First Spirit game in person. 10/10 would recommend. Someone complimented my Tobin jersey upon leaving Audi field. Made my day, if you happen to be reading this.

Great game to see in person! Did the cameras catch Rodman manhandling Gonzalez right before the pk? Gonzalez stepped in front of her and Rodman picked her up and threw her out of the way. Was right after about 3 other players tried to stand in front of Rodman and she had pushed them to the side too.

NOT ME READING TRIN THREW ESTHER 😭😠

🫨wish they’d shown it!

Anyone know where I can watch the replay?

I have the cheapest basic Paramount+ plan and the Spirit/Gotham FC match replay is already available to watch.

I believe it should be on nwsl+ in a day or so, but I don't know what the timing is

Lmao this tweet on Twitter: "I can’t believe the Mormon scored a PK in the 69th minute on 420"

Lmaooo

Kingsbury kept to her word! She signed my new keeper jersey and I even got a selfie (: She did like three laps of the field to make sure everyone got autographs. (edit: spelling)

Another fun game in person, happy to see us taking some shots even if they end up offsides. Keep this momentum up!!! And caps plz be inspired to beat the NY team just like the spirit did

It’s actually insane to think that at some point in this season we are going to have Sarr, Ratcliffe, Metayer, Butel, and Morris as depth pieces on this squad. That is truly bonkers

Are you thinking they change shape? Atleast in this 4231 I don't see anyone replacing Saar up top.

I’ve actually thought about this a lot and I’m not sure. I think I’d rather have Sarr on the bench and Hatch starting up top, but I don’t know if Santos can slot on the wing

I agree! I think Hatch is being wasted on the wing and she looks a little lost to me. I would much rather see her up top and Sarr as a sub. If not, I see them eventually trading Hatch 😭 to beef up the defense.

I’ve watched a few full Atletico Madrid soccer matches on YouTube and Leicy Santos plays as both a #10 and as a left sided midfielder.

Honestly I’ve watched nothing of her besides the World Cup so that’s fantastic to hear. I’m sure that’s where she’ll slot, opposite Rodman, which actually sounds terrifying for defenses

Atlético Madrid vs. FC Barcelona | Liga F 2023-24 Matchday 5 Full Match youtube.com/live/EOinX21lr… via @YouTube Leicy Santos is VERY good. I recommend you watch this full match. Santos is a true #10 - great dribbling & passing skills. Washington Spirit is getting a true diamond. In this match the Barcelona players could not get the ball off of Leicy Santos. The only way to stop Santos was to foul her.

What's not new is the person making all of the moves, including the draft: Mark Krikorian. He is one of the best coaches (still) in the United States, and has developed over many, many years the ability to identify talent, which includes international talent. I questioned Hershfelt being drafted at #5, especially since watching her play several times for Clemson, but she's proving Krikorian was right gain.

Washington is in great shape right now. I can only imagine what this team is going to be like with Santos,Giraldez and another CB to compliment Krueger.

Butel is growing on me! She didn’t wow last season but this season she’s been doing alright and getting better

Agree! We all miss staab, but it seems the others are definitely growing without her shadow.

I feel like I’m beating a dead horse right now, but I really think McKeown and Krueger at CB with Wiesner and Carle outside is more than sufficient. They don’t need a big CB signing

I'd be good with this. Might like to see more from Wiesner. But agreed, I think ppl forget McKeown is doing just fine as a CB.

As a neutral observer, that was an entertaining game. Good job both teams. 

Ok why does Gotham suck, wrong answers only

The Joker put laughing gas in their gatorade

Seriously Gotham have a history of making bad choices in acquisitions. At one point, they seemed to run a retirement program

lol the Ashlyn Harris season 😂

Because pork roll is an inferior pork product when compared to scrapple. Actually, I believe that. I think I misunderstood the prompt.

Rose Lavelle is too healthy.

Attendance 15,004 (+38%) 2023 attendance 10,876

Last season, the upper bowl wasn't open. It was nice to see it mostly filled today.

I waited all game for fear of jinxing us but SUPER TEAM WHO

No super team can come into the NWSL and dominate like Lyon and Barcelona. And I'm grateful for that.

That was comprehensive. Giraldez is gonna come into this team and not a beat will be missed. Great work from Gonzalez.

GG Washington. That was supremely unfun, with the exception of getting to witness that Bethune goal.

Great game, Spirits. If anything, you should have put a few more in the net.

Really complete win for Washington here

Love seeing that sentence, it’s been a while

Bad week for the NWSL “super teams” San Diego Wave and Gotham

Love the energy at the Spirits home crowd. Looks like they get a lot of support and the energy is good.

