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Spirit Strike in Stoppage Time to Win Tightly Contested Match With Louisville

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Ian Decker
Alejandra Martin
Washingtonspirit.com

Washington, D.C., (04/15/2021) – The Washington Spirit won 1–0 in their second match of the 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup Presented by Secret Deodorant on Thursday night at Audi Field in Washington, DC.

The first minutes at Audi Field saw the first and second overall picks in this past year’s draft go toe-to-toe  — Trinity Rodman charged at Emily Fox in Louisville’s half and nearly won the ball high up the field.

After holding the ball for the first four minutes, the Spirit ceded possession to the visitors, who won an early corner and put Aubrey Bledsoe under pressure in net. It was all Racing with a high pressure for the next five minutes as the Spirit failed to keep the ball.

Washington got their first quality look on goal in the 14th minute; Rodman found Ashley Hatch at the top of the box, but the ensuing shot was off target. With Louisville mounting pressure, rookie Emina Ekic took a point-blank shot, but Bledsoe was alert to the danger and deadened the shot before catching it. 

The Spirit began to show signs of life in the 24’. Tori Huster found herself guarded on the wing but jinked by her defender and put a low cross into the box. Hatch whiffed on her shot, Rodman saw hers blocked and Natalie Jacobs blasted her attempt over the frame.

On the stroke of halftime, Hatch put in a looping header that easily cleared Michelle Betos in net. The chess match continued through the first 45, with Washington holding a narrow edge in possession — 53% to Louisville’s 47%.

Things picked up in the early stages of the second. The Spirit got a look from a free-kick taken by Tegan McGrady into the penalty area that Hatch found the end of, but the attempt ended up in the hands of Betos. Louisville answered quickly with forward Yuki Nagasato was through on goal, but a combination of Bledsoe’s quickness off the line and Paige Nielsen’s positioning behind forced Nagasato into a tough shot that spun wide. 

The Spirit were given a set piece just outside the 18 in the 54’ but an mistimed run saw the home side flagged for offside, ending the opportunity to break the deadlock. Following the offside call, Rodman drove at Louisville’s back line and found Ashey Sanchez open in the box, but the UCLA product couldnt generate enough power to trouble Betos in net. Minutes later, Sanchez again ripped a shot, though former Spirit defender Brooke Hendrix foiled the attempt. 

A halftime adjustment to a 4–3–3 unleashed one of Washington’s strengths: speed up top. Chances started falling to Rodman, Sanchez and Hatch, all of whom struggled to generate offense in the first half. In the span of 15 minutes in the middle stages of the second, the three combined for five scoring chances. 

In the 87th minute, Sanchez took the ball into the final third and found Rodman on the left wing, who cut in, lost her defender but powered the ball over the net. Louisville would counter with a shot on target in stoppage time, and the score might have favored the away side had it not been for a strong toe save from Bledsoe. 

With Bledsoe doing her job in net, the offense did theirs up the field — Huster weaved away from her defender and hit a diagonal pass out wide to Rodman, who hit a cross into the box. After improving throughout the game, Sanchez, who was open in front of goal, hit a one-time shot that bested Betos for the Spirit’s first three points of the season.    

For their third fixture of the 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup Presented by Secret Deodorant, the Spirit will face the Orlando Pride on Wednesday, April 21 at 7 pm ET at Exploria Stadium and will be broadcast live on Paramount+ (USA) and Twitch (INT).

-NWSL Match Report-

Match: Washington Spirit vs Racing Louisville 

Date: April 15, 2021

Venue: Audie Field

Kickoff: 7 p.m. ET

Weather: Mostly cloudy, low 60s

Scoring Summary:

Goals 1 2 F
Washington 0 1 1
Louisville 0 0 0

 

WAS – Ashley Sanchez 90+3’

Lineups:

WAS (3-4-3): 1-Aubrey Bledsoe (c); 16-Julia Roddar (30-Camryn Biegalsk 74’); 7-Saori Takarada; 4-Natalie Jacobs; 14-Paige Nielsen; 23-Tori Huster; 9-Tegan McGrady; 19-Dorian Bailey;  2-Trinity Rodman (21-Anna Heilferty 90+5’); 10-Ashley Sanchez; 33-Ashley Hatch (17-Kumi Yokoyama 81’)

Unused Substitutes: 3-Sam Staab; 24-Chinyelu Asher; 20-Mariana Spechmaier; 18-Devon Kerr

LOU (4-4-2): 1-Michelle Betos (c); 11-Emily Fox; 14-Nealy Martin; 15-Brooke Hendrix; 5-Cecelia Kizer; 2-Lauren Milliet; 8-Freja Olofsson (19-Taylor Otto 77’); 3-Erin Simon; 13-Emina Ekic (22-Katie McClure 71’); 17-Yuki Nagasato; 7-Savannah McCaskill

Unused Substitutes: 24-Noelle Higginson; 23-Katie Lund; 18-Kaleigh Riehl; 16-Julia Ashley; 27-Vanessa Kara; 21-Shelby Money

Stats Summary: WAS / LOU

Shots: 19 / 8

Shots on Target: 7 / 4

Saves: 4 / 6

Blocked Shots: 6 / 1

Fouls: 12 / 13

Offside: 2 / 2

Misconduct Summary:

WAS – Julia Roddar 59’ – Yellow Card

LOU – Freja Olofsson 52’ – Yellow Card

WAS – Tori Huster 79’ – Yellow Card

Officials:

Referee: Danielle Chesky

Assistant Referee 1: Ben Pilgrim

Assistant Referee 2: Nicholas Seymour

Fourth Official: Jeffrey Skinker

The post Spirit Strike in Stoppage Time to Win Tightly Contested Match With Louisville appeared first on Washington Spirit.

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