Washington v North Carolina
Ashley Sanchez's early goal lifts Courage over Spirit
The North Carolina Courage secured a 1-0 victory over the Washington Spirit at Audi Field on Saturday, thanks to an early strike from Ashley Sanchez.
Sanchez's right-footed shot from a difficult angle in the 19th minute made the difference.
Washington had several opportunities to equalize. Trinity Rodman and Ouleymata Sarr were particularly active for the Spirit, with Rodman having multiple shots saved by Casey Murphy.
In the second half, the Spirit brought on fresh legs with Makenna Morris and Heather Stainbrook entering in place of Gabrielle Carle and Paige Metayer, respectively, around the 63rd minute mark. Despite those changes