Washington Spirit finally have their first win of the 2026 season, having dominated Bay FC in a 2-0 game on Sunday evening. The Spirit are now in a playoff position in the standings for the first time this season and keep their all-time perfect winning record against the Bay.

Throughout the early season, Washington’s players and coach have said that “the goals will come,” as long as they continue to build strong attacks. It seemed that the wait would continue after the first half of last night’s game, and the team finally broke through by forcing an own goal early in the second half. Gift Monday scored late (and just three minutes after taking the field) to extend the lead and ensure the Spirit would take home three points.

“Honestly, we needed a win, and I think that again today we deserve it,” Adrián González said. “I think we’ve been very dominant, creating a lot of chances in different ways, and obviously, sometimes you don’t score the clear ones, and then today with maybe the weird ones, you just go.”

González described some of his team’s tactics for the day: “We were expecting today to have more spaces outside, um, wide, and from there, we wanted to create a lot of two-v-ones with fullbacks and wingers, not just wingers. And from there, then obviously we had space to make runs in behind.” He said Bay’s narrow defense played into Washington’s plans, while the Spirit fullbacks used positioning to be less predictable in attack.

Washington were dominant from the beginning, maintaining 62 percent of possession and allowing just one shot on target while taking 10 of their own. Especially in the first half, though, their problems with chance conversion continued, and they finished with just one goal from 2.75 expected goals. However, play in the final third was noticeably improved, with the team making good connections in and around the box.

“I think there was a calmness to us that at some point we were going to break through, whereas in previous weeks, we maybe not felt that type of momentum,” Esme Morgan said. “Obviously it was a bit weird when it came, but we can’t complain.”

The breakthrough came in the 54th minute, as a result of the Spirit’s well-coordinated, aggressive press. Receiving the ball from Rosemonde Kouassi, Paige Metayer kicked it forward but was pushed off of it by a Bay defender, who passed toward the goal. Metayer continued chasing it down, joined centrally by Claudia Martinez. Goalkeeper Jordan Silkowitz slid to clear the ball out of their pressure, but it bounced off of Brooklyn Courtnall and into the goal at the far post.

In the 87th minute, Tamara Bolt slanted a pass forward to Trinity Rodman on the left wing. One-on-one with the keeper, Rodman shot, but it was blocked out toward the right of the goal. Monday rushed in and touched the ball before defenders could clear it, swiping it into the goal with her left foot.

“Across the games, I feel like we’ve just built and built, and today was just really consistent throughout the game, like we never really felt threatened at all, and it felt like we were really dangerous going forward, so it was a fun game to play in,” Morgan said.

Up next: The NWSL is taking a short break for a FIFA window, in which several Spirit players will play for their national teams. The Spirit next play a home match against Kansas City Current on April 24.

Three takeaways 

• Di Guglielmo injury. One sour note in the game: shortly before halftime, Lucia Di Guglielmo and Tara Rudd banged heads, causing lacerations to and concussion checks for both. Rudd was able to return to the match with a bandage, but Di Guglielmo was removed as a concussion substitute. No update has yet been provided on her condition, but a concussion could impact her plans to play for Italy in this international window.
• Second straight clean sheet. After a few matches in which she struggled with the starting role, Sandy MacIver has now kept two clean sheets in a row. She wasn’t tested much in this match, needing to make just one save of a shot by Alex Pfeiffer in the 62nd minute, but she showed a good command of her area. González attributed her improvement to simply getting more consistent professional minutes. “We are very happy with her performance — she’s improving so quick — and super happy for her also to have another clean sheet,” he said.
• There’s the Monday we remember. Monday has had a tougher start to the season than most. After a season opener in which she only recorded one shot, her play has been limited for several matches by injury, but González said the goal — and the upcoming two weeks of uninterrupted training — could help her get back into confidence and fitness. “It’s always something really positive for a striker to score goals,” he said. “It’s, you know, the medicine that they need. They want and they are always looking for those goals.”

Box Score

NWSL Regular Season –  Game 5

Bay FC 0

Washington Spirit 2 (Courtnall (OG) 54′, Monday 87′)

Lineups

Bay FC (4231): Jordan Silkowitz; Sydney Collins (C), Aldana Cometti, Brooklyn Courtnall, Anouk Denton (Madeline Moreau 71′); Hannah Bebar (Dorian Bailey 85′), Claire Hutton, Taylor Huff; Alex Pfeiffer, Cristiana Girelli (Karlie Lema 71′), Keira Barry (Caroline Conti 60′)

Washington Spirit (4231): Sandy MacIver; Kate Wiesner, Tara Rudd (C), Esme Morgan, Lucia DiGuglielmo (Paige Metayer 45+3′); Rebeca Bernal (Andi Sullivan 77′), Leicy Santos (Gift Monday 84′), Hal Hershfelt; Trinity Rodman, Rosemonde Kouassi (Tamara Bolt 77′), Sofia Cantore (Claudia Martinez 46′)

Misconduct Summary

Bay FC:  Courtnall 90+1′
Washington Spirit:  none