Washington Spirit got past Chicago Red Stars 2-1 in overtime at Lynn Family Stadium for its first-ever National Women’s Soccer League Championship on Saturday.
Historic season for Washington Spirit who had went through a tough time early on and put together a solid run, which they went 9-0-3 including the playoffs.
Despite their struggles, the Spirit’s roster included Golden Boot winner Ashley Hatch and Goalkeeper of the Year Aubrey Bledsoe, as well as Rodman, the daughter of former NBA player Dennis Rodman.
The Red Stars were playing in its second straight NWSL Championship, which they had lost to North Carolina 4-0 in 2019 and have also reached the playoffs for a sixth straight year.
Rachel Hill found the opening goal late in the first half. It was near the back post on a header off a cross from Wright in the fifth minute of stoppage time for the Red Stars 1-0 lead that they took into halftime.
Rodman nearly tied the game in the 61st minute with a blast from distance that hit the post.
Rodman, the NWSL Rookie of the Year award was the one who turned the league’s title game on her head. It was well known before Saturday that Rodman is a star of the future, but what played out in the second half and extra time at Lynn Family Stadium felt like a timeline expediting right before everyone’s eyes.
The Spirit tied the match in the 67th minute through Andi Sullivan’s penalty kick that went under the hands of Red Stars’ keeper Cassie Miller. Washington was awarded the penalty kick on Chicago defender Tierna Davidson’s tackle of Tara McKeown –who had received a well crafted cross from Rodman– in the box.
Kelly O’Hara had the eventual game-winning goal that she could’ve never dreamed to have in extra time. She finished off a header along the back post that was delivered off the leg of Trinity Rodman in the 96th minute of extra time for a 2-1 advantage.
Chicago played hard and nearly found a way to tie the match up down to the final couple minutes of the extra time. Makenzy Doniak broke free of a Spirit defender at the top of the box and had a point-blank shot that was saved by Washington keeper Aubrey Bledsoe with a dive to her right in the 115th minute. Then, Arin Wright fired a 30-yard online kick that appeared to hit the crossbar and go over in the 120th minute
Next season, the 10-team league will expand to 12 teams with the addition of Angel City FC in Los Angeles and the San Diego Wave.
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