Washington Spirit survive North Carolina Courage in 2-0 win: Match report
An excellent first half was followed by a gutsy second as the Spirit made it three straight NWSL wins.
The Washington Spirit offered up a masterful first half before hanging on for dear life in the second, seeing off the North Carolina Courage in a 2-0 win Saturday evening.
Leicy Santos pulled out a party trick to score her fifth goal of the season, while Trinity Rodman retained the team lead by notching her sixth just before halftime. However, a fierce Courage fightback saw a sensational Ashley Sanchez goal called back by VAR, and North Carolina went close numerous times pushing for a comeback.
After some initial uncertainty against the fast-starting hosts, the Spirit settled in with control of possession for long spells. However, the game's first chance of note didn't arrive until the 24th minute, when some persistence from Gift Monday — making her first start since Washington's season opener — teed Santos up for a shot that went straight at Courage goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan.
Monday went to goal herself just seconds later, looking to loft a shot over Sheridan only for the longtime Canada no. 1 to react well and tip the effort wide.
Coming out of the hydration break, the Spirit finally had the kind of chance they look for, getting in transition as Santos played a sublime ball through the channel with the outside of her foot. Rodman gained position on Ryan Williams, but her shot from a promising spot flew wide.
The Spirit's wait wouldn't last long. More possession followed, with the ball eventually circulating to Kate Wiesner. From deep on the flank, the left back bent the ball towards the Courage box, finding Santos. The Colombia playmaker showed her world-class technical ability from there, juggling the ball once before lacing a left-footed shot past a helpless Sheridan.
Leicy Santos with a BELTER for the Washington Spirit 🚀
— NWSL (@nwslsoccer.com) July 11, 2026 at 7:14 PM
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Not long after a big defensive intervention, Tara Rudd made an even bigger contribution just before halftime. With time to measure a long ball, the center back delivered a dime, meeting Rodman's slashing run beyond the Courage defense. This time, Rodman — who now has 6 goals and 4 assists in her last eight appearances — showed no mercy, powering a shot past Sheridan to double the lead.
Trin with the moves 💃 Trinity Rodman finds the back of the net again!
— NWSL (@nwslsoccer.com) July 11, 2026 at 7:32 PM
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North Carolina had new options coming out of the halftime break, with two different threats through former Spirit playmaker Ashley Sanchez. While her first cutback was well-blocked by Esme Morgan, the second saw Gabby Carle concede a foul right at the top of the box.
Sanchez made no mistake with the 50th-minute dead ball, bending the free kick up and over the wall to beat MacIver. However, as the home fans celebrated, referee Laura Rodriguez got a call from VAR, eventually ruling that Shinomi Koyama was standing within a yard of the Washington wall, violating a rarely-tested aspect of the Laws of the Game.
Sanchez was then denied at the hour mark by Sandy MacIver, who rushed off her line to smother the ball at the last second. Rodman nearly stuck the dagger in as a response, faking Uno Shiragaki to the ground only to fizz a low near-post shot inches wide.
With the game opening up, Evelyn Ijeh blazed an effort over as the Spirit sought to recover their footing. Koyama's long-range effort in the 66th minute slapped off the crossbar, with head coach Adrián González replying shortly thereafter with a triple substitution.
The Spirit battened down the hatches, and while the pressure was intense, the Courage could only offer shots that missed by inches. Hannah Betford sent one wide of the near post in the 88th minute, while Riley Jackson's floater landed on the roof of the net a minute later.
Stoppage time saw pure chaos at times in the box, with most Washington subs pushing defensively-oriented players into attacking positions, it was all hands on deck, but the visitors had just enough in the tank to get three three points, vaulting into second place in the NWSL table.
Now on a three-game winning streak, the Spirit (8-3-2) will have little time to rest on their laurels. They head north to New York City where NJ/NY Gotham FC awaits in Wednesday's "Queens Classic" at City Field in Queens. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET, and Green Line Soccer will be in the building.
Box score — NWSL regular season (game 13)
7/11/2026
North Carolina Courage 0
Washington Spirit 2 (Santos 38, Rodman 48+)
Lineups:
Courage (523): Kailen Sheridan (C); Ryan Williams, Uno Shiragaki, Maycee Bell, Dani Weatherholt (Natalia Staude 81), Feli Rauch (Chioma Okafor 88); Riley Jackson, Shinomi Koyama (Carly Wickenheiser 88); Ally Schlegel (Ivy Younce 81), Evelyn Ijeh (Hannah Betfort 81), Ashley Sanchez
Spirit (4231): Sandy MacIver; Gabby Carle, Tara Rudd, Esme Morgan, Kate Wiesner; Hal Hershfelt, Andi Sullivan (C) (Deb Abiodun 67); Rosemonde Kouassi (Paige Metayer 67), Leicy Santos (Rebeca Bernal 82), Trinity Rodman (Tamara Bolt 82); Gift Monday (Sofia Cantore 67)
Bookings:
Courage - Jackson 76
Spirit - None
Referee: Laura Rodriguez
Weather: Humid, partly cloudy, 89°
Attendance: 8,726
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