Preview: Spirit Closes Out Regular Season Home Slate Against Chicago Red Stars
Washington, D.C. (10/19/2024) – The Washington Spirit will face the Chicago Red Stars on Sunday, October 20 in the final regular season matchup between the sides this year. The match begins at 5 p.m. EDT at Audi Field in Washington, D.C. and will be broadcast locally on Monumental Sports Network and streamed on NWSL+. Fans can also tune into the Washington Spirit Radio Network by visiting WashingtonSpirit.com or the ESPN 630 website or app starting at 4:30 p.m.
The Spirit
The Spirit answered the bell last weekend, dominating Racing Louisville FC, 4-1. Rookie Makenna Morris led the way with a first half brace — she became the first 2024 NWSL Draft selection to score multiple goals in a game this season. Ashley Hatch also had quite the evening, reaching her 150th career regular season appearance and netting a penalty kick. Now a perfect 11-for-11 from the spot, she is the all-time leading Spirit penalty kick converter and is tied for third in NWSL history. Finally, Lena Silano scored from just outside the 18-yard box moments before the final whistle.
The Spirit is arguably the most dangerous team in the NWSL coming off losses. In games immediately following its six losses this season, the Spirit is a perfect 6-0-0 and holds a +11-goal differential, outscoring opponents 17 to six. The last time the Spirit dropped two games in a four-game window, the team went on to win four straight.
The win was crucial, keeping the Spirit in second place on the NWSL Table. With two games remaining in the regular season and having already clinched a home quarterfinal match, Washington, Gotham FC and Kansas City are all competing for the #2 seed and ability to have home field advantage until the NWSL Championship.
The Spirit and Gotham FC are tied with 50 points, but the Spirit has a four-goal edge on goal differential. Every goal conceded, win or lose, will be crucial for both teams.
This weekend, Kansas City plays #12 San Diego Wave, while Gotham FC plays #1 Orlando Pride who could potentially be resting players ahead of the playoffs. Should Kansas City lose and the Spirit and Gotham FC both win, the #4 seed will be locked by the Current.
This weekend’s opponent, the Chicago Red Stars, is one of the Spirit’s most frequent foes. Playing 26 times in the regular season, the Spirit has not earned a home victory over the Red Stars since its days playing at the SoccerPlex in Germantown, Maryland.
Despite its four-goal performance against Chicago in May, scoring goals has also historically been a challenge for the Spirit when playing the Red Stars. In the 26 matches, the Spirit are averaging less than a goal a game. Additionally, the all-time leading scorers for the Spirit against Chicago are Crystal Dunn and Trinity Rodman with only three goals apiece.
However, this season, scoring has been no issue for the Spirit. Logging the most goals in team history with several games left to play, the team currently sits at 48 goals scored (averaging two a game) and is coming off the heels of its third four-goal performance this season.
The Spirit has won four straight home matches, with three of the four victories coming by three-goal margins. Prior to the last four matches, Washington had recorded just two three-goal wins in 121 all-time regular season home matches.
Counting NWSL x LIGA MX Femenil Summer Cup matches, the Spirit has scored multiple goals in 12 of 15 home matches (tied with KC Current for most in the NWSL), including in ten regular season matches at Audi Field.
The Spirit will close out the 2024 regular season on the road in a clash with the North Carolina Courage on Saturday, November 2nd at 7:30 p.m. EDT. Pregame coverage of the match will begin at 7 p.m. on ION or the Washington Spirit Radio Network.
The Opposition
Last Saturday, the Red Stars dropped points to Gotham FC, losing 0-2. The scoreline and box score may tell a deceiving story. This match was scoreless through the 87th minute when Lynn Williams netted a game-winning penalty. Esther added to the tally in the eighth minute of second half stoppage time as well.
The Red Stars may have held Gotham in check for much of the match, but its backline was tested consistently. Gotham owned 60% possession and outshot Chicago 12 to two. Chicago also had a concerning sub-70% pass accuracy.
Although the Red Stars dropped a game at home last week, it has won back-to-back away matches and have totaled six road wins on the season, the second-most in a single regular season in club history (7 in 2019). Chicago is looking for its first three match road winning streak in league play since a four-match run in June-August 2019.
Chicago’s 2—0 win at Houston on October 4 marked the 16th consecutive road match with a goal (all competitions) for the Red Stars dating back to last August. There has only been one longer run of road games with a goal in all competitions by an NWSL team: North Carolina (18) from 2018—21.
Ironically, the Spirit aided the Red Stars playoff hopes last week. The 4-1 win over Racing Louisville FC was the ticket Chicago needed to clinch a playoff spot. Sitting at sixth place (32 points), the Red Stars are guaranteed to finish as a six through eight seed. Only four points separates Chicago from the eighth place Bay FC side.
The last time the Red Stars played the Spirit, it did not end well for the home team. The Spirit took home a 4-1 victory. This result included a record-breaking three assists in one match from Rookie of the Year candidate Croix Bethune. Brittany Ratcliffe also netted her first career regular season brace in this match.
That said, Chicago is unbeaten in seven straight regular-season road matches against Washington (5-0-2) dating back to 2017. There have been only two longer road unbeaten runs against a single team in NWSL history: Portland at Chicago (10 straight from 2013—19) and Chicago at Orlando (8 straight from 2016—22).
Series History
The Washington Spirit owns an 8-11-7 all-time regular season record against the Chicago Red Stars. The Spirit lost in its first-ever match at Audi Field against Chicago last year and has a losing 3-6-3 record all-time at home venues.
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