2021 Washington Spirit season
| 2021 season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| President | Ben Olsen | ||
| Head coach | vacant | ||
| Stadium | Maryland SoccerPlex Audi Field Segra Field | ||
| NWSL | 3rd | ||
| NWSL Playoffs | Champions | ||
| Challenge Cup | Group stage | ||
| Top goalscorer | League: Ashley Hatch (10) All: Ashley Hatch (11) | ||
|
| |||
The 2021 Washington Spirit season was the club's 11th season of existence, and its ninth in the National Women's Soccer League, the top division of women's soccer in the United States.
The season began with the 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup on April 9, 2021 followed by a 24-match regular season. The regular season concluded on October 31, 2021.[1] The Spirit made its first playoff appearance in five years on November 7, 2021, taking down the defending league champion North Carolina Courage in a quarterfinal match at Audi Field. On November 14, Washington took down two-seed OL Reign in Tacoma to advance to the 2021 NWSL Championship Game in Louisville, KY. The following Saturday, November 20, the Spirit earned its first league title with a 2-1 win over the Chicago Red Stars after extra time.
Background
The 2020 season was the Washington Spirit's seventh season. The season was slated to begin on April 18, 2020 but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ultimately, the NWSL season was cancelled due to the pandemic. The club participated in the NWSL Challenge Cup and the NWSL Fall series which were held in lieu of the regular season. The Challenge Cup was held behind closed doors at the neutral venue of Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman, Utah. The Spirit reached the Quarterfinals of the Challenge Cup, and finished in third place in the Fall Series. Combined across all matches, the Spirit had the second best record of matches played during the 2020 season.
Club
Roster
- As of September 11, 2021.[2]
| No. | Pos. | Player | Nation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | USA | Aubrey Bledsoe |
| 2 | FW | USA | Trinity Rodman |
| 3 | DF | USA | Sam Staab |
| 5 | DF | USA | Kelley O'Hara |
| 6 | DF | USA | Emily Sonnett |
| 7 | MF | JPN | Saori Takarada |
| 8 | FW | USA | Averie Collins |
| 9 | DF | USA | Tegan McGrady |
| 10 | FW | USA | Ashley Sanchez |
| 11 | MF | USA | Jordan DiBiasi |
| 12 | MF | USA | Andi Sullivan |
| 13 | FW | USA | Bayley Feist |
| 14 | DF | USA | Paige Nielsen |
| 16 | MF | SWE | Julia Roddar |
| 17 | FW | JPN | Kumi Yokoyama |
| 18 | GK | CAN | Devon Kerr |
| 19 | MF | USA | Dorian Bailey |
| 20 | FW | VEN | Mariana Speckmaier |
| 21 | MF | USA | Anna Heilferty |
| 23 | DF | USA | Tori Huster |
| 24 | MF | JAM | Chinyelu Asher |
| 25 | DF | MEX | Karina Rodriguez |
| 27 | FW | USA | Tara McKeown |
| 28 | DF | USA | Morgan Goff |
| 30 | DF | USA | Camryn Biegalski |
| 31 | GK | JAM | Sydney Schneider |
| 33 | FW | USA | Ashley Hatch |
Management and support staff
| Role | Name[3] |
|---|---|
| Manager | Vacant |
| Technical Staff Coach | Kris Ward |
| Goalkeeping coach | Paul Crichton |
| High Performance Director | Michael Minthorne |
Non-competitive
| March 6, 2021 Preseason | Palm Beach Atlantic Sailfish | 0–6 | Washington Spirit | West Palm Beach, Florida |
| Report | Hatch 18' (Sanchez), 23', 39' (Feist) Feist 27' Rodman 51', 71' |
Stadium: Marshall and Vera Lea Rinker Athletic Campus |
| March 13, 2021 Preseason | Washington Spirit | 5–0 | IMG Academy | West Palm Beach, Florida |
| O'Hara 29' Sanchez 54' (pen.) Feist 64' (Sanchez), 69' Sonnett 83' (Sanchez) |
Report | Stadium: Marshall and Vera Lea Rinker Athletic Campus |
