How the Spirit made a potentially awkward coaching situation look easy

Photo copyright Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images.

When a team follows up a season where they don’t make the playoffs with one in which they tie the league record for wins — despite relying heavily on a half dozen rookies and losing key forwards and midfielders to injury along the way — it would stand to reason the head coach would at least be a finalist for end-of-year honors. But the 2024 Washington Spirit were a different kind of beast.

This year, the club, led by the ever-ambitious Y Michele Kang, was able to lure Jonatan Giráldez from his perch at Barcelona to replace Mark Parsons after a disappointing 7-6-9 record for the 2023 National Women’s Soccer League season.

“Great job Michele,” Aubrey Kingsbury said of her first thought when she heard the news.

There was a catch though. When announced by the Spirit in January, Giráldez was still coaching Barcelona and intended to remain there until the end of their season in June. An interim coach would have to be found to steer the ship until Giráldez’s arrival.