drop back, ideally helping to push the sides out higher to be ready to receive passes for the attack. This idea, while logical on Giráldez’s part, did not ultimately do much to change the game. “We were not clinical enough today,” he acknowledged. 

Although the game resulted in a surprisingly dramatic loss for the Spirit, the team is not hanging their heads. Rather, they reflect on the day as an attempt at a game plan that just didn’t work. Giráldez is especially emphatic about not changing the game plan as an immediate response to things going wrong. 

“When you concede a goal so early, from my point of view, you have to respect the game plan and change nothing,” Giráldez said. Rather than getting flustered and immediately second-guessing their decisions, Giráldez wanted his team to “keep doing the same things.” 

Ultimately, it was not enough, and everyone knows it. “We tried in the second half to add a little more, but we didn’t create enough chances,” Giráldez said. “We were clinical against them one month ago, and they were clinical today.”

But in a season full of good news, bad news is bound to rear its head at some point. So, for the Spirit, the game plan is now to just accept the bad results and simply move on. “This whole year, we’ve been extremely competitive,” Carle said. “And tonight we fell flat. … That’s soccer.”

“There are many good things, lots of good news,” head coach Jonatan Giráldez said after the game. “It’s always welcome, for sure, but we are forbidden to relax.” 

As evidenced by their 3-0 rout over the Dash, the Spirit are playing every last regular game like it counts. The game, which featured two goals from Ashley Hatch and a goal and assist from Trinity Rodman, was a demonstration of the team’s discipline, creativity, and energy, all elements they’ve focused on maintaining over the course of the 2024 season. 

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The Spirit are not only continuing to dominate on the field, but they’re doing so while getting creative, and a little daring. Sunday’s game featured Esme Morgan, a recent acquisition for the Spirit from Manchester City. Morgan, in her very first start, played a full 90 minutes and anchored the team’s back line. 

“Today she had the chance, and now I know I have three center backs,” Giráldez told the press in a postgame conference, when asked why he chose to keep Morgan in the entire game. “It’s good to give chances to players, it means a lot.” 

Rookie midfielder Hal Hershfelt echoed the same sentiments about Morgan to the press after the game. “She fit right in, on the field today she killed it,” Hershfelt expressed. “In a first game, it’s hard to come in in a role where you have to direct traffic. But she played ninety minutes … she’s really smart, that helps us a lot.”  

Another relatively bold choice Giráldez made in Sunday’s game that paid off was putting Ashley Hatch at the top of the forward line and largely organizing the attack around her. This decision was immediately vindicated, as Hatch scored on a penalty kick just seven minutes into the game, and then secured her brace with a goal in the 26th. This goal was Hatch’s 50th career regular-season goal, and she is only the seventh player in NWSL history to get to this number. 

After the game, Giráldez immediately recognized that Hatch, who has been jerked around between the bench and various positions this season, got her chances to make an impact and seized them. “Hatch is always available,” Giráldez told reporters. “She scored two goals, but for me, that’s not the most important thing. [She did] everything we asked today, especially receiving in the pocket … and without the ball she did a good job too.”  

Hatch also acknowledged how important it was for her to prove herself on Sunday after her up-and-down season. “It meant a lot [to be back in my old position],” she said to reporters after the game. “I love playing for this team, and anytime I’m on the pitch I’m really excited. I’m happy with the team’s performance today and happy I was able to contribute.” 

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Giráldez, who admitted that he came into Sunday’s game expecting to outperform the opponent, took advantage of the wind behind his sails to exercise nearly his entire roster. In addition to Hatch and Morgan getting their chances, players who don’t typically as much field time, like Lena Silano and Paige Metayer, got their feet wet against the Dash. 

“Maybe they haven’t played so many minutes,” Giráldez said about some of his subs after the game. “But the way we finished the game was a good way to say our identity is going high … you never know if you are going to be important for the team.” 

The Spirit may be making some bold moves and creating opportunities for lesser-known players to shine, but they’re also sticking to their roots and staying focused. Rodman’s goal and assist on Sunday were emblematic of just this – the team is able to take chances because they can continue to rely on Rodman, their lethal weapon, to get her job done. Rodman’s goal in the 46th minute was her eighth this season, tying Ouleye Sarr for the most on the team. It was also the 23rd of her career, which makes her tied (with Diana Matheson) for scoring the second-most goals in Spirit history. 

“She is an amazing player, and she should be able to score in almost every game because she has the skills for that,” Giráldez said. “But the most important thing [she does] is not the goal, but creating the chance.” 

Continuing to rely on Trinity to both score and create chances for her teammates is something every member of the Spirit is doing. It’s one of the best ways for the team to maintain the consistency they’ve worked so hard on this season. 

