In a Friday night face-off where both teams have something to prove, Washington Spirit, in third place but reeling from a 3-0 loss, play Angel City FC, on a two-loss slide. The Spirit’s support from a Buzzard Point crowd will be strong, but a fast, determined Angel City won’t be easy to beat.

Washington Spirit (4W-0D-2L) will be without head coach Jonatan Giráldez for tonight’s attempt. Giráldez received a red card in stoppage time of Saturday’s match and will be replaced by assistant coach Adrián González for this game. Luckily, González has the experience required and trust of the team after a stint coaching them at the beginning of 2024.

“I know it’s been a while, but it’s nothing new to me,” González said. “I know the players; I know the league; I know the opponent.”

The Spirit’s injury list is still longer than anyone would like, but there are some positives this week. The previously injured Rose Kouassi and Croix Bethune remain available and should be ready for more minutes this week, as should Ashley Hatch, who said her concussion recovery is going well.

Angel City FC (2-2-2) were one of the last undefeated teams at the start of their season but are on a two-match losing streak and, similarly to last weekend’s Gotham, will be highly motivated to stop the slide. Angel City are still working on consistency, but they’ve got a fast counterattacking squad with a good mix of youth and veteran talent. González highlighted the danger posed by attacking trio Alyssa Thompson, Claire Emslie, and Riley Tiernan, thanks to whose efforts the L.A. team is outperforming their xG in almost every match.

In preparation for this game, Hatch said the Spirit studied their mistakes from the loss to Gotham and planned to be more proactive and aggressive, particularly with their press, putting Angel City under pressure from the beginning of the match. The Spirit have also focused all season on adaptability, often playing “out of position” at training to improve individual flexibility.

“I’m confident in doing whatever is asked of me, whatever the team needs, and I think that’s the same mentality for every player,” she said, explaining that the team works to adjusting their shape and individual roles both to respond to player availability and to exploit their opponent’s weaknesses. “I think it’s really good to have that flexibility, and I think every player is willing to play whatever role, and I think that’s something that makes us a really good team.”

Key Player: Tara McKeown

Washington’s stalwart center back Tara McKeown will be vital to stopping Angel City from running away with the match. Often tasked with stopping attackers running behind the Spirit’s back line, McKeown leads the team in clearances, interceptions, and number of dribblers tackled, with a 90 percent success rate on those tackles. Washington’s system also allows McKeown also to get involved in the attack, where her strength comes to play in the form of drives into opposing territory — plus the occasional attempt on a set piece.

Watch Out For: Alyssa Thompson

Once the youngest player drafted into the NWSL, Alyssa Thompson is now in her third season with Angel City and really hitting her stride. In five matches, she’s scored three goals and made one assist and can be counted on to super-charge ACFC’s attack.

Challenges: The Spirit had a sluggish start to their last game, allowing three goals in the first half and digging themselves into a hole they couldn’t get out of. They’ll need to be better prepared to start this match with a strong defensive performance, especially against an ACFC who’ve scored in the first 15 minutes of four matches this season.

Previously: Last season, the Spirit beat Angel City twice, doubling their opponents’ goals in both contests.

Angel City FC Availability:

Out: Jun Endo (SEI – knee), Sydney Leroux (excused absence), Ali Riley (SEI – upper leg)

Questionable: None

Washington Spirit Availability:

Out: Emma Gaines-Ramos (SEI – knee), Hal Hershfelt (ankle), Lyza Jessee (SEI – wrist), Casey Krueger (knee), Paige Metayer (D45 – knee), Ouleye Sarr (SEI – back), Andi Sullivan (maternity leave), Trinity Rodman (excused absence), Kate Wiesner (hip)

Questionable: Leicy Santos (knee)

Location: Audi Field, Washington, DC
Kickoff time: 8 p.m. ET
Referee: Shawn Tehini
Available streaming: Prime Video