In an exhilarating National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) semifinals matchup, the Washington Spirit beat the New Jersey-New York Gotham FC in penalty kicks 3-0 after an impressive equalizer from the Spirit’s Hal Hershfelt, making the score 1-1 in the 93rd minute of the game. The Spirit dominated match statistics with 27 shots and 10 on target versus Gotham’s 14 shots and 5 on target, though impressive defense and goaltending from both sides kept the game close throughout.
The No. 2 seed Spirit (18-2-6) took on the No. 3 seed Gotham FC (17-5-4) at a sold-out Audi Field in Washington, D.C., this past Saturday, Nov. 16 for the NWSL semifinals, after having beaten Bay FC in the quarterfinals.
The match got off to a rapid start, with Gotham FC striker Esther González sending a shot right to the crossbar for the defending NWSL champions in the opening minute of the match. The pace did not slow as quick turnover over quick turnover saw both teams running up and down the pitch, attempting to score the first point of the match.
Gotham put up two more shots in the 7th and 8th minutes before the Spirit managed to put up their first and second attempts in quick succession in the 9th minute from midfielder Leicy Santos and forward Rosemonde Kouassi, which both ended in saves from Gotham goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger. Kouassi took another shot shortly after in the 11th minute, which was again saved by Berger but also resulted in a corner kick for the Spirit. In a missed opportunity for the Spirit, Kouassi took the corner and kicked it out on top of the goal.
In what became a rather physical match with six yellow cards and one red card across the board, Gotham defender Jess Carter drew the first yellow card of the match in the 17th minute. Washington capitalized on this by taking the early lead in shots on target, firing off 4 in the first 18 minutes of the match to Gotham’s 1. In the 32nd minute of the match, it looked like Gotham had a real shot at a goal as their forwards charged through the defensive line, but two-time NWSL goalkeeper of the year Aubrey Kingsbury came off her line to swipe the ball out from under González. Both teams saw valiant attempts throughout the rest of the first half, though each fell short of putting a point on the board.
Heading into the second half, Kouassi put up a quick shot for the Spirit, which unfortunately did not meet its mark. In the 55th minute, the Spirit appeared to have another chance for a goal but ultimately came up short again, resulting in a Gotham free kick. The free kick made its way all up the pitch, and skillful passes from midfielder Yazmeen Ryan to Lavelle back to Ryan and into González landed the ball in the net after a nifty header to the far post, putting Gotham FC up 1-0. Prior to this semifinal matchup, Gotham FC had not lost a game this season when they were the first to score — then again, they also had not won any of the five games they played at Audi Field.
In the 61st minute, Washington looked like they had another chance after midfielder Paige Metayer broke free, but a heavy first touch landed in Berger’s dive. For the next 30 minutes, neither team came close to scoring. But three minutes into stoppage time, center back Tara McKeown won a free kick for the Spirit, and recently subbed in forward Makenna Morris took it, sending it straight into the 18-yard box where Hal Hershfelt headed it in for the equalizer as the crowd erupted in cheers.
Regulation ended in a 1-1 draw, sending the match into 30 minutes of extra time. Gotham right back Bruninha received her second yellow card of the match in the 11th minute of stoppage time, putting Gotham in the unenviable position of being down one player. Both teams took several shots at each other’s goals in overtime, but sound defense and solid saves kept the match at a draw, forcing the game to advance to penalties.
Ashley Hatch stepped up first for the Spirit, having previously made 3 out of 3 penalties this season. She upped her count to 4 for 4 after putting in the first penalty kick for the Spirit. González stepped up first for Gotham and a diving save from Kingsbury allowed the Spirit to stay ahead. Forward Lena Silano took the Spirit’s second penalty shot and hammered another one in to put the Spirit up 2-0. For Gotham’s second try, midfielder McCall Zerboni made a valiant attempt, but it was once again saved by Kingsbury. McKeown stepped up third for the Spirit and snuck it into the bottom corner to make it 3-0 for the Spirit. Gotham left back Jenna Nighswonger made her way up third with the weight of the match hanging on her shoulders, and once again, Kingsbury made a terrific save, sealing the deal for the Spirit and sending them into this upcoming Saturday’s NWSL final.
The Spirit will take on the No. 1 seed Orlando Pride this Saturday, Nov. 23 at 8 p.m. EST at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. In their third ever NWSL Championship match, the Spirit hope to cap off their season’s success with their second-ever league title.
