When the final whistle blew at the end of the match between the Washington Spirit and Racing Louisville on Friday, May 10, the Spirit players’ relief was palpable. They had just survived – and won – a physical match which propelled them into third place on the National Women’s Soccer League table.
During the battle, which produced six total yellow cards, the Spirit were forced to fight to maintain a healthy but not commanding lead the entire time. The victory capped off a three-game road trip for the Spirit, and many of the road games’ lessons were on full display during Friday night’s match.
In preparing for Friday night’s match, the Spirit were focused on protecting the game’s early minutes. As the team had learned recently – sometimes the hard way – remaining organized and composed early can make or break a match.
