The Washington Spirit did it again. In fact, Rose Kouassi did it again. A frustrating second half, which included a 95^th equalizer from San Diego Wave, was turned around with yet another moment of late game heroism from the Spirit. They probably shouldn’t have been in the situation, but were spared a week of thinking about the points that got away when a Rose Kouassi cross (shross/crot) found the back of the net in the 98^th minute.

The Washington Spirit didn’t wait around to figure out San Diego, and instead went straight at them, pressing hard and moving the ball quickly after it was won. One such moment before the ten minute mark led to the game’s first goal.

Trinity Rodman was sizing up her defender but got the ball stuck between them, and Deborah Abiodun was quickest to the ball, claiming possession and sending a good cross into the box. Rose Kouassi made sure she was first to it ahead of Kennedy Wesley, and nodded it across the line.

Deborah Abiodun finds Rosemonde Kouassi under pressure or her third goal of the season!

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— NWSL (@nwslsoccer.com) October 5, 2025 at 1:22 PM

The Spirit kept pushing to add a second, and had multiple big chances to send Audi into delirium once again. Gift Monday had a left footed shot outside of the box saved, Rodman had a left footed shot saved heroically by Kailen Sheridan, and Kouassi had another quality chance but couldn’t put it in the back of the net.

Just before halftime Croix Bethune nearly got the Spirit an elusive second goal after a lovely cross from Gabby Carle. The ball floated into the box and Bethune weaved her way to meet it with a floating touch that sent the ball skipping off the turf but on the wrong side of the post. The Spirit were in control and seemingly creating chances at will, but were frustratingly heading into halftime with only a one goal lead.

Halftime | 1-0

The second half was a bit more disjointed, because, well, now is the time to discuss the inconsistent and seemingly one-sided refereeing. It started in the first half, but by the second San Diego had fully learned that they could use the referee to break the game apart. There was not only lots of falling from Wave players, which the referee seemingly always read as a foul, but chippy and cynical fouls from San Diego players were rarely called fouls, and even more rarely drawing yellow cards.

Spirit players responded with a lot of frustration, as did the crowd at Audi. Several “boos” rained down, as well as multiple “Ref you suck!” chants. Yet, the inconsistency remained, which altered the match.

Washington has become one of the most patient teams in buildup and chance creation, but it seemed that frustration over knowing it wouldn’t take much for a referee’s whistle to end their attack was causing them to rush. Still, they were creating several chances to add a second.

Thanks to this referee, and a conspicuously quick VAR check, we also learned that this is not a penalty.

Not a penalty, apparently!!

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— Hey Spirits! (@heyspirits.bsky.social) October 5, 2025 at 7:57 PM

Ok.

Anyway, one of the best chances for the Spirit came in the 72^nd minute when Gift Monday slipped a ball in behind the defense to Croix Bethune. She lined up a low shot that seemed destined to be the long-awaited second goal only to see another heroic save from Sheridan keep the ball out yet again.

This seemed to kick off another string of chances that also went begging. In the 80^th minute, Monday got behind the defense for a lone fast break and saw her effort at goal saved. Then Rodman had shots blocked or saved in the 81^st, 89^th, and 93^rd. The finishing gods took over from there, unfortunately.

Up until the 95th minute, San Diego had yet to have a single shot on target. That all changed when Kyra Carusa played a ball into Delphine Cascarino who dinked it beyond Aubrey Kingsbury to tie the match.

It seemed improbable for this match—which the Spirit dominated with and without the ball—to be heading toward ending 1-1. This, compounded with frustrations from questionable refereeing, seemed to deflate and irritate Audi.

Spirit players were irritated as well, but the full time whistle hadn’t sounded, so they knew there was time to do the impossible. In fact, would it really be all that impossible? If you’ve followed this team, even for a few months, you know that expecting the improbable, or even impossible, isn’t as silly as it seems on the surface.

For the second time this season, Rose Kouassi delivered a stunner with the last shot of the game. Tara the Explorer pushed the team forward after San Diego’s equalizer, and after a few blocked or deflected chances, ended up sliding the ball to Sofia Cantore, who fed it wide to Kouassi.

Whether you call them ‘shrosses’ or ‘crots’, none of that matters. Kouassi’s delivery floated into the box, spinning and curling, and eventually dropping out of the sky into the far side netting.

ABSOLUTE CINEMA. A moment for THAT Rosemonde Kouassi game-winner 🎥

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— NWSL (@nwslsoccer.com) October 5, 2025 at 3:36 PM

NWSL admin is so right, absolute cinema.

Up next: The Spirit will head to North Carolina to face a desperate North Carolina Courage team, who will need three points to keep their playoff hopes alive.

Three Takeaways 

• This team is unreal. The Spirit very rarely send fans home with disappointment, and in several instances tend to give them unforgettable highs. In the mixed zone postgame, Esme Morgan noted that these late, match-winning goals are special sports moments that stick with you forever, and it is amazing to be part of a team that gives that to their fans so frequently.
  
  
• 17,422. Attendance at the game was 17,422, which allowed the Spirit to break their record for total attendance in home games, which was set last season (and did it with one regular season home game to go). This also marked yet another match in which the Spirit outdrew co-Audi residents D.C. United, who had 17,003 in yesterday’s loss to Charlotte FC.
  
  
• “You like that?” Another game, another position for Deborah Abiodun, who lined up at right back against the Wave. Postgame, I asked Adrián González about the many positions Abiodun has played already, to which he smirked and jokingly replied: “You like that?” González has said he thinks of players in terms of what spaces they can play in, and Abiodun’s skillset allows her to move around the pitch, playing different “positions”, while still being effective.

Box Score

NWSL Regular Season –  Game 23

Washington Spirit 2 (Kouassi 9′, 90+8′)

San Diego Wave 1 (Cascarino 90+5′)

Lineups

Washington Spirit (433): Aubrey Kingsbury (C); Gabby Carle, Esme Morgan, Tara McKeown, Deb Abiodun; Leicy Santos (Miura 72′), Hal Hershfelt, Croix Bethune; Rose Kouassi, Gift Monday (Cantore 82′), Trinity Rodman

San Diego Wave (451): Kailen Sheridan (C); Perle Morroni, Kristen McNabb, Kennedy Wesley, Hanna Lundkvist (Armstrong 73′); Kimmi Ascanio, Kenza Dali, Gia Corley (Fusco 85′), Makenzy Robbe (Caruso 57′), Dudinha (McMahon 86′); Adriana Leon (Cascarino 57′)

Misconduct Summary

Washington Spirit: Abiodun 69′

San Diego Wave: Robbe 38′, Lundkvist 62′, Cascarino 71′