| March 20, 2021 Preseason | Washington Spirit | Canceled | Orlando Pride | West Palm Beach, Florida |
| Report | Stadium: Marshall and Vera Lea Rinker Athletic Campus | |||
| Note: Canceled due to false positive Coronavirus disease 2019 tests at Spirit training camp. | ||||
Competitive
NWSL Challenge Cup
Standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NJ/NY Gotham FC | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 8 | Qualification for the Championship |
| 2 | North Carolina Courage | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 8 | +1 | 7 | |
| 3 | Orlando Pride | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 5 | |
| 4 | Washington Spirit | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | −1 | 4 | |
| 5 | Racing Louisville FC | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | −2 | 2 |
Results
| April 10 1 | North Carolina Courage | 3–2 | Washington Spirit | Cary, North Carolina |
| 3:30 PM EDT (UTC-4) | Report | Stadium: Sahlen's Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park Attendance: 2,300 Referee: Alyssa Nichols (Mississippi) |
| April 15, 2021 2 | Washington Spirit | 1–0 | Racing Louisville FC | Washington, D.C. |
| 7:00 PM EDT (UTC-4) | Report |
|
Stadium: Audi Field Referee: Danielle Chesky (Virginia) |
| April 21, 2021 3 | Orlando Pride | 1–0 | Washington Spirit | Orlando, Florida |
| 7:00 PM EDT (UTC-4) | Report | Stadium: Exploria Stadium Referee: Alex Billeter (Florida) |
| April 27, 2021 4 | Washington Spirit | 0–0 | NJ/NY Gotham FC | Washington, D.C. |
| 7:00 PM EDT (UTC-4) |
|
Report | Stadium: Audi Field Attendance: 2,039 Referee: Karen Callado (California) |
NWSL
Standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portland Thorns FC | 24 | 13 | 5 | 6 | 33 | 17 | +16 | 44 | NWSL Shield |
| 2 | OL Reign | 24 | 13 | 3 | 8 | 37 | 24 | +13 | 42 | Playoffs – Semi-finals |
| 3 | Washington Spirit (C) | 24 | 11 | 6 | 7 | 29 | 26 | +3 | 39 | Playoffs – First round |
| 4 | Chicago Red Stars | 24 | 11 | 5 | 8 | 28 | 28 | 0 | 38 | |
| 5 | NJ/NY Gotham FC | 24 | 8 | 11 | 5 | 29 | 21 | +8 | 35 | |
| 6 | North Carolina Courage | 24 | 9 | 6 | 9 | 28 | 23 | +5 | 33 | |
| 7 | Houston Dash | 24 | 9 | 5 | 10 | 31 | 31 | 0 | 32 | |
| 8 | Orlando Pride | 24 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 27 | 32 | −5 | 28 | |
| 9 | Racing Louisville FC | 24 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 21 | 40 | −19 | 22 | |
| 10 | Kansas City | 24 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 15 | 36 | −21 | 16 |
Results
| May 16, 2021 1 | Orlando Pride | 1–1 | Washington Spirit | Orlando, Florida |
| 7:00 PM EDT (UTC-4) |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Exploria Stadium Referee: Karen Callado (California) |
| May 21, 2021 2 | Racing Louisville FC | 2–0 | Washington Spirit | Louisville, Kentucky |
| 7:30 PM EDT (UTC-4) | Report | Stadium: Lynn Family Stadium Attendance: 6,011 Referee: Katja Koroleva (Washington) |
| May 26, 2021 3 | Houston Dash | 1–2 | Washington Spirit | Houston, Texas |
| 6:30 PM CDT (UTC-5) | Report | Stadium: BBVA Stadium Attendance: 2,241 Referee: Natalie Simon (Florida) |
| May 30, 2021 4 | OL Reign | 0–1 | Washington Spirit | Tacoma, Washington |
| 4:00 PM PDT (UTC-7) |
|
Report | Stadium: Cheney Stadium Attendance: 2,537 Referee: Samantha Martinez (California) |
| June 6, 2021 5 | Washington Spirit | 1–1 | Orlando Pride | Washington, D.C. |
| 2:00 pm EDT (UTC-4) | Report | Stadium: Audi Field Attendance: 5,199 Referee: Adorae Monroy (Washington) |
| June 19, 2021 6 | Chicago Red Stars | 1–1 | Washington Spirit | Bridgeview, Illinois |
| 7:00 PM CDT (UTC-5) |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: SeatGeek Stadium Attendance: 3,296 Referee: Karen Abt (Colorado) |
