Washington Spirit vs. Racing Louisville FC: Quarterfinal preview, time, and how to watch
It’s been a tumultuous year for the Washington Spirit. After winning the Challenge Cup in March, they’ve batted through injuries, midweek matches, and a coaching change to hold onto second place in the NWSL. Their reward? A home venue for today’s quarterfinal playoff match. But the support of the Rowdy Audi crowd can only help them so much in a single-elimination match against Racing Louisville FC.
After finishing in 9th place for each of their first four years in existence, Racing Louisville have finally made the playoffs, finishing 7th, and they’re determined to make the most of it. Racing are a vertical team with a strong midfield who are most comfortable letting their opponents have the ball and waiting for the moment to counterattack. As shown in their most recent match against the Spirit in August, they also specialize in disrupting games, creating chaos, and frustrating opponents’ game plans.
Spirit head coach Adrián González had plenty of praise for Bev Yanez’s side.
“They are very dangerous in transition. They have many threats, especially to run behind,” he said, calling out Emma Sears, Taylor Flint, and Ary Borges as especially dangerous players. The keys for his team, González said, will include reducing distance between themselves to find short passes and limit Racing’s opportunities for the long pass and responding aggressively in the first second after turning over the ball.
Captain Aubrey Kingsbury was positive about Washington’s chances ahead of the match, describing the team’s depth as one of their greatest strengths. With most of the team available today, and finally having had a week to train together, they should be able to bring a high degree of attacking firepower to the match, both with starters and substitutes.
Key Player: Croix Bethune
To win, Washington Spirit will need to make the most out of every one of Racing’s mistakes, and one of the players best poised to do that is Croix Bethune. A creative player with an uncanny ability to take opponents by surprise, Bethune’s skills on the ball and judgement in the final third will be essential to converting chances.
Watch Out For: Emma Sears, Taylor Flint
Fresh off of a hat trick for the US Women’s National Team, Emma Sears is the preferred focal point of Louisville’s attack. Sears has scored 10 of her teams 34 goals this season, and her strength and speed make her nearly impossible to beat to a long ball behind the defensive line.
Meanwhile, Taylor Flint is one of the league’s best defensive midfielders and an incredible aerial threat. González warned against focusing too much on countering her in the air, particularly on set pieces, and working instead to defend against second balls. “In the air, I don’t think a lot of players can beat her.”
Challenges: Since clinching second place in the league, the Spirit have been lacking some of their usual fight, finishing the season with two losses and a draw. They’ll need to regain their connection and threat in the final third to threaten Louisville today.
Previously: In their home-and-away series this year, Washington have a slight edge, with a 2-0 win at home and a 2-2 draw in Louisville.
Racing Louisville Availability:
Out: Jordan Baggett (excused absence), Savannah DeMelo (illness), Uchenna Kanu (knee), Makenna Morris (lower leg), Olivia Sekany (SEI – knee), Kirsten Wright (maternity leave)
Questionable: None
Washington Spirit Availability:
Out: Deborah Abiodun (ankle), Ashley Hatch (maternity leave), Lyza Jessee (SEI – wrist), Casey Krueger (maternity leave), Ouleye Sarr (SEI – back), Andi Sullivan (maternity leave)
Questionable: Trinity Rodman (knee)
Location: Audi Field, Washington, DC
Kickoff time: 12 p.m. ET
Referee: Nabil Bensalah
Available TV: CBS
Available streaming: Paramount+
That’s honestly a pretty good encouraging availability report. Shows pretty clearly that the coaching staff took no chances with the Utah game, and seems it’s been rewarded.
I’m still not fully in agreement with the idea of risking Rodman at all this game, even if elimination is a possibility. MCL injuries can be severe enough that a possibility of exacerbation would be devastating, whatever Trin wants to do the offseason. But if the training staff thinks it’s durable enough, I’ll hope for the best, with high anxiety.
Best way to assure that Trinity is on the sideline is to open up a two or three goal lead early.
Yeah–I agree about the MCL stuff. Far better to give her another week. This is likely to be a very rough, disruptive, multiple fouls off the ball kind of game. This is the sort of game that Santos, Kouassi, and Monday would do well at. And it’s the sort of game where Rodman has–sometimes previously–lost her focus. Unless she’s entirely comfortable with her MCL some of the Racing “dark arts” may push her buttons.