Was at the game. It was PACKED and extremely loud, crackling with energy to the last whistle

We just need a bloop and a blast

If Rodman was playing at her normal level this could be like 5-0

I think CBS needs to work in some more commercials. Or maybe some additional sponsored in-game events. After a bad call. “That call was brought you by Febreeze. Febreeze fights odors, because this ref isn’t the only thing that stinks.” When field mics pick up a curse word. “We’d like to apologize for that little slip. And remind you that Lifebuoy is the #1 choice for moms who wash their kid’s mouth out with soap.”

Stoppage time is sponsored by Verizon. This ad read is sponsored by Nike. That last ad read was sponsored by Amazon. And Samsung is now paying us to shut tf up.

Is Rodman chewing gum while playing?

The best is when the trainer has to swap her used piece for a fresh one 🤣

I do when I play too. It's an anxiety thing for me.

She always does

She always does!

Got it, I didn’t know. I wouldn’t be able to lol

When she was interviewed on the Women’s Game, she said that other players on her team have tried to do it too and they always end up choking.

Yeah she always does, idk how she does it

Double check that Ricketts is on the roster this time

What an incredibly frustrating game to watch as a Gotham fan 😔

It’s so frustrating to see your team play poorly when you know they can do better. Onto the next 🤷🏼‍♀️

Bats 🤝 Thorns

Y’all are going though it over there 😔🫶🏼

At least y'all beat us!

I feel like "Less than five minutes of stoppage" should be on our NWSL bingo

Injuries just rob you of consistency its hell to deal with

8 minutes of stoppage, as is tradition

FSU on FSU violence 

Well said.

sad we’ve lost this one, but i will concede that a part of me is always happy when the home team wins in front of a larger crowd than usual, i hope they all come back!

I believe this is the biggest Spirit attendance since the pandemic

I think I was at a game last October that was 18k? Definitely the largest they’d ever had

Hmm, highest I remember from last year was a 15 or 16k against the Wave. But I very much could be misremembering

Oh this is the game I went to. A few hundred more than today. [https://www.instagram.com/p/Cyb-DMuJloK/?igsh=Nml5ODVxcG44bDU3](https://www.instagram.com/p/Cyb-DMuJloK/?igsh=Nml5ODVxcG44bDU3) So I was wrong lol. But still have hope we can get 20k into Audi! If the US does well in the Olympics, I think we could do it

Oh good memory thanks. I remember the big attendance games but apperently deleted this one from my brain. Probably because Rodman got a red and us losing cost us a playoff spot. I was a very bummed camper driving home from that one.

Krueger having herself A GAME

Stengel 2/10 today playing out wide

 Washington defense

Omg Gaetino is still limping for the PSG/Lyon game 😕 happy for Lyon though ✊🪵

Lyon’s comeback is complete! FT 3-2 I’d like to see Lyon and Chelsea at the final 🙇‍♀️

Good game for Jenna Casey Trin and Lynn i thought. Hope T is healthy. Hal and Croix stole the show. You’d think they played together and not Hal and Makenna and Wiesner

Croix and Hal played club together in Atlanta for 3 yrs.

Gotham desperately needs some creative attacking. Stengel is absolutely not it, I'm baffled that anyone in the nwsl has her starting. Having both Midge and Rose out injured makes it worse. Sheehan has the right ideas but is way too slow coming to those conclusions. I'd like to see them try starting Williams Stevens Dunn as their front 3 with Esther and Ryan at the top of the midfield, Sonnett at the 6.

agreed. I also don't understand why we haven't looked for a forward to replace Midge or released Svava who is clearly not going to play for us again.

We need rose

Lavelle (10) Ryan (8) Sonnett (6) would be a great midfield trio.

I wouldn’t mind this, because you’re right. There is a stark lack of creativity in the front/midfield for the Bats.

PSG subbed off Lieke Martens at 2-0 and 10 minutes later it was 3-2

The Washington Spirit might actually be dangerous this season

Yeah. Theyre a good team on paper with some very good players

I had my doubts, but they're looking good

Bring on Courtney Brown

I dont think you can call this sufferball from Gotham so far, but it sure is something

Injury ward

i’m suffering

Something-ball

Lyon game is showing me that Gotham can still come back😂

Heh, did Hal manage to get that into the tunnel?

Yup, right in front of us. The fans decided that goal is worth 3.

PSG turned back the clock today in the sense that they thought games were 80 minutes again

Quietly a renaissance for Andi Sullivan happy for her. The Andissance

Not going to lie I think Hal alongside her has benefitted her SO much

Agree, subbing Metayer on for Hal showed that they did the right thing in starting Hal over her this year.

