It took a major defensive effort, but Washington Spirit won the match and first place in the standings against Denver Summit FC at Audi Field on Sunday night. Sofia Cantore scored the lone goal, a team effort started by Leicy Santos winning the ball in Washington’s defensive third.

Trinity Rodman got things started early, taking a shot in the third minute and creating a corner in the fourth. Otherwise, the first half was a defensive battle. Denver attacked largely in transition, while the Spirit were often forced to pass the ball laterally during their spells of possession, struggling to make their way into the box.

Paige Metayer gave “kudos” to the Summit, whose shape she said prevented the Spirit from creating the 2-v-1 situations they would have preferred.

“We just have so much depth on our team, and players who can play in different roles, obviously,” Metayer said.

The second half was, if anything, even more back-and-forth though more transitional than the first. For the Spirit, Santos provided an instant spark, coming into the match in the 58th minute. She immediately made a long diagonal pass to unleash Rodman, whose shot was saved.

Just minutes later, Santos muscled Yazmeen Ryan off of the ball along the top of Washington’s goal area and passed it off to Kate Wiesner. Wiesner found Rebeca Bernal, who fed it to Rodman in space on the wings. With a first touch, Rodman passed it back centrally to Cantore. Cantore moved around the defenders and took a looping shot that bounced off the crossbar and into the goal.

Cantore gave some credit for the goal to a deflection and also said Rodman had predicted before the match that she would score. She said she’s been struggling with the fact that she hasn’t scored much this season and that this goal will help build her confidence, although she was happier with her overall performance.

Lindsey Heaps got the ball in the box and moved centrally. Pinched between Rudd and Bernal, she went to the ground, and referee Elton Garcia quickly pointed to the penalty spot. Happily for the Spirit, VAR reviewed, persuading Garcia that there had been no foul on the play.

The lengthy stoppage time saw physicality increase, as Denver desperately sought an equalizer. They had a good chance in a free kick just outside of the box. Taken by Heaps, the initial kick bounced off of Washington’s wall, but the Summit were able to create a couple more opportunities, with a shot by Ally Brazier breezing just by the goal. In one attack in the final minute, they forced Sandy MacIver to make two stops in quick succession and hit the crossbar before the Spirit could finally clear the ball.

Metayer said she sees room for improvement in how the team handles the closing minutes of a match, noting they’ve been making wins hard on themselves.

Up next: The Spirit have a Wednesday night away match against the Utah Royals.

Three takeaways 

• Winger Metayer. With Rose Kouassi on international duty, Paige Metayer — usually a fullback and onetime midfielder — was put in a relatively new role as a winger. Metayer said her positioning was a response to Denver’s tendency to play their outside backs high up the field, requiring one of the Spirit’s wingers to join the backline to prevent overloads. Of course, she is known for her speed: “I like to be able to take advantage of running up and down the sideline.” Metayer performed well in the role, making a smart shot in the 38th minute and closing the first half by absolutely breaking ankles to create a chance for Hal Hershfelt.
• Credit to the coach. The Spirit announced after this match that Adrián González is now the fastest coach in NWSL history to reach 25 wins. In his time with the team, González has benefitted from a deep bench of talented players, but his impact on team culture and match strategy are undeniable factors in their success.
• Rodman’s still hot. It was another strong performance for Trinity Rodman, who had the most touches in the oppositions box and the most successful dribbles (of either team). She was effective on both sides of the ball, making two tackles and seven recoveries, and her assist on the goal brings her to seven goals and five assists on the season.

Box Score

NWSL Regular Season –  Game 16

Washington Spirit 1 (Cantore 61′)
Denver Summit FC 0

Lineups

Washington Spirit (4231): Sandy MacIver; Kate Wiesner (Élisabeth Tsé 76′), Tara Rudd, Esme Morgan, Gabby Carle; Rebeca Bernal, Andi Sullivan (C) (Leicy Santos 58′), Hal Hershfelt; Trinity Rodman, Paige Metayer (Tamara Bolt 84′), Sofia Cantore (Claudia Martínez 76′)

Denver Summit FC (433): Abby Smith; Kaleigh Kurtz, Janine Sonis, Ayo Oke (Natalie Means 80′), Eva Gaetino (Megan Reid 84′); Delanie Sheehan, Devin Lynch (Emma Regan 84′), Lindsey Heaps (C); Natasha Flint (Ally Brazier 80′), Yazmeen Ryan, Olivia Thomas (Melissa Kössler 69′)

Misconduct Summary

Washington Spirit:  None
Denver Summit FC:  Oke 55′, Gaetino 79′, Means 88′

Lead image courtesy of the Washington Spirit