Washington Spirit clinch playoff berth with 1-0 win over Gotham FC: Match report

The Washington Spirit finally slayed one of their biggest demons, defeating NJ/NY Gotham FC 1-0 on a chilly Saturday afternoon at Audi Field.

Washington hadn't even taken a lead, much less defeated, the Bats in their last six attempts, but Lucia Di Guglielmo's first NWSL goal was the unlikely source of a victory that guarantees the Spirit a place in the playoffs, and keeps them alive in the NWSL Shield race.

Perhaps just as critically, it also marks a first win over Gotham since June 23, 2024.

With Leicy Santos back in the 11 for the first time since early August, Washington looked to get off to the strong start that they cited as vital in pre-match press availabilities.

Clara Luvanga turned past Jess Carter in the 4th minute only to fire into the outside netting. It was Luvanga again in the 24th minute after a well-worked attacking move ended with Trinity Rodman cutting the ball back for her, but the Tanzania striker scooped a promising shot over the bar.

Rodman had a go herself in the 31st minute, hammering an angled shot that Ann-Katrin Berger did just enough to tip away from danger. At the other end, Gotham's first major threat came four minutes later, but Jaelin Howell didn't get full power on her half-volley, allowing Sandy MacIver to save comfortably.

Berger then made a world-class save in the 44th minute, diving backwards to claw Rodman's floating header away from what looked like a sure path into the net.

Gotham had been second-best to some degree in the first half, but looked more sure of themselves coming out for the second. However, the Spirit were not to be denied, finally breaking through in the 70th minute.

Sofia Cantore's initial drive forward was cleared away, but halftime substitute Mélissa Bethi paused after collecting the loose ball, allowing Di Guglielmo's run from deep to develop. The Italy fullback ended up coming through the center forward's channel to control the chipped pass from Bethi, then steered the ball past Berger.

Three minutes later, Bethi then beat Berger from distance, only to end up with her head in her hands as the shot slapped off the crossbar. The Algeria midfielder was at it again in the 83rd minute, but her shot was brilliantly blocked by Howell's challenge.

Offerings toward goal were few and far between for the defending champions, though Denise O'Sullivan's 85th-minute bid from distance only missed narrowly wide.

Beyond that, the Spirit kept the game under control, pinning Gotham in their own half rather than coping with any late drama en route to what may be a pivotal win by the end of the 2026 season.

The win means the Spirit (16-4-8) sit just three points behind Gotham in the race for the NWSL Shield with two games left in the regular season. Their next assignment is a tough one, as they head west to take on the Kansas City Current at CPKC Stadium on Sunday, Oct. 25. Kickoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. ET.

Box score — NWSL regular season (game 28)
10/17/2026

Washington Spirit 1 (Di Guglielmo 70)
NJ/NY Gotham FC 0

Lineups:
Spirit (433): Sandy MacIver; Lucia Di Guglielmo, Tara Rudd, Esme Morgan, Gabby Carle; Hal Hershfelt, Andi Sullivan (C), Leicy Santos (Mélissa Bethi 46); Sofia Cantore (Rosemonde Kouassi 78), Clara Luvanga (Ashley Hatch 78), Trinity Rodman

Gotham (4231): Ann-Katrin Berger; Mandy Freeman (Olivia Wingate 59), Jess Carter, Tierna Davidson (C), Leila Ouahabi (Taryn Torres 59); Jaelin Howell (Savannah McCaskill 90), Denise O'Sullivan; Midge Purce, Rose Lavelle (Andrea Kitahata 90), Guro Reiten (Talia Sommer 76); Sam Kerr

Bookings:
Spirit - None
Gotham - Howell 61, Torres 94+

Referee: Abdou Ndiaye
Weather: Gusty winds, mostly cloudy, 55°
Attendance: 19,215