In their last regular-season game, the playoff-bound Washington Spirit fell 2-1 to Seattle Reign FC at the Maryland SoccerPlex on Saturday, suffering their only home loss of the year and setting up a rematch between the two sides in this weekend’s National Women’s Soccer League semifinal.
Coming into Saturday’s fixture, the Spirit still had a chance to host a playoff match for the first time in their brief history if they beat Seattle and if Chicago lost or drew in their finale against Houston (that game finished 1-1 on Sunday). However, Washington (8-6-6) couldn’t overcome a pair of brilliant goals from Jessica Fishlock and Megan Rapinoe, and will open their postseason in the Emerald City, where they lost 2-1 in a semifinal tilt last year.
There was some question as to whether Seattle, having already clinched first place in the NWSL standings, might rest their stars in preparation for the playoffs. Unfortunately for the Spirit, but to the delight of many in the capacity crowd of 5,708, Reign FC arrived with their full-strength lineup, which features the U.S. Women’s National Team’s Hope Solo in goal and Rapinoe at forward.
Seattle certainly looked like the more formidable squad early on. In the 15th minute, Rapinoe took on Spirit defender Whitney Church along the left flank and lofted a dangerous cross into the middle of the 6-yard box. Washington’s Katherine Reynolds was able to head it out of the penalty area, but Fishlock collected the ball with a deft first touch before unleashing a right-footed half-volley from 22 yards out that dipped into the corner of the net past fully outstretched goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris.
Another display of individual skill (aided by lax defending) put the visitors’ up 2-0 ten minutes later. Seattle’s Merritt Mathias played the ball back to Rapinoe, who found herself with abundant space to operate at the edge of the attacking third. Spirit defender Ali Krieger was a step slow closing down, allowing Rapinoe to size up her target before firing a 25-yard right-footed strike that tucked just inside the near post despite a laudable diving effort from Harris. (The Spirit keeper had a strong game overall with five saves, holding her own with Solo in a match-up of the nation’s top two female goalies.)
Washington got an opportunity to pull one back when midfielder Diana Matheson nimbly dribbled into the penalty area and was taken down by Seattle’s Lauren Barnes. The Canadian international stepped up to the 12-yard spot in the 37th minute and confidently chipped the ball into the upper 90 while Solo hedged to the wrong direction.
The superbly taken PK gave the Spirit life going into the second half, but they couldn’t capitalize on the several good scoring chances they created. In the 64th minute, Crystal Dunn (who won the NWSL’s Golden Boot with 15 goals, but was held in check on Saturday) sent a low, hard cross into the box that was dummied by Matheson before finding the right foot of teammate Francisca Ordega. The Nigerian forward one-timed a shot toward goal, but narrowly missed wide of the far post.
In the 72nd minute, Washington’s Estelle Johnson got her head on a corner kick from teammate Christine Nairn, but her attempt from the edge of the 6-yard box went a yard or two astray of the left goalpost. A quarter-hour later, Solo came off her line to smother a deflected cross and collided violently with Spirit midfielder Hayley Raso, who was charging hard for the ball. he two players stayed down for a couple of minutes, with Fishlock screaming vociferously at Raso (who was given a yellow card on the play). Five minutes of stoppage time were tacked on at the end of regulation, but Seattle was able to control possession and prevent a comeback by the hosts.
Although the loss was disappointing, Washington enjoyed an excellent home campaign in 2015, finishing with a 6-3-1 record at the SoccerPlex, which was regularly packed with supporters, especially after the USWNT’s World Cup heroics sparked a league-wide surge in attendance. Fans will have to watch the team’s playoff run on television (FOX Sports 1), as the fourth-seeded Spirit and top-seeded Reign FC face off again in Seattle at 9:30 p.m. ET on Sunday. The winner of that semifinal contest will meet either Chicago or Kansas City in the NWSL Championship match, which will be played at Portland’s Providence Park on October 1.