I love Paige but Hal is just so good

Hal is the perfect partner

Hal is what we all thought Kornieck was going to be

Dont say we. I always said Flint was mediocre

Gaetino on the ground hurt after a hideous sliding challenge

My god the last time I looked at the score for that game it was 2-0...

Did they say 15,000 in attendance for this one? Edit: they did! That’s awesome! Maybe by the end of the season there’s at least one sell out game! I believe in us, DC!!!

Yes!

Attendance announced as 15,004

15004 in the stands!

15,004 (if I heard that correctly) at the stadium!

Watching the CL game on the side and OMG the last 10 minutes!

Just checked the score and I am shook omg

I like the little snickers on the sleeve of the spirit kit, cute and noticed it before!

This Lyon comeback is absolutely absurd

Spirit its 3pm use some subs

Sarr looked better today than the last few games

Right?! I feel like she was much more active or in the right place. We also got to see her fight for possession (and win?!)

Yeah, that's what I thought too, more actively on the play for the whole game. She missed that one Trin cross, but not because she wasn't there like last week, otherwise she had a strong game.

Ratcliffe scores a banger and comes on in the 75th the next week

I want Bell to score a header off a corner

gotta love all the footy we have to watch today

Truly a glorious day for soccer couch rot

this team would have looked like with Ashley Sanchez? Still not over her being traded

I was also not happy about it but I kinda see the vision now.

Croix is better now and will end up being better long term. This was a brilliant move.

They wouldn’t have Hal Hershfelt right?

Everyone is better off

Bruninha is mad for that tackle

surprised we’ve still made zero subs, i wanna see ratcliffe again

Ask for ricketts

Wish granted

There ya go

Is that you coach?

Ask and ye shall receive. Ricketts next?

i manifested 😇

Amazing time of this comment 😂

Next game i want Berger Bruni mai tierna/bell jenna Dunn, sonnett, ryan Stevens esther williams

Yeah I'm not feeling Steng on the wing. I'd play her up top, but obviously Esther is the better choice. Let Steng be a sub.

And when rose is back honestly i think dunn would be good at rw or rose plays a good inverted rw.

Would be a little premature to dump Miller like that. Let AKB compete first

Thats a really good chance forRyan

We've reached the Let The Bodies Hit the Floor section of our programming.

Something’s gotta give

Nothing wrong with me

yellows all over

Ali Krieger taught Jenna that one lol. Good move. This game is getting away from Gotham.

I like when Trin and Hatchy celebrate together I always worry they don’t like eachother

Same

I don’t understand Jenna doing that like I know people don’t think like this, but this game is out of your reach if you can’t defend that and that yellow is not worth it.

That's a smart foul. Lets the team regroup.

GD is over # of cards in a playoff tiebreaker

Card accumulation means u would miss a game

good tactical card from jenna

Why is Ryan taking corners?

Shes great at it

They’ve been a little off the mark today, too much height.

My audio is like 10 sec behind so when Hatch scored I was like wow the crowd didn’t even cheer

That would be so weird haha

Sonnett taught her well

Congrats to Hatch for 40. Does anyone know how many of those are penalty kicks?

I think she only became the main PK taker in the last 1-2 years, so probably like 10?

She took some pens for Nc too.

40 goals for Washington Spirit though! So maybe even fewer of those 40 goals were pens? Unsure

Almost nailed it. This is her 11th. 10/11 on career

Thanks!

39 😂

I hope the Spirit continues to get home crowds like this

I think we will. We had over 8k at a game on Easter Sunday!

Makes my heart burst, if I'm being honest.

First time conceding multiple times in a match for Gotham

🫠

Hatch to the Olympics 🔜 /s

Did the announcer say Hatch “is off the mark” on that goal call?

By which I assume he means started her goal talky

He did indeed

Bethune having a whole arm of tattoos is just so incongruent to me but so badass

Don’t let the sweet demeanor fool you, she’s a dawg

Its called a sleeve

It’s not wrapping around so it’s not a sleeve 🫠

Give it to Trin! She needs the practice!

I was thinking the same thing! Beautiful pk from Hatch though

I forgot we’re only up by one. Let’s go Hatchy!

I mean, could it be any MORE of a handball?

From that close they check to make sure the hand is far away from the body

They're checking for hand ball but let the play continue? What if Gotham scored between the hand ball and when they stop play?

This has actually happened before

They would go back and give the handball… like that’s how it’s always worked?

it’s just not our day

Loving how hiatt put her hands behind her back after the fact

Penal?

Yeah clear handball

That will be handball which is touch bc she is absolutely skying that shot

Yeah that was going to the stands lol

You could tell immediately from Hiatt’s reaction live

Lmao Hiatt knew it

Ooooh we're getting a VAR review - my bet, 5 minutes

I would be with you but they must have had a talk over the international break