The Spirit clinch it
The vibes were immaculate at Audi Field this Saturday as the Washington Spirit officially locked in their spot for the NWSL playoffs. Lucia Di Guglielmo was the main character of the match, netting her first-ever NWSL goal in the 70th minute off a perfectly lobbed pass from midfielder Mélissa Bethi. She slipped the ball past Gotham goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger to secure a 1-0 win—the Spirit’s first victory over Gotham since June 2024.
It was a tough L for Gotham (16-5-7), who were looking to seal the NWSL Shield but instead saw their four-match unbeaten streak snapped. On the bright side for the Spirit, Leicy Santos made her return to the pitch, marking her first start since early August.
Around the league
The rest of the NWSL was just as busy. The San Diego Wave (17-8-3) grabbed a 2-1 road win against the North Carolina Courage, officially clinching a top-four playoff seed. The star of that show was 18-year-old Melanie Barcenas, who smashed the NWSL record for most goals by a teenager in a single season.
Elsewhere, Angel City FC pulled off a massive comeback against the Denver Summit, turning a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 win with three unanswered goals. Meanwhile, the Kansas City Current shut out the Utah Royals 2-0 thanks to two goals from Haley Hopkins. Real talk: the playoff race is heating up.
Why it matters
With the playoffs right around the corner, every point matters. The Spirit’s win solidifies their standing, while records being broken by young players like Barcenas show that the next generation of talent is highkey taking over the league.
