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Washington Spirit (7-0-3) vs. Seattle Reign FC (2-1-7)
Nuts & Bolts
Date: May 24, 2024
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Venue: Audi Field, Washington, D.C.
Competition: NWSL Regular Season
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Head Coach: Adrian Gonzalez (1st season - Interim)
Record: 7-0-3 All Competitions (7-0-3, 3rd in NWSL Standings)
Last Time Out: Won vs. Angel City 4-2 in NWSL Regular Season on 5/18
Highlights HERE
Player to Watch: Trinity Rodman
The Washington Spirit have been in terrific form in the early part of the 2024 NWSL regular season.
The Spirit currently have seven wins and three losses, good for third place in the NWSL standings, just behind Orlando and Kansas City.
Washington is led by Ouleymata Sarr, who has scored 5 goals this year, and Croix Bethune, who has netted 3 goals and added a team-high 7 assists, which is most in the NWSL.
The team enters Friday night’s matchup at home against Seattle having won its past two games, including a 4-2 thriller this past Saturday against Angel City, a game in which all six goals were scored in the first half, including three goals in six minutes by Washington to claim the lead for good en route to a victory.
Interim Head Coach Adrian Gonzalez was appointed in January and is leading the team until the new Head Coach Jona Giraldez joins the squad at the conclusion of his current team's season, FC Barcelona.
It’s safe to say that through ten games the Spirit are in a very strong position. With the league leader in assists, a myriad of multi-goal scorers, and a tremendous head coach coming in shortly, the team is poised to have a terrific season and potentially secure its first NWSL title since it last made the playoffs in 2021.
Head Coach: Laura Harvey (4th season, 35-16-27 overall with Seattle)
Record: 2-1-7 All Competitions (2-1-7, 13th in NWSL Standings)
Last Time Out: Lost vs. Orlando 3-2 in NWSL Regular Season on 5/19
Highlights HERE
Player to Watch: Bethany Balcer
The Seattle Reign were a win away from winning its first NWSL title in 2023 and have entered 2024 on a downward spiral.
The team lost the 2023 NWSL Final 2-1 against Gotham FC and won the NWSL regular season in 2022, but have stumbled out of the gate in 2024.
Head Coach Laura Harvey’s squad currently sits second-to-last in the league standings with two wins, one tie, and seven losses through ten games.
The squad has just one player, Bethany Balcer, who has scored multiple goals this year (4), as the team has struggled to adjust following the retirement of star player Megan Rapinoe following the 2023 season.
Balcer, however, is the star and has been for the past few years, having led the team in goals for three straight years entering 2024.
Despite this, Seattle has struggled to generate offense, currently ranking 11th in both goals scored and goals conceded.
Simply, when you can’t score and can’t defend, it’s tough to find success. It’ll be a tall task for Seattle on Friday night in D.C. as they go up against a Washington team that scored 22 goals in ten games.
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