DC Power FC’s chances of getting into the Gainbridge Super League playoffs took a massive hit on Wednesday night as they fell 1-0 to Sporting Jacksonville in the final home match of the regular season. Baylee DeSmit got the lone goal for Jacksonville as they moved one step closer to clinching the 1 seed in the playoffs and home field advantage throughout the postseason.

“I thought they were better than us, to be honest with you,” Omid Namazi said after the match. “I thought our energy level and our sharpness was not as it’s been in the last three or four games. Jacksonville looked sharper, and we didn’t create enough to say, ‘okay, you missed one chance. You’ll have another chance, third chance or fourth chance.’ So you got to give them credit. They’re a good team.”

Gianna Gourley was back on the bench after missing several matches due to injury, and DC Power hoped to get a win to put some pressure on Dallas Trinity, which sat one point above them holding the final playoff spot in the Gainbridge Super League table entering the night. With Dallas not playing until the weekend, DC had a chance to be ahead on points temporarily entering their final match of the regular season.

There was not a lot going in the first 10 minutes of the match, as both teams looked to establish control and set the rhythm of the match. Jacksonville had the early edge in scoring opportunities off a couple of set pieces and corner kicks, but DC Power goalkeeper Makenna Gottschalk was able to keep control. That stalemate continued through the first 25 minutes, with the teams combining for 3 total shots in that time frame.

In the 28th minute, Dasia Torbert gave DC Power their first real scoring chance. She was able to get a turnover on Georgie Brown 25 yards from goal with a chance to get a shot on net. She took the shot, but Sporting Jax goalkeeper Jamie Gerstenberg was able to get back in front to save it. The rebound popped back out to Torbert, and instead of taking another shot, she laid a pass off for Alexis Theoret. Theoret’s shot skied over the bar to end the threat.

Three minutes later, Sporting Jax got on the board. Off a turnover forced on Anna Bagley, Sophia Boman collected the ball and passed it forward to Baylee DeSmit. DeSmit put the shot past Gottschalk for her 12th goal of the season to give Jax a 1-0 lead.

DC Power desperately needed a goal to get back into it, since a loss would really be a major blow to their playoff hopes. Still, Sporting Jax continued to press and almost got a second goal in the 42nd minute off a Ashlyn Puerta header. DC continued to increase the intensity, and they got a chance in the 44th minute off a set piece. Alexis Theoret sent the ball forward to Sydney Cummings for the header, but the header went over the bar. A minute later, Emily Colton had a chance in open space to unleash a shot from just outside the box, but the shot went just wide of the net. Despite the increased intensity, DC weren’t able to grab the equalizer before the whistle blew for halftime.

The second half started and DC Power made several substitutions to try and create a spark that could lead to an equalizing goal. In the 52nd minute, DC Power had a chance on a corner kick. Sydney Cummings got the free header from Emily Colton’s service, but it was right at Gerstenberg, who collected it right on the line. Loza Abera had another header go right at Gerstenberg a minute later, but DC Power was playing more aggressively in an effort to score.

At the one hour mark, they hadn’t found the equalizer and had to continue to push forward. Sporting Jax also had some opportunities, and Makenna Gottschalk was able to keep DC within one with a couple of timely saves. In the 65th minute, Gianna Gourley entered the match as a substitute for Alyssa Walker, and DC hoped the changes could bring some goals. Still, as time dwindled, Sporting Jax still held the 1-0 lead.

In the 83rd minute, Jamie Gerstenberg tried to punt the ball away, but the ball crashed into the head of substitute Jaydah Bedoya. Bedoya was down for several minutes before having to leave the match, with the trainers helping her off the field. Stoppage time hit, and DC Power entered desperation mode to try and land the equalizer. However, they weren’t able to get the goal that they needed. After six minutes of stoppage time, the referee blew his whistle, sealing the loss.

 “It’s disappointing,” Makenna Gottschalk said of their performance. “I think in moments we were really good. I think we have the potential, and I know anyone can say ‘we have the potential,’ but we really, truly do have the potential with the girls and our team and the staff that we have leading us. So it’s really disappointing to not come out with points for this one. I don’t know that we would have deserved it. I think we could have played a lot better than we did tonight, but, you know, that’s how the game goes.”

With the loss, their chances of making it to the playoffs took a huge hit. With just one match left, they are still one point below Dallas Trinity, who are in the 4th and final playoff spot in the table and have a game in hand on DC. Should they win on Saturday against the Tampa Bay Sun, DC Power will see themselves eliminated from the playoffs before their match against Spokane Zephyr, who are tied on points with DC Power, later that night. After the match, Omid Namazi admitted it’s a tall task for his team to back into the playoffs.

“It’s going to take somewhat of a miracle for us to get in [the playoffs]. You know, we need Dallas to drop points against, you know, two teams that are at the bottom…one is Tampa, one is Fort Lauderdale, and that’s a big ask. But you never know in this game. So if Dallas goes into those two Games and drops points, and then we beat Spokane, there’s still a possibility, but you can’t speculate. We just got to make sure that we take care of our own end,” Namazi said, seeing the writing on the wall.