Pugh, Spirit hope for second chance against FCKC

Francisca Ordega of the Washington Spirit (photo credit: Tony Quinn ISI Photos)

Second chances do not come very often in football. Miss a goal and you may not have another opportunity to score. Miss a chance to change the tone of a season and it may be curtains for the rest of your campaign. Last Saturday, the Washington Spirit rolled out the red carpet for their newest signing Mallory Pugh in a match against FC Kansas City. Although the result did not go their way Pugh and the rest of the Spirit will hope for better fortunes when they travel to FCKC in the second match of this ‘home-and-home’ series.

The Washington Spirit’s Mallory Pugh made her first appearance this Saturday with her NWSL side. She came on in the 54th minute had a decent chance at goal and for the most part looked pretty good against a seasoned and determined FC Kansas City side.

Now here is the rest of the story: the Spirit lost 1-0, the club’s second consecutive loss and fourth on the season. Although their effort was much improved in comparison to the week prior (a 6-2 loss against Seattle Reign FC) the club still struggled to create attacking chances and to defend consistently.

Shelina Zadorsky of the Washington Spirit.

So what is the cause of the Spirit’s slide? It doesn’t appear that effort is the issue. Even down a goal against FCKC Washington continued to press, with Pugh and Kristie Mewis working together to create several interesting goal-scoring opportunities. Stephanie Labbe continued to her incredible run of form making two key stops to keep the match close.

But in the end FCKC came out on top and the day that was heralded as an important day for the Spirit just felt like another match in the 2017 season. High expectations dashed by a lack of a depth and a more well-rounded side.

The problem that Spirit supporters are going to find this season is that this isn’t the 2016 side. That side with the likes of Labbe, Diana Matheson, Crystal Dunn, Ali Krieger, and Christine Nairn was one of the most experienced sides in the NWSL. The 2017 side just does not have that same level of experience and it is going to take quite some time to build the roster up like that again. Pugh is a great talent but she is only one player and she is just 18 years old.

Can the Spirit turn things around and get back to the top of the table? It is certainly possible but the numbers are not encouraging. Although Washington have scored seven goals this season they have just 22 shots on goal, third worst in the league. They have taken 37 corners this season but have only been able to create 41 shots.

Defending has also been an issue. While Shelina Zadorsky and Whitney Church have done well at center-back in cleaning up some of the mess from the midfield, opponents ample space to create goal-scoring opportunities. Labbe has faced 93 shots this season which is 21 more than any other goalkeeper in the NWSL. Her 29 saves show that she can handle some of the pressure that is put on. But as evidenced by their 6-2 loss against the Reign two weeks ago she needs help.

If the 2017 is supposed to be a learning season for this young Spirit side then Saturday’s match against FCKC will be a very interesting test. Pugh or not Washington have to find a way to break down one of the most difficult defensive units in the league. FCKC used their physical advantage to force the quicker Washington side to the edges of the box. Perhaps next match Pugh will be the variable that coach Jim Gabarra needs to get some life into their attack. Yet, if this side cannot defend, it will be a long night at Children’s Mercy Park for the visitors.