| June 26, 2021 7 | Kansas City | 1–2 | Washington Spirit | Kansas City, Missouri |
| 7:30 PM CDT (UTC-5) | Report | Stadium: Legends Field Attendance: 5,157 Referee: Laura Rodriguez (Colorado) |
| July 2, 2021 8 | Washington Spirit | 0–1 | Chicago Red Stars | Leesburg, Virginia |
| 7:00 PM EDT (UTC-4) | Report | Roddar 33' (o.g.) | Stadium: Segra Field Attendance: 3,201 Referee: JC Griggs (Virginia) |
| July 10, 2021 9 | Washington Spirit | 2–0 | North Carolina Courage | Washington, D.C. |
| 7:00 PM EDT (UTC-4) |
|
Report | Stadium: Audi Field Attendance: 4,929 Referee: Matt Franz (Virginia) |
| July 18, 2021 10 | Washington Spirit | 2–3 | NJ/NY Gotham FC | Leesburg, Virginia |
| 5:00 PM EDT (UTC-4) | Report | Stadium: Segra Field Referee: Karen Callado (California) |
| July 25, 2021 11 | Racing Louisville FC | 0–2 | Washington Spirit | Louisville, Kentucky |
| 3:00 PM EDT (UTC-4) | Report | Stadium: Lynn Family Stadium Attendance: 6,422 Referee: Samantha Martinez (California) |
| August 1, 2021 12 | Chicago Red Stars | 3–1 | Washington Spirit | Bridgeview, Illinois |
| 5:00 PM CDT (UTC-5) | Report | Stadium: SeatGeek Stadium Attendance: 2,534 Referee: Natalie Simon (Florida) |
| August 7, 2021 13 | Washington Spirit | 0–1 | Portland Thorns FC | Leesburg, Virginia |
| 7:30 PM EDT (UTC-4) |
|
Report | Stadium: Segra Field Attendance: 2,899 Referee: Katja Koroleva (Washington) |
| August 13, 2021 14 | Houston Dash | 2–2 | Washington Spirit | Houston, Texas |
| 7:30 PM CDT (UTC-5) | Report | Stadium: BBVA Stadium Referee: Laura Rodriguez (Colorado) |
| August 22, 2021 15 | Washington Spirit | 2–1 | Orlando Pride | Washington, D.C. |
| 4:00 PM EDT (UTC-4) | Report | Stadium: Audi Field Attendance: 6,002 Referee: Tori Penso (Florida) |
| August 29, 2021 16 | Washington Spirit | 0–0 | North Carolina Courage | Washington, D.C. |
| 5:00 PM EDT (UTC-4) |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Audi Field Attendance: 4,554 Referee: Greg Dopka (Illinois) |
| September 4, 2021 17 | Portland Thorns FC | 3–0 | Washington Spirit | Portland, Oregon |
| 7:30 PM PDT (UTC-7) | Report | Stadium: Providence Park | ||
| Note: The NWSL declared a forfeit due to breaches of medical protocols by the Washington Spirit. Portland received a 3–0 win according to FIFA guidelines. | ||||
| September 12, 2021 18 | Washington Spirit | 0–3 | OL Reign | Washington, D.C. |
| 5:00 PM EDT (UTC-4) | Report | Stadium: Audi Field | ||
| Note: The NWSL declared a forfeit due to breaches of medical protocols by the Washington Spirit. OL Reign received a 3–0 win according to FIFA guidelines. | ||||
| September 26, 2021 19 | Washington Spirit | 2–1 | Kansas City | Leesburg, Virginia |
| 5:00 PM EDT (UTC-4) | Jenkins 8' | Stadium: Segra Field Attendance: 3,295 Referee: Karen Abt (Colorado) |
| October 6, 2021 21 | NJ/NY Gotham FC | 0–0 | Washington Spirit | Chester, Pennsylvania |
| 7:00 PM EDT (UTC-4) | Stadium: Subaru Park Attendance: 9,532 Referee: Ismir Pekmic (Minnesota) |
| October 9, 2021 22 | Washington Spirit | 3–0 | Racing Louisville FC | Washington, D.C. |
| 7:30 PM EDT (UTC-4) | Stadium: Audi Field Referee: Laura Rodriguez (Colorado) |
| October 14, 2021 20 | North Carolina Courage | 1–2 | Washington Spirit | Cary, North Carolina |
| 7:30 PM EDT (UTC-4) | Speck 60' | Stadium: Sahlen's Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park Attendance: 3,742 Referee: Sergii Demianchuk (Georgia) |
| October 16, 2021 23 | OL Reign | 0–2 | Washington Spirit | Tacoma, Washington |
| 7:00 PM PDT (UTC-7) | Report | Stadium: Cheney Stadium Attendance: 4,009 Referee: Katja Koroleva (Washington) |
| October 31, 2021 24 | Washington Spirit | 1–0 | Houston Dash | Washington, D.C. |
