Spirit Return to the Win Column With 1-0 Victory Over Bay FC at Audi Field

The Washington Spirit secured a crucial 1-0 victory over Bay FC in front of 16,817 fans at Audi Field for Hello Kitty Day on Aug. 30. Washington’s Sunday victory snapped their four-game winless streak, keeping the team in second place in the NWSL standings heading into September.

The Spirit’s lone goal came just before halftime. Forward Trinity Rodman fired a shot off the crossbar, with defender Paige Metayer following up to knock the ball into the net, giving Washington the 1-0 lead.

“Just when [Rodman] had the ball, you know [we] kind of just want to be in the box,” said Metayer. “You never know what’s going to happen. So obviously she sliced and diced and the ball thankfully fell to me. So I just wanted to make sure it was over the line. I wasn’t sure if it was in or not, but can’t be too sure in those situations.”

Strong defensive plays and key saves from goalkeeper Sandy MacIver helped the Spirit hold onto their lead, earning all three match points in the end. This match also marked the debuts of midfielders Mélissa Bethi and Monnique Ngock.

Bethi is the first Algerian player in NWSL history, and Ngock led her native Cameroon in its first-ever Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WACON) championship over Malawi on Sunday, Aug. 16.

The Washington Spirit will look to build on that momentum on the road, when they face the Portland Thorns FC on Sunday, Sept. 6. Match kickoff is set for 4 p.m. ET.

“I think we’ve done a good job of accepting the [four-game winless streak] situation and trying to be humble and try to bring that desire again. We know how important it is for the team to bring that energy here at Audi. I want to thank, again, all the fans, because I think it’s been huge. Their support, when we are winning and losing, so they are always there and that’s huge for us,” said head coach Adrián González. “I think the team is showing the personality that we wanna have. We want to fight until the end. And we’re gonna compete every single game until the end.”