Courage top Spirit in goalfest at the Plex

Washington Spirit 2-North Carolina Courage 4

What happens when the NWSL matches perennially one of the best attacking sides in the league with a side full of young attacking players? Why, a few goals of course! On Saturday night at the Maryland SoccerPlex the Washington Spirit and the North Carolina Courage engaged in one of the most exciting matches in this young NWSL season. While the Spirit showed spark and initiative the Courage attack was too much for the young side, losing 4-2.

Facing one of the most potent attacking sides in the NWSL the Spirit started the match with a sense of urgency. Using their advantage in speed down the left flank Washington created pockets of space against the normally compact Courage defense. In the third minute midfielder Mallory Pugh hit a shot from just inside the eighteen yard box and go far post. While Courage goalkeeper Sabrina D’Angelo read the scoring chance right she was unable to reach Pugh’s shot before it hit the back of the net.

While the Spirit had the lead early on it was the Courage attack that would dominate play in the first half. Forwards Jessica McDonald, Lynn Williams, and Crystal Dunn would press the Washington Spirit center-backs throughout the first forty-five. In the 13th minute McDonald got past the Spirit defense and appeared to have the equalizer within her sights. However, center-back Estelle Johnson would spoil the scoring chance intercepting her shot and clearing it out of bounds.

The Spirit would not be so lucky in the 20th minute when Dunn would get past her defender and hit a low shot beyond the reach of goalkeeper Aubrey Bledsoe. The goal was her first of the 2018 and her first since coming back to the NWSL. Dunn spent last season with English giants after playing the previous four seasons with the Spirit.

The Courage were not satisfied with just one goal though. As has been their bread and butter for the past several years they would seize upon an opponent’s mistake and use it to their benefit. After earning a free kick in the 24th minute Lynn Williams played a pass off to McCall Zerboni. Zerboni hit a low curving shot past Bledsoe to give the Courage the 2-1 advantage.

In the second half the Courage would come out of the gates swinging first with a shot from Dunn that hit the crossbar. They would get their third though with Zerboni once again finding the back of the net in the 54th minute. Zerboni’s two goals were her first two of the 2018 NWSL season.

The Spirit cut the lead to one with Francisca Ordega getting past defender Merritt Mathias and finishing a cross from midfielder Havana Solaun in the 58th minute. While Ordega got the best of her counter-part in that scenario credit to Matthias for holding off the speedy Nigerian international, boxing her out and making decisive clears when necessary.

But just as soon as it appeared that the Spirit might get back into the match the Courage closed the door. As she has done to the Spirit many times in the past Williams found a way to break the hearts of the largely partisan pro-Washington crowd in attendance at the Plex. Her low shot in the 66th minute from just beyond the eighteen yard box would give the Courage the 4-2 advantage and the three points on the evening.

With the win the Courage (3-0-0, 9 points) hold on to first place in the NWSL Standings. They will return home on Wednesday where they will face the Seattle Reign (7pm go90). The Courage and the Reign are the last two sides in the NWSL to be undefeated.

As for the Spirit while the loss will certainly sting their effort against one of the best sides in the NWSL is a marker for the progress the young side has made. The challenge will not get any easier on Wednesday though as they travel to the Rose City to take on the defending NWSL Champion Portland Thorns (1030 pm EST, go90).

Washington Spirit-Aubrey Bledsoe, Caprice Dydasco, Whitney Church, Taylor Smith, Estelle Johnson, Andi Sullivan, Mallory Pugh (Tori Huster 75′), Joanna Lohman (Havana Solaun 54′), Francisca Ordega, Mallory Eubanks (Meggy Dougherty Howard 66′), Ashley Hatch

Goals-Pugh (11′) and Ordega (58′)

Yellow card- Johnson (83′)

 

North Carolina Courage-Sabrina D’Angelo, Abby Erceg, Merritt Mathias (Allysha Chapman 71′), Abby Dahlkemper, Jaelene Hinkle, McCall Zerboni, Denise O’Sullivan, Kristen Hamilton (Meredith Speck 86′) , Lynn Williams, Jessica McDonald (Darian Jenkins 66′), and Crystal Dunn

Goals-Dunn (20′), Zerboni (24′ and 48′) and Williams (66′)

 

ATTENDANCE: 3458