| 2:00 PM EDT (UTC-4) | Rodman 76' | Stadium: Audi Field Attendance: 4,542 Referee: Danielle Chesky (Virginia) |
Playoffs
| November 7, 2021 First round | Washington Spirit | 1–0 | North Carolina Courage | Washington, D.C. |
| 5:30 PM EST (UTC-5) | Hatch 113' | Report | Stadium: Audi Field Attendance: 5,379 Referee: Natalie Simon (Florida) |
| November 14, 2021 Semi-finals | OL Reign | 1–2 | Washington Spirit | Tacoma, Washington |
| 3:00 PM EST (UTC-5) | Le Sommer 3' | Report | Stadium: Cheney Stadium Attendance: 5,273 Referee: Matt Franz (Virginia) |
| November 20, 2021 Final | Washington Spirit | 2–1 | Chicago Red Stars | Louisville, Kentucky |
| 12:00 PM EST (UTC-5) | Report | Hill 45+5' | Stadium: Lynn Family Stadium Attendance: 10,360 Referee: Tori Penso (Florida) |
Transfers
Transfers in
| Date | Position | No. | Name | From | Fee/notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 24, 2020 | MF | 6 | Emily Sonnett | Orlando Pride | Trade for Meggie Dougherty Howard | [4] |
| January 26, 2021 | MF | 16 | Julia Roddar | Göteborg | Free | [5] |
| June 23, 2021 | DF | 25 | Karina Rodriguez | UCLA Bruins | Free | [6] |
Transfers out
| Date | Position | No. | Name | To | Fee/notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 18, 2020 | MF | 10 | Rose Lavelle | Manchester City | Free | |
| November 2, 2020 | FW | 20 | Cheyna Matthews | Racing Louisville | Waived | |
| November 12, 2020 | GK | 21 | Katie Lund | Racing Louisville | Draft | [7] |
| November 12, 2020 | FW | 6 | Katie McClure | Racing Louisville | Draft | [7] |
| December 24, 2020 | MF | 8 | Meggie Howard | Orlando Pride | Trade for Emily Sonnett | [4] |
| December 30, 2020 | DF | 5 | Brooke Hendrix | Racing Louisville | Free | [8] |
| January 7, 2021 | FW | 18 | Jessie Scarpa | KIF Örebro | Free | [9] |
| July 8, 2021 | DF | 4 | Natalie Jacobs | Real Betis | Wavied | [10] |
NWSL Draft picks
| 2021 Washington Spirit Draft Picks | ||||||
| Round | Selection | Player | Nat. | Position | College | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Trinity Rodman | USA | FW | Washington State | |
| 1 | 8 | Tara McKeown | USA | FW | USC | |
| 2 | 19 | Anna Heilferty | USA | FW | Boston U | |
| 3 | 29 | Sydney Schneider | JAM | GK | UNC Wilmington | |
| 4 | 39 | Mariana Speckmaier | VEN | FW | Clemson | |
Player statistics
Top scorers
| Place | Pos. | No. | Name | CC | NWSL | NWSL Playoffs | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FW | 33 | Ashley Hatch | 0 | 10 | 1 | 11 |
| 2 | FW | 2 | Trinity Rodman | 1 | 6 | 1 | 8 |
| 3 | FW | 10 | Ashley Sanchez | 1 | 4 | 1 | 6 |
| 4 | MF | 12 | Andi Sullivan | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 5 | FW | 17 | Kumi Yokoyama | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| DF | 3 | Sam Staab | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| DF | 14 | Paige Nielsen | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| MF | 23 | Tori Huster | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| DF | 27 | Tara McKeown | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| MF | 16 | Julia Roddar | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| MF | 26 | Taylor Aylmer | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| DF | 5 | Kelley O'Hara | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| 6 | Own Goal | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Total | 3 | 29 | 5 | 37 | |||
Assist leaders
| Place | Pos. | No. | Name | CC | NWSL | NWSL Playoffs | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FW | 2 | Trinity Rodman | 1 | 5 | 1 | 7 |
