Washington Spirit comeback repelled in unreal 4-3 loss to North Carolina Courage: Match report
A three-goal comeback from the Spirit seemed to secure an incredible comeback, only for the Courage to strike an even later winner.
The Washington Spirit thought they'd made a miraculous comeback, only for the North Carolina Courage to have a late last laugh.
After coming all the way back from a 3-0 deficit, the Spirit fell 4-3 on a muggy Saturday night, conceding deep in stoppage time. An awful opening 15 minutes saw Ashley Sanchez open the scoring after just two minutes, while Evelyn Ijeh's early brace seemed to guarantee a Spirit defeat.
Washington were a changed side coming out for the second half, with Trinity Rodman and Sofia Cantore scoring a rapid-fire double. Washington then seemed to complete the stunning comeback in the 90th minute, as Rebeca Bernal sent Audi Field into delirium.
However, the Courage got the last laugh as Natalie Jacobs tucked home a winner five minutes into stoppage time, condemning the Spirit to their first losing streak of 2026.
What preceded that was less favorable, as Sanchez and the Courage wasted no time getting out to a lead. Shinomi Koyama's diagonal back into the penalty area caught the Spirit stepping out. Sanchez timed her run to perfection, leaping up for an acrobatic, floated finish past Sandy MacIver.
You can count on Ashley Sanchez 😮💨 Her 11th goal of the NWSL season puts the Courage on the board to lead 1-0!
— NWSL (@nwslsoccer.com) August 8, 2026 at 6:37 PM
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It was the earliest goal the Spirit had conceded all season, and more damage was coming. Evelyn Ijeh, another North Carolina player in scintillating form, padded the lead just seven minutes later, with the help of VAR.
Ally Schlegel fought off challenges from Esme Morgan and Kate Wiesner and fed Ijeh in the goalmouth for a tap-in, but the far-side assistant referee's flag came up. However, a check from VAR confirmed what replays seemed to show: Ijeh was — barely — held onside by Tara Rudd, and referee Joshua Encarnacion eventually awarded the visitors the goal.
Ally Schlegel battles through the defense and Evelyn Ijeh pokes it home to double the Courage's lead 👏
— NWSL (@nwslsoccer.com) August 8, 2026 at 6:48 PM
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Washington's troubles only increased from there. Some simple 15th-minute possession drew a bit of pressure, and a stray touch from Rudd invited a tackle from Sanchez. The ex-Spirit playmaker lunged in, putting in a hard (but clean) challenge to prod the ball loose, sending it directly to Ijeh.
From over 20 yards, the Sweden forward quickly pulled the trigger. MacIver managed to react in time while backpedaling to get a touch on Ijeh's powerful shot, but the ball had enough behind it to carry into the goal.
EVELYN IJEH BRACE IN THE FIRST 15 MINUTES! 🤯 Evelyn Ijeh completes the brace to add to the Courage's lead 3-0!
— NWSL (@nwslsoccer.com) August 8, 2026 at 6:53 PM
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Perhaps understandably, Adrián González rang the changes at halftime, making four substitutions. That sparked an instant shift, with Rodman getting the hosts on the board within two minutes of the restart.
Washington broke out in transition, with Wiesner moving the ball along to Rodman inside the box. Rodman made a feint inside to freeze Ryan Williams and Natalie Jacobs, then ruthlessly bent home her ninth goal of the season.
THAT’S how you start a second half 😤 Trinity Rodman goes top bins and brings D.C. to life!
— NWSL (@nwslsoccer.com) August 8, 2026 at 7:47 PM
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Washington kept hammering away, and were back within a goal by the 50th minute. Wiesner was involved again, finding substitute Tamara Bolt beyond the back post with a clipped cross. The Brazilian's cutback set up another sub, Cantore, who eventually found just enough of a window to get the ball past Sheridan.
CALL IT A COMEBACK ‼️ Sofia Cantore creates chaos and grabs the Spirit a second!
— NWSL (@nwslsoccer.com) August 8, 2026 at 7:50 PM
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The chances kept coming. Rodman scooped one effort over the bar from 19 yards, while Sheridan nearly fumbled Bolt's 62nd-minute header over the line, with the ball landing on the roof of the net.
Dead balls were particularly promising as the Spirit looked to complete their comeback. One corner saw three good looks blocked amid the chaos, while Leicy Santos' 25-yard free kick landed on the roof of the net in the 76th minute.
The Spirit used their last change to throw the kitchen sink at North Carolina, bringing Madison Haugen on for Gabby Carle and switching to a 3-4-1-2 formation. The first notable chance after moving to the high-risk approach came at the other end, with the Courage having several shots blocked amid a mighty scramble.
Finally, though, the Spirit completed their comeback, naturally from a set piece. Wiesner was involved again, serving in a corner to find Bernal in the goalmouth. The Mexico captain's first header was cleared off the line by Williams, but Bernal wouldn't take no for an answer, steering the ball over the line to set off wild celebrations.
The Spirit seemed sure that a win was on, with Hal Hershfelt smacking a long shot off the post in the aftermath. That would prove to be a heartbreaker, as the wide-open ending swung the other way.
From open play, Jacobs stormed forward as a Courage counter swept towards the Spirit goal, and the center back ended up receiving the ball in tons of space inside the box. MacIver charged out, but Jacobs got her shot away quickly enough to give the visitors a mind-bending win.
The Spirit (11-3-5) will look to break out of what has been a slump in form next weekend. They'll get a long week of training before heading west to face Angel City FC next Sunday, with kickoff scheduled for 9 p.m. ET.
Box score — NWSL regular season (game 19)
8/8/2026
Washington Spirit 3 (Rodman 47, Cantore 50, Bernal 90)
North Carolina Courage 4 (Sanchez 2; Ijeh 9, 15; Jacobs 95+)
Lineups:
Spirit (4231): Sandy MacIver; Gabby Carle (Madison Haugen 80), Tara Rudd, Esme Morgan (Élisabeth Tsé 46), Kate Wiesner; Hal Hershfelt, Andi Sullivan (C) (Rebeca Bernal 46); Paige Metayer (Tamara Bolt 46), Leicy Santos, Trinity Rodman; Claudia Martínez (Sofia Cantore 46)
Courage (4231): Kailen Sheridan; Ryan Williams, Natalie Jacobs, Maycee Bell, Feli Rauch; Riley Jackson (Vilde Bøe Risa 61), Shinomi Koyama; Ally Schlegel (Lauryn Thompson 61), Erica Meg Parkinson (Carly Wickenheiser 61), Ashley Sanchez (Hannah Betfort 46); Evelyn Ijeh (Chioma Okafor 80)
Bookings:
Spirit - Morgan 35
Courage - Rauch 37, Bøe Risa 75, Bell 98+
Referee: Joshua Encarnacion
Weather: Oppressive humidity, sunny, 88°
Attendance: 14,168
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