Spirit rely on strong mentality to keep winning

Photo Copyright Kiyoshi Mio for Imagn Images

When the Washington Spirit arrived in Los Angeles ahead of Friday’s game against Angel City FC, they were without Trinity Rodman, Ouleye Sarr, and Casey Krueger.

Due to a mixture of injuries, which have also sidelined rookie phenom Croix Bethune, the Spirit were heading into an important game without some of their most talented and reliable players. But this less-than-ideal situation didn’t keep them from securing a 2-1 win, collecting three points on the road and showcasing unwavering confidence the whole time. 

“We have a strong mentality,” assistant coach Adrián González said after the game. “We’ve shown so many times that we know how to compete.”

The game, while ultimately a victory for the Spirit, was not an easy one. For starters, a road game in Los Angeles is never a layup for a visiting team – Angel City’s impressive stadium and exciting crowd will always intimidate an opponent. And arriving in this unnerving environment without key members of their team could have naturally rattled the Spirit. 

However, they played relatively unphased. After a few strong attempts, the Spirit broke open the scoring in the 39th minute with a goal from Ashley Hatch. Angel City equalized in the 51st minute, but the Spirit took the lead again the 78th with a goal from Makenna Morris and held onto their 2-1 lead to the end. 

“This win was huge,” acknowledged Hatch after the game. “It was a huge testament to our hard work. We have a deep roster. Coming here, it’s not easy, but the most important message is that we need to compete.” 

Hatch is one of a handful of players who have especially stepped up in the absence of some Spirit stars. She got her fourth start in a row in Friday’s game, and her goal tied her with Megan Rapinoe for the sixth-most goals scored in NWSL history (51). 

González especially recognized the crucial way that Hatch has been stepping up for the team. He accredits much of her contributions to her strong mentality and her ability to thrive under pressure. “I’m so happy for Hatchy,” González said after the game. “She’s training really good, she deserves that goal.” 

Morris’s goal in the 78th minute – ten minutes after she was subbed into the game – also demonstrated that the roster has depth and can continue to thrive and win without its marquee members. Per González, Morris’s goal was a product of an offensive change that the team made later in the game as they tried to adjust to Angel City’s strong attack. 

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“We knew we had to take a step forward in terms of creating chances with different players,” González said. “We can score in different ways, and we did a good job of being dynamic, especially with Hatch Rose [Kouassi], and Makenna. They’ve done a great job. … We all have different strengths in terms of attacking and we could exploit that today.”

Friday night’s win came with an additional rewarding feeling – the Spirit could give themselves permission to officially put last week’s loss against Kansas City behind them. The lopsided 3-0 loss to Kansas City, a team that the Spirit beat just a few weeks earlier, was a hard pill to swallow after performing with such strength and formidability throughout the season. 

But the team was able to tap into its mental toughness and resilience to capture the win on Friday, and members of the Spirit reestablished their confidence in themselves in the process. “We always want to win, it don’t matter where we are,” said González. He knows bad news is unavoidable, but, per González, “we always prepare to win.” 

Next up for the Spirit is a match against the undefeated Orlando Pride on Sunday, Oct. 6. While both teams have already clinched a playoff berth, the Pride will be looking to maintain their unbeat-ability. But the Spirit, even without some of their stars, will pose a true threat to that record.