**WASHINGTON, D.C.** – The Washington Spirit remained unbeaten at home and extended their unbeaten run to three straight games with a 2-1 win, with all three goals coming in the first half as forwards Ashley Hatch and Ashley Sanchez combined to give Washington a 2-0 lead before a late first half goal from MA Vignola made it 2-1 for good.
The visitors ended up getting off to the quicker start between the two with midfielder Savannah McCaskill testing the Spirit goal in the 6 ^th minute. After a turnover by Washington in their own half, Angel City broke forward with McCaskill sprinting down the right side. She received a pass just inside the box and drove toward the endline, but her low shot on goal was pushed out of play behind by Spirit goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury for a corner kick that produce nothing. Then, three minutes later, Angel City defender MA Vignola had a chance to put home a cross from McCaskill at the back post, but her effort cannoned into the side netting out of play for a goal kick in the end.
Washington kicked into gear in the 19 ^th minute through forward Trinity Rodman, who gave her side their first quality look on goal after she broken in behind the defense. Receiving a pass over the top, Rodman took on her effort from a tight angle and impressively drove Angel City goalkeeper DiDi Haracic off her feet for a save. Four minutes after that, forward Ashley Hatch then had her first chance in front of goal as a cross from the left side found the attacker in the center of the box. However, Hatch could not make good contact with the ball and sent a header high into the air as the chance ended.
Continuing to press toward goal, Washington would end up breaking the deadlock in the 33 ^rd minute as Hatch got her goal after a lengthy VAR review confirmed the forward was indeed onside following an earlier effort from teammate Ashley Sanchez. Sanchez had produced a volley from a cross out wide that screwed toward goal and off the crossbar before falling toward Hatch. From just a few yards out, Hatch headed the ball across the line past Haracic to open the scoring and take the Golden Boot lead for herself.
Angel City briefly threatened the Washington goal when MA Vignola got on the end of a corner kick in the 37 ^th minute with a strong header, but she could not direct it on frame in the end as it fell wide. Instead of leveling the score, the visitors then went two goals down as Ashley Sanchez got her goal in the 41 ^st minute through a spectacular looping header. Working ahead, Spirit midfielder Paige Metayer lifted a cross for Sanchez toward the left side of goal where the forward then lifted a headed effort over the head of Haracic and in to double Washington’s lead.
However, Angel City would not go quietly before the halftime break and would end up pulling a goal back as MA Vignola scored her first NWSL goal in the second minute of stoppage time to bring her side back within one goal. Forward Claire Emslie was on the ball in the left side of the box when she saw the run of Vignola into the penalty area just left of center of the goal. Vignola then took a touch forward and rocketed a shot into the roof of the net to cut Angel City’s deficit in half before the break.
The visitors would have to survive one last scare before the break, though, as forward Ashley Hatch nearly scored from midfield as a mishandled pass allowed her to lift a shot all the way over Haracic and the last Angel City defender. Hatch’s shot was on target and had good power behind it, but the ball ultimately fell just short of the line which allowed Haracic to come back and gather and the game remained, 2-1, at the half.
Into the second half, Angel City had a chance to equalize just 25 seconds in as midfielder Lily Nabet had a chance right in front of goal about 15 yards out. Emslie was active again down the left when she slid a pass through the middle to Nabet in a central position. However, she was unable to keep her effort under the bar as it sailed just over and the visitors missed a good chance to draw level.
The two sides traded chances with Washington continuing their search for a third goal in the 58 ^th minute when Trinity Rodman and Ashley Hatch broke forward after a turnover and tested Haracic with a good shot from a tight angle. Rodman had played Hatch forward down the right side with Hatch twisting and turning to open space in front of goal still on the right. She fired a low shot toward the near post, but Haracic was equal to it to keep her team in the match. Then, in the 64 ^th minute, Emslie had a go of her own after creating multiple chances, but her shot toward the near post missed wide as she came close to providing an equalizer.
Rodman then came close twice in the span of eight minutes, nearly finding the back of the net in the 71 ^st and 79 ^th minutes. The first chance saw her take an aerial through ball down and tested Kingsbury from close in, which the goalkeeper did well to save. Then, marching forward in possession, Rodman broke into the penalty area on her left foot before cutting back onto her right and losing a defender in the process. Shooting on goal from there, her effort was too weak to beat a well-positioned Haracic and it remained a close game.
Just before stoppage time, Washington goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury suffered an injury that forced her substitution with veteran Nicole Barnhart taking her place. Into ten minutes of added time, Angel City then forced Barnhart into action with a cross that came from the right side and swung into toward goal. Barnhart was able to punch it clear though, as she contributed early on in her first game for the Spirit. In the sixth minute of added time, Barnhart then had to produce a save on a Sydney Leroux header following a free kick as she helped preserve her side’s lead late on.
In the end, the Spirit hung on through the over 100 total minutes of play for a 2-1 win at Audi Field, with all three goals coming in the first half. The win sends Washington into 2 ^nd place pending Portland’s result on Sunday, behind leaders San Diego on goal differential. Meanwhile, the loss for Angel City will keep them in 11 ^th place pending Kansas City’s result against OL Reign.

Match Highlights

Match Highlights