The NWSL season can be broken down into a three step process. The first step is to qualify for the playoffs. The second is to win the NWSL shield and the third is to win the NWSL title. For the Washington Spirit the first step is taken care and now it is time to complete step two. That can be done on Saturday night when they travel to Toyota Park in Illinois to take on the Chicago Red Stars (8pm EST YouTube).
If the Spirit (12-4-3, 39 points) are to claim their first-ever club title they will have to do it against a side that also has plenty to play for. The Red Stars (8-5-6, 30 points) currently find themselves in third place in the NWSL standings and have already sewn up their second consecutive playoff appearance. A loss would likely see the side slip into fourth place and set up a date with the Spirit next week. Considering that the Spirit easily handled the Red Stars 2-0 at home in July that might be something that coach Rory Dames would look to avoid.
For the Spirit the map to the NWSL shield is rather clear: get three points against the Red Stars. Doing so would mean that the club would not need to wait until Sunday’s match between the Portland Thorns (11-3-5, 38 points) and Sky Blue FC. History seems to be in the Spirit’s favor on Saturday as the side have won their last two encounters with the Red Stars at Toyota Park.
What will be interesting to see on Saturday is how Spirit coach Jim Gabarra chooses to use midfielder Diana Matheson as a starter. Matheson has not started since leaving for the Olympics and although she has certainly assisted acting as more of a super-sub late the process hasn’t exactly worked. Against a Red Stars side that like to use two defensive midfielders look for Matheson to play a major role in breaking Chicago’s concentration.
Getting Crystal Dunn more attacking chances will also be at the top of Gabarra’s agenda on Saturday. Although Dunn has certainly helped the club in other ways (as evidenced by her cross into Katie Stengel in the Spirit’s 2-1 win over the Seattle Reign two weeks ago) her scoring stroke has been missing this season. Her goal against the Reign was her first of the season, a bit alarming considering that she scored 15 goals last season.
What’s the reason for her decline in scoring? National team appearances certainly played a role in that. But so did a position change. Last season Dunn was more or less the lone center forward whereas she has been mostly playing on the outside in Gabarra’s 4-3-3. Stengel and Cheyna Williams have certainly benefited from this change. But if the Spirit have any designs on winning the NWSL Supporters Shield and the NWSL title they are going to need Dunn to be a bit more greedy and start creating her own opportunities.
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