Washington Spirit crush Courage 2-0 on road, tighten NWSL title race

The Washington Spirit extended their NWSL title hopes with a commanding 2-0 win over North Carolina Courage on Saturday night, now sitting 2nd in the league with 27 points (8 wins, 3 draws, 2 losses from 13 games)—just 1 point behind leaders San Diego Wave W—while maintaining their +12 goal difference (22 scored, 10 conceded).

What happened?

Leicy Santos delivered a Goal of the Year contender in the 37th minute, volleying a long pass into her own net after a brilliant self-pass. Trinity Rodman doubled the lead just before halftime with her season-high sixth goal, sealing a shutout behind goalkeeper Sandy MacIver’s seventh clean sheet.

Why it matters for Washington Spirit

The victory keeps Washington in the NWSL title conversation, now just 1 point behind San Diego with two games in hand. Their road record (11 wins, 9 draws, 3 losses in 2025) proves they’re a threat anywhere—especially with this kind of performance.

What comes next?

The Spirit face Gotham FC at Citi Field on Wednesday, their first meeting since last season’s NWSL Championship. With recent form WWWLW, they’ll need to keep this momentum going if they’re to challenge San Diego at the top.