Nov 16, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Spirit midfielder Hal Hershfelt (17) passes the ball against NJ/NY Gotham FC during an NWSL playoff semifinal at Audi Field. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Washington Spirit have reached the NWSL Championship final and have done so deservedly.
Having finished second in the regular season, the Spirit came in four points behind the Orlando Pride, who had been considered as the best team in the league. Despite having two managers (Jonatan Giráldez arrived on 7th July 2024 to replace interim head coach Adrián Gonzalez), the change in leadership didn’t seem to affect the Spirit as they showed no signs of slowing down.
Washington Spirit’s success these days can largely be attributed to its midfield stability and ability to create space for forwards Ashley Hatch and Trinity Rodman. The two are key in delivering successful attacks and, given this importance, opposition teams frequently look to man-mark them, allowing the midfield a chance to influence the game a bit…