“Our goal for the second half of this season is just to stay consistent,” Hershfelt said to reporters. “That comes from how we practice, too, just keeping this energy and focus.” 

And, as the Spirit demonstrated, consistency isn’t just about executing what you do in practice. It’s a mindset, and it’s how the Spirit are staying focused on finishing the season on top while not getting lazy or distracted by the wins they rack up. 

“We have to be very consistent and focus on what we have to do,” Giráldez. “I’m very happy, because before starting the game, I was speaking with [the team] that way. Good news is welcome, but we need to be 100 percent ready, and we need to 100 percent give our best today.” 

As she recovers from her torn meniscus, the Spirit were left wondering what they will do without their three-time rookie of the month, who already matched the NWSL single-season assist record. But the Spirit may have found their answer in Saturday’s performance against the Portland Thorns.

Saturday’s match, which featured a late game-winner and some of the best out-of-possession play the Spirit have presented all season, heavily included Ashley Hatch. Although she didn’t get on the board as a goal scorer, she looked dangerous the entire game. Hatch had a handful of shots on goal as well as a few other shots that went high or wide, and, most importantly, she set up teammate Trinity Rodman for her tying goal in the 60th minute. 

“I think Hatch played lights out today,” Rodman said to a pool of reporters in the postgame press conference. “She set me up a couple times. Missed those, so I’m glad that I could put [a goal] away.” 

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Hatch, the second overall pick in the 2017 NWSL draft, has been with the Spirit since 2018 and was a part of the team that won the NWSL championship in 2021. She’s made 22 appearances for the USWNT and has scored five times for Team USA, but she hasn’t made the squad for any of the national team’s recent major tournaments. She has contributed massively to the Spirit in her seven seasons with the team, appearing in 125 matches and scoring 42 goals. But, because her career with the USWNT was cut relatively short, and given that her teammates up front are Rodman, Bethune, and the formidable Ouleye Sarr, her talent is sometimes overlooked. 

Based on the way Hatch played on Saturday, though, she is ready to step up to fill a much-needed gap in the Spirit’s roster. Bethune, a midfielder by trade, learned how to break through on the front line and make it easy for Rodman, midfielder Andi Sullivan, and other teammates to find her. Hatch, a true forward, demonstrated on Saturday that she can do the same thing. She can make it easy for her teammates to find her, she can use her speed and strength to break through defensive walls, and, if given enough chances, she is guaranteed to get on the board. 

The Spirit attack looks different now than it did at the start of the season. The loss of Bethune, as well as the additions of Rosemonde Kouassi and Leicy Santos, have recently contributed to reshaping the team’s offensive strategy. Though the strategy largely remains founded on the abilities of Rodman, Sullivan, and defender Casey Krueger to smoothly and quickly move the ball up the field, the current reconstitution of the forward line creates an opportunity for Hatch to be re-integrated back into what is considered the team’s core. It was Santos, assisted by Rodman, who scored the game-winning goal on Saturday, but it did not outshine the efforts by Hatch and Kouassi, who fought for goals every minute they were on the field.

The lack of Bethune for the remainder of the season could have spooked the Spirit; instead, it has opened up new avenues for offensive talent to emerge and persevere. Hatch is ready to be seen as an integral part of the fabric of the Spirit again. As the team continues to surge at just the right time, they can only benefit from utilizing Hatch to the best of her abilities.

Spirit owner Michele Kang introduces new owner Magic Johnson

Washington Spirit majority owner Michele Kang was joined for Saturday’s game by new Spirit owner Earvin “Magic” Johnson. The NBA phenom joined the team’s ownership group and, together with Kang, sat for CBS Mornings on Thursday to answer some questions about his new role with the Spirit.

Nate Burleson: What excites you about joining this ownership group, and how did it come about?

Magic Johnson: Michele has a first-class organization in Washington Spirit. What she’s done for women’s soccer all over the world, not just here in the NWSL, is important. And owners love to not only win on the field like Michele does but also in the community. That’s why I’m so excited to be her partner. I also thank her for letting me be her partner. I think, when you look at both of us, two minorities who try to climb the ladder … and then transition into business, I want to be an example, just like you [Nate], and Gayle [King], for others to follow. I want to make sure that this sport, women’s soccer, can grow, and anything that I can do to help Michele and these incredible women not only win on the field but outside the field as well.

Gayle King: Michele, I want to get you in the conversation. What does this involvement mean to you and mean to this league?

Michele King: I mean, to say all of us at the Spirit and women’s football, we’re incredibly honored to have Magic be part of this community, is probably an understatement. His legend and success on the basketball court is something everyone knows, but as you guys have been talking about, his involvement in mentoring young children, and providing dreams and hopes to them, is something just that no one can match. And we’re incredibly honored to have him as part of our community.