| 2 | MF | 12 | Andi Sullivan | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 3 | DF | 4 | Natalie Jacobs | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| MF | 23 | Tori Huster | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | |
| MF | 26 | Taylor Aylmer | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | |
| FW | 27 | Tara McKeown | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | |
| DF | 3 | Sam Staab | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| 4 | DF | 5 | Kelley O'Hara | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| MF | 19 | Dorian Bailey | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| MF | 16 | Julia Roddar | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| Total | 3 | 18 | 2 | 23 | |||
Clean sheets
| Place | Pos. | No. | Name | CC | NWSL | NWSL Playoffs | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | 1 | Aubrey Bledsoe | 2 | 8 | 1 | 11 |
| Total | 2 | 8 | 1 | 11 | |||
Disciplinary
| Pos. | No. | Name | CC | NWSL | NWSL Playoffs | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | 1 | Aubrey Bledsoe | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| FW | 2 | Trinity Rodman | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| DF | 3 | Sam Staab | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| DF | 4 | Natalie Jacobs | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| DF | 5 | Kelley O'Hara | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| DF | 6 | Emily Sonnett | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| FW | 10 | Ashley Sanchez | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| MF | 12 | Andi Sullivan | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| DF | 16 | Julia Roddar | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| MF | 19 | Dorian Bailey | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| DF | 21 | Anna Heilferty | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| DF | 23 | Tori Huster | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| MF | 26 | Taylor Aylmer | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| FW | 33 | Ashley Hatch | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Total | 6 | 1 | 24 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 32 | 3 | ||
References
- ^ "The 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup Set to Begin on April 9, 2021". nwslsoccer.com. February 1, 2021. Archived from the original on February 19, 2021. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
- ^ "Roster – Washington Spirit". Retrieved September 11, 2021.
- ^ "Coaching Staff - Washington Spirit". Archived from the original on June 23, 2019.
- ^ a b "Orlando Pride Acquires Pair of First round draft picks, Allocation Money and Meggie Dougherty Howard". www.orlandocitysc.com.
- ^ Small, Jordan (January 26, 2021). "Washington Spirit sign Swedish international Julia Roddar to a multi-year contract". washingtonspirit.com. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
- ^ "Washington Spirit Sign Defender Karina Rodriguez to a One-Year Deal". NWSLsoccer.com. June 23, 2021. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
- ^ a b "Racing Acquires Rights to Heath, Press in Expansion Draft". Racing Louisville FC. November 12, 2020. Archived from the original on January 24, 2021. Retrieved November 13, 2020.
- ^ Yates, Dominique (December 30, 2020). "Racing Louisville FC signs defender Brooke Hendrix". Louisville Courier-Journal. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
- ^ Bromley, Ben (January 7, 2021). "Adrien Perez, Jessie Scarpa, and more: Freedom Kicks for 7 January 2020". Black and Red United. SB Nation. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
- ^ "Spirit waive Natalie Jacobs, add Taylor Aylmer and Morgan Goff". July 8, 2021.