Recap: Spirit Falls Short in Second Summer Cup Match

Chester, Pa. (07/28/2024) – The Washington Spirit came up short in its second group stage match of the 2024 NWSL x LIGA MX Femenil Summer Cup tonight, dropping a 1-0 decision to East Coast rival NJ/NY Gotham FC. The loss drops the Spirit to second place in Group D with fourth-place Chicago left to play. 

The opening minutes of tonight’s match were controlled by the Gotham FC attack. In the first seven minutes, midfielder Delanie Sheehan and forward Katie Stengel each had close-range shots that just missed the frame. Stengel put a shot on target in the 18th minute, lobbing a header toward the goal that goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury tipped over the bar. Kingsbury would finish the match with four saves. 

Spirit starting center backs Annaïg Butel and Jenna Butler thwarted dangerous chances inside the 18-yard box by stepping in front of deep crosses in the 29th and 30th minutes, respectively. 

Throughout the first half, Washington had a few near-chances on the breakaway, epitomized by a Paige Metayer through ball to Ouleye Sarr in the 40th minute that was a bit too powerful for Sarr to run down. Making her first start for the Spirit since joining the team on loan last week, Jill Aguilera capped the first half with a sliding block of a cross attempt in the box during stoppage time. 

Coming out of the locker rooms still scoreless, the Spirit made three substitutions right off the bat. Tara McKeown replaced Butel at center back while Chloe Ricketts and Heather Stainbrook stepped in for Andi Sullivan and Kate Wiesner in the midfield. McKeown picked up where the defensive third left off in the first half with a sliding clearance in the box, ending another Gotham FC threat. 

Finding itself deep in the Spirit box again in the 61st minute, Gotham FC drew a penalty near the end line when Aguilera challenged the ball. Forward Yazmeen Ryan stepped up to the spot and found the back of the net, delivering Gotham a 1-0 advantage. 

Just three minutes later, Gotham FC nearly doubled its lead with an open shot in the center of the box but defender Maya Gordon, also making her first start for the Spirit, blocked the shot inside the six-yard box to keep the margin at one. 

The Spirit had several solid attempts in the attacking third during the closing minutes but was unable to equalize. In the 82nd, Makenna Morris blocked a kick from Gotham FC keeper Cassie Miller but was unable to run the ball down to cause any damage. One minute later, McKeown drove into the box and fired a shot just wide into the side netting. 

In stoppage time, Stainbrook delivered a hard shot on target from outside the box that was corraled at the goal line by Miller. In the final minute, Gordon sent a cross deep in the box that a sliding Brittany Ratcliffe was just short of connecting with. 

Next up, the Spirit will wrap group play of the 2024 NWSL x LIGA MX Summer Cup against the Chicago Red Stars at City Stadium in Richmond, Virginia. The match is set to kick off at 7:30 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, July 31. 

 

-NWSL Match Report-  

Match: NJ/NY Gotham FC vs. Washington Spirit 

Date: Sunday, July 28, 2024  

Venue: Subaru Park (Chester, Pa.)  

Kickoff: 6 p.m. EDT  

Weather: Sunny, high-80s 

 

Scoring Summary:  

Goals	1	2	F
NJ/NY	0	1	1
Washington	0	0	0

GFC – Yazmeen Ryan – 62’ (PK) 

 

Lineups:  

GFC:  38 – Cassie Miller; 3 – Bruninha; 21 – Sam Hiatt; 25 – Maycee Bell (35 – Sabrina Flores, 75’); 22 – Mandy Freeman (12 – Kristen Edmonds, 46’); 17 – Delanie Sheehan; 14 – Nealy Martin; 7 – McCall Zerboni; 18 – Yazmeen Ryan; 13 – Ella Stevens (24 – Mackenzie Pluck, 90’); 28 – Katie Stengel (31 – McKenna Whitham, 80’) 

Unused Substitutes: 55 – Nicole Baxter; 1 – Michelle Betos; 32 – Gabby Cuevas 

WAS: 1 – Aubrey Kingsbury; 36 – Jill Aguilera (34 – Olivia Stone, 62’); 5 – Annaïg Butel (9 – Tara McKeown, 46’); 32 – Jenna Butler; 37 – Maya Gordon; 6 – Kate Wiesner; (39 – Chloe Ricketts, 46’); 26 – Paige Metayer; 12 – Andi Sullivan (22 – Heather Stainbrook, 46’); 13 – Brittany Ratcliffe; 11 – Ouleye Sarr (8 – Makenna Morris, 68’); 33 – Ashley Hatch 

Unused Substitutes: 28 – Nicole Barnhart; 16 – Courtney Brown; 31 – Kaylie Collins; 4 – Lena Silano 

 

Stats Summary: GFC / WAS 

Shots: 18 / 4 

Shots On Goal: 6 / 2 

Saves: 2 / 4 

Tackles Won: 7 / 12 

Fouls: 7 / 7 

Offsides: 0 / 3 

 

Misconduct Summary:  

None

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