Washington Spirit Faces North Carolina Courage at Home in Crucial Showdown
On Saturday, the Washington Spirit will travel to Cary, North Carolina to faceoff against the first-place North Carolina Courage. With just three games remaining in the regular season, the Spirit trails the Courage by just three points and holds a three-point lead over the Portland Thorns for the league's final playoff spot. A win would allow the Spirit to take control of their playoff destiny and would put them in position to finish the regular season in second place.
The Spirit will be looking to snap a two-game losing streak that has put their playoff hopes in jeopardy. Last weekend, the Spirit lost 2-1 to the Kansas City Current at home and 1-0 to the Houston Dash on the road.
Spirit's Playoff Hopes
The Spirit's playoff hopes took a hit with their recent two-game losing streak. The Spirit let the 10-player Kansas City Current score two goals in the game's final 10 minutes and gave up a soft goal against the Dash after spending 80 minutes dominating the game.
The Spirit now need to win at least two of their final three games to secure a playoff spot. The Spirit will finish the regular season with a home game against the Chicago Red Stars and a road game against the Orlando Pride.
Matchup History
The Spirit and Courage have met twice this season. The Spirit won the first meeting 1-0 on June 12th in Washington, D.C. The Courage won the second meeting 2-0 on August 14th in Cary. The Courage lead the all-time series against the Spirit 9-5-3.
Players to Watch
Spirit: Ashley Sanchez, Trinity Rodman, Tara McKeown
Courage: Kerolin Nicoli, Debinha, Lynn Williams
Injury Report
The Spirit will be without defender Kelley O'Hara (knee) and midfielder Tori Huster (ankle). The Courage will be without defender Carson Pickett (ankle) and forward Diana Ordonez (knee).
Broadcast Information
The game will be broadcast live on Paramount+ and Twitch.
Web Links
Washington Spirit Official Website
North Carolina Courage Official Website
