**WASHINGTON, D.C.** – The Washington Spirit and Gotham FC produced a thrilling top of the table clash on Sunday night that ended in a 1-1 draw, with Gotham’s Bruninha scoring in the 23 ^rd minute only for Washington’s Paige Metayer to equalize in the 69 ^th minute. The result puts Gotham back in 1 ^st place on 17 points, while Washington sits 5 ^th though just a point behind Sunday’s visitors. The Spirit have 16 points from nine games but are behind Portland, OL Reign, and San Diego on goal differential.
Gotham were on the ball more often than not and began attacking the Spirit goal as early as the 9 ^th minute through forward Taylor Smith. Gotham had earned a corner kick that Washington briefly saw clear, getting the ball out of the penalty area but only as far as Smith about 23 yards out from goal. Smith then unleashed a low shot from there that snagged a Spirit defender on its way toward goal, though Washington goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury still had to make sure it was not going to sneak inside the post and in.
Four minutes later, Washington sparked up their first attack with defender Tara McKeown nearly finding the back of the net on the other end. Through a corner kick of their own, Spirit forward Ashley Hatch played a one-two to get the ball back and dribbled toward the endline approaching goal. Just around the edge of the box on the left side, Hatch then lifted a cross to the far post where McKeown was waiting. Unfortunately, the defender got plenty of power on the header but could not guide it into the top right corner and the chance was missed.
Back the other way, Gotham created a pair of chances in the span of four minutes with attacker Yazmeen Ryan going for goal in the 19 ^th minute and defender Bruninha testing Kingsbury in the 23 ^rd minute. First, Ryan was on the ball outside the box when she took a touch and turned toward goal. An absolute laser was then sent steaming toward goal, but the effort was ultimately just high. Then, Bruninha was dribbling down the right flank when she was running out of space approaching the endline. From there, she had a choice between a high cross or a shot on goal, and she opted for the latter only for Kingsbury to parry the ball away and Washington to get it clear from there.
However, Gotham could not be repelled for much longer as Bruninha would then go on to open the scoring in the 24 ^th minute to give her side another opening goal on the road. Taylor Smith was dribbling toward the top of the box on the left side of the field when she rolled a pass to Bruninha just slightly more center of goal. The defender then opened up her body and finessed a beautifully precise shot into the top right corner to send the visitors ahead. The goal is Bruninha’s second of the season.
In the 37 ^th minute, Gotham continued to press for a second and nearly found it as Jenna Nighswonger came close to linking up with Delanie Sheehan a few yards in front of goal. Smith was attempting to find space out on the left when she laid the ball off to Nighswonger. Taking a couple of touches forward, Nighswonger then swirled a cross with her left foot and bounced all the way through to the back post. First to it for Gotham was Sheehan, but amid the sea of bodies she was unable to get her shot on target.
Gotham would hold its lead through the duration of the first half, but it took Washington just three minutes into the second half to threaten goal again. This time, forward Trinity Rodman demonstrated her wits as she flicked a headed ball back by a Gotham player into open space where she then sprinted onto the ball. Closing in on goal, Rodman then powered a rocket toward the near post, but Gotham goalkeeper Abby Smith absorbed the blow to make the save.
Problematically for Washington, though, was Gotham’s second goal in the 55 ^th minute that came as Yazmeen Ryan headed the ball into the back of the net after a cross from the left flank. However, after VAR review, it was determined that there was a handball on a Gotham player in the buildup and the goal was disallowed, resulting in a free kick for Washington the other way.
After escaping there, the Spirit would go on to find their equalizer in the 69 ^th minute as forward Paige Metayer met Ashley Hatch’s cross from a corner kick and guided it into the back of the net. Hatch was on the left side of the field when she delivered a ball that dipped back down right near the penalty spot. Metayer was then first to it as she leapt and faded her header to the far post and in to send the home crowd into celebration.
Riding the momentum of their equalizer, Washington then had two chances to go in front late on as Lena Silano missed a headed chance in the 90 ^th minute and Trinity Rodman couldn’t beat Smith with a shot saved in the third minute of added time. As a result, after eight total minute of stoppage added, the two teams would settle for a point each as Washington battled back to remain unbeaten at home while Gotham extended its unbeaten streak to five games across all competitions.

Match Highlights

Match Highlights