GK: But how did this come about? Did you need to add something to your plate?

MJ: Michele and I met in LA and we clicked. We took off, it was a great conversation. When you think about what happened with the Olympics and the women’s team, they dominated on the field … When [Kang] allowed me to be her partner, you know me, I love sports, I love to be in ownership because it’s important that they see minorities in ownership positions. But the main thing, too, is that I love helping the athletes transition from their sport to hopefully business, or whatever they want to do after their time being an athlete. So Michele cares about the same thing. So we’re going to help these women not only on the field—we want to win championships—but we’re gonna help them also after their careers are over.

“This felt like a playoff game,” former head coach Mark Parsons said to reporters after the game in 2023. “We were playing a team that was also desperate for a win. It was intense from the 10th, 12th minute … we had to deal with a lot of stretched pressure.” 

But this game last summer wasn’t a playoff game. And neither was June 15th’s game between the Spirit and the Wave in Washington. Sunday night’s match, the team’s third meeting in 14 months, was also not. But in all three, the two sides have played to a hard-fought draw.

The Spirit, who sit in second place in the NWSL table, seem to have found a worthy foe in the 12th-place San Diego Wave. The friction between the two teams may be surprising on the surface, but the details tell a different story.

Three face-offs, three draws

Sunday night’s game between the Spirit and the Wave in San Diego opened up pretty defensively; initially, it was not exciting to watch. Forward Trinity Rodman had one clever chance about 20 minutes in, but it didn’t lead to a goal. The Spirit eventually got on the board with an own goal from San Diego’s Kristen McNabb (and this fluke was technically recorded as the Spirit’s 37th regular season goal, breaking a club single-season record). 

Later on, McNabb redeemed herself by scoring off a corner in the 66th minute. The game, brought to 1-1, featured some good chances from both sides as the clock wound down, including notable efforts from Spirit rookies Makenna Morris and Courtney Brown, but no one else was able to break through. The absence of Croix Bethune, who was sidelined for a vague knee injury, loomed large. 

The face-off between the two teams a few months ago, on June 15, a game with a higher thrill factor, also resulted in a tie. In this match, played in Washington, D.C., the Spirit came back from behind to beat the Wave. Bethune, playing at her peak, scored a stunning goal in the 96th minute to tie the game in front of a record-breaking home crowd. Bethune’s goal was the second-latest in club history, only second to Ashley Hatch’s 90+10 goal in 2022, against – you guessed it – San Diego.

The third most recent matchup between the two teams, on July 8, 2023, also resulted in a tie, but the sides looked a little different back then. A penalty kick and an own-goal put the Spirit up, but goals from Jaedyn Shaw and Taylor Kornieck kept the California side alive. A 2-2 draw was a victory for a then-eighth-place Washington Spirit, who held even with the team that would ultimately win the 2023 NWSL shield.

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A new NWSL rivalry?

The Spirit now sit at second place in the NWSL standings, while the Wave hover around a meager 12th place. But games against the Wave are the only draws for the Spirit this season. And the reasons for the parity and good competition between the two teams come mainly from shifting strengths for each team that seem to work in tandem with one another. 

In 2023, the Wave, bolstered by a dangerous front line, outshot the spirit on their July 8 matchup. Their killer offense was a threat to the entire league last year, but the Spirit’s strong defense and anchor in Andi Sullivan helped the Washington side hold even. In the teams’ two match-ups in 2024, the Spirit, with newfound energy on the front line, have outshot the Wave in both games, as the San Diego team’s forwards have underperformed, to a certain extent.

The Spirit, however, won fewer duels and tackles than the Wave in their competitions and had a slightly lower passing accuracy. While the Spirit have become an offensive threat over the past year, they have sacrificed a little bit of their field organization in the process. In contrast, what the Wave lack in offensive dominance they are making up for in defensive reliability. 

These transitions for both teams seem to have led to continued even play when they meet. Battles between Rodman and Girma showcase the elite talent both teams bring and the absence of two dominant scorers, Bethune for the Spirit and Shaw for the Wave, added a new level of parity to the game.  

Ultimately, in a league like the NWSL, fans, players, and analysts know that the table can’t tell you everything. Just last week, the Spirit dominated the then-second-place Kansas City Current and overtook their spot on the table with the win. This week, they drew even with a team they cannot seem to beat, a team two seats out of last place on the table. But, like Parsons remarked in 2023, the parity, evenness, and intensity of the competitions between the Spirit and the Wave make this an intriguing matchup no matter what the standings say. Perhaps a new, bi-coastal rivalry is afoot.