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Washington Spirit to play for NWSL championship on Saturday

By Elizabeth Kong

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November 19, 2021 3:09 pm

Alex Ovechkin has a chance to bring another championship to DC, though this time as an investor in the Washington Spirit.

On Saturday, the Washington Spirit face off against the Chicago Red Stars for the NWSL title.

The Spirit has faced an ugly, tumultuous season off the field. In August, head coach Richie Burke was terminated after allegations of verbal and emotional abuse. The league opened an investigation into a toxic work environment in the front office. Last month, Spirit players publicly demanded that the team’s CEO and controlling owner, Steve Baldwin, sell his stake in the team to co-owner Y. Michele Kang. The team also forfeited two matches and were fined $25,000 for violating coronavirus protocols.

But on the field, the story cannot have been more different. In the face of adversity, the team pulled together a whirlwind six-game win-streak. Setting aside the two forfeited matches, the Spirit’s last loss on the field was August 7.

The team’s stars have also raked in the individual awards.

Trinity Rodman, with her six goals and six assists, was named the NWSL’s Rookie of the Year after a season of historic firsts such as being the youngest player to be drafted in the NWSL, and the youngest American player to score a goal in an NWSL debut.

Goalkeeper Aubrey Bledsoe won her second-consecutive Goalkeeper of the Year award. Bledsoe had seven shutouts and the Spirit’s defensive strength saw them concede less than a goal per game.

Forward Ashley Hatch took home the NWSL’s 2021 Golden Boot as the top goal-scorer in the league. Hatch also came fourth in the voting for the NWSL’s MVP award. Hatch scored 10 goals during the regular season, but she has also made her mark in the postseason. It was her goal in the 113th minute against the North Carolina Courage that won the match and advanced the team to the semifinals.

Saturday’s game will be the first time the Washington Spirit is playing in the NWSL Finals since 2016. The game is being hosted in Louisville, Kentucky, but the game will be aired live on CBS at 12 pm EST as well as streamed on Twitch.

You can also catch the Spirit at watch parties being hosted by these DC-area bars. The game will also be projected on the jumbo screen at National Harbor.

Let’s go Spirit!

Headline photo: Elizabeth Kong/RMNB

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