**LOS ANGELES, Calif.** – A last-gasp penalty from Washington forward Ashley Hatch in second half stoppage time lifted the Spirit, 1-0, over hosts Angel City FC on Saturday night, a result that propelled Washington to the top of the league standings while sending Hatch one clear in the Golden Boot charge as the Spirit remain unbeaten. Washington now has four wins and three draws on the year and has won its last two games, with the shutout also earned the club’s second through seven games.
A back-and-forth first few minutes saw the Spirit test the Angel City back line more often, though attempts in the opening 20 minutes all fell either into the palms of goalkeeper DiDi Haracic or landed wide of goal. Angel City did threaten the Spirit goal as well, but the best opportunity for the home side came as defender Mary Vignola attempted to head a ball back across goal to the far post only for Washington defender Amber Brooks to make a crucial interception and divert the chance.
The second half is where the bulk of the game’s chances came in, though, with Washington pushing for a goal in the opening minute of the restart. Brooks was in attack with the Spirit when she whipped in a cross for teammate Trinity Rodman near the center of the air. Rodman was able to leap above other challengers and produce a strong header toward the left side of goal, but her effort landed agonizingly wide in the end.
Not two minutes later, Angel City was back the other way as a cross from Vignola was pulled more and more toward goal, forcing Spirit goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury to palm an effort away. That clearance only went as far as midfielder Savannah McCaskill, though, who received a pass and twisted inside the penalty area toward the byline. As she made a move toward goal, a heavy touch sent the ball over the endline, though there was question of a potential penalty as she might have been clipped in the box on her way down. However, after VAR review, the decision was upheld and the Spirit were awarded a goal kick.
Washington then had a couple more opportunities near goal, but though two snapshot strikes from Rodman and Brooks would have produced phenomenal goals, both efforts landed wide of goal in the end. In the 68 ^th minute, it was a scramble inside the penalty area that led to a loose ball in front of Rodman. She drove a low effort toward the near post from around 12 yards out, but it rolled wide of the post. Then, in the 72 ^nd minute, a bouncing ball came Brooks’s way in the right side of the box. Doing so well to get her knee over the ball and keep it down, she unleashed a vicious half-volley that soared through the defense but suffered the same fate as Rodman’s as it fell narrowly wide of goal.
Both sides were not shy in pushing for a late winner as the hosts and visitors alike continued to apply pressure on the other’s goal. However, a crucial decision fell Washington’s way in the 91 ^st minute as a cross from Spirit’s Marissa Sheva struck the hand of Angel City’s Vignola, resulting in a handball decision and a penalty awarded to the visitors. Up to take could only be forward Ashley Hatch, and she sent Haracic the wrong way with a thunderous penalty that nearly busted the roof of the net on its way in.
After the penalty, the sides would spare into a 10 ^th minute of added time, but ultimately the match’s energy had been zapped with the awarding of the late spot kick and Angel City could not produce what was required in the final few minutes. It’s an unfortunate result for the hosts, who were entering in off a three-game unbeaten run in all competitions (W1 D2). But for Washington, though it could feasibly fall as low as third depending on Sunday’s results, it’s a great result that sends them to the top of the league standings.

Match Highlights

Match Highlights