I actually think Gift Monday is the critical player for the Spirit. L-ville will be disruptive, foul continuously, grab, and see to be like the mosquito that is always there. Monday is so good in the box (on and off the ball) and is such a good finisher.
The Spirit need to stay focused and not let Racing irritate them or take away their focus. I wish Krueger was available for this game–I’d put her on Sears and then say “let’s play 10 on 10.”
Finally, the quality of the referring is critical for this match, given how L-ville likes to play.
Fully agreed on Monday. If she couldn’t go today, I wasn’t liking our chances. If she’s good to start, huge difference.
I’m trying to figure out the formation we’re likely to play. The starters appear to be Kingsbury, Esme, Bernal, Mckeown, Carle, Santos, Hershfelt, Bethune, Kouassi, Monday, and Cantore.
It’s either Esme at right back with Bernal and Mckeown at CB, or it’s a 3-5-2 with Kouassi and Carle at wingback.
4-3-3. Let’s go
It’s stark how much more Kang juices the music budget. Cold day in hell DC United pays Taylor Swift.
Rowdy Audi coming through loud on the broadcast.
It’s pretty fun
They more they show the disallowed goal the more it looks overly harsh.
Louisville’s #16 in defense is friggin fast
Sonis. Man, running down Kouassi is impressive
Sheesh. Again. Yeah she is quick.
Should certainly have scored a goal that VAR couldn’t question, but the fact they haven’t is largely down to minor missed connections and making decisions in the final play that weren’t optimal.
Had a few scares, I fear Louisville has a 1-0 bank robbery in their locker, so let’s settle this.
For those at home, full marching band with a classy group of dancers at halftime for entertainment. Levien would never.
0-0 at half. Spirit has dominated possession but aside from disallowed goal (which looked not-offside to me) Spirit haven’t found the net.
Weisner can’t be trusted to cover Sears. All her teammates know it. It’s causing cascading issues.
I’d even argue Santos’ involvement in the play that got her injured is one of them.
She’s gotten much more comfortable and steady as time has wound down, at least
Kouassi with the service, Monday with the ups!!!
1-0 Spirit!!!
With the week plus she’s had, that goal has to be somewhat cathartic for Monday. I’m really happy she got that goal.
Yeah, massive kismet
Aww crap
Well shit
This is going to Extra Time
Pretty criminal on the Spirit’s part that they couldn’t connect for a first half goal or a late second.
That looks pretty bad for Mckeon
McKeon is done…that really sucks…
Still 1-1 at end of first extra time.
I really don’t know if our offensive pieces left on the field add up to a goal
I have a feeling this is going to penalties.
Yep, we’re there. And honestly, with the offensive pieces we had left, better to hand it to Kingsbury.
Supporters’s section end PK shootout. Kingsbury, report to the stage…
Kingsbury, your eternal throne awaits.
I mean, I love this team, and there’s a certain something about a playoff penalty shootout, but also, I’ve now lost about 12 years of my life to Spirit playoff penalty shootouts…
This is for posterity’s sake, so be honest- how do you feel?
Who needs a voice anyway? I wasn’t really using mine that much!
But, I mean, real talk, this team’s ability over about 85% of the field has been astounding for most of the season, and the defensive lapses that plagued them early have gotten much better under Adrian, but (and this is especially true given the sheer amount of attacking ability on the field at any given time) the last ball or two still aren’t quite there far too often. This was a game that should have been put solidly away early, but something still isn’t quite clicking.
💯. Though I largely blame Cantore and to a certain extent Kouassi for not putting in Monday more often when that was the better option and she made the smart run.
I also think, if Hatch is swimming in this offensive soup, we’re slamming teams in the paint and putting it out of reach.
Aubrey Kingsbury’s penalty shoot out is phenomenal. Another Louisville pk over the bar and then four straight stops. On to the semifinal.
Also, Trinity Rodman didn’t play though we may have lost Tara McKeown for the next match.
Hopefully, we also get Abiodun back for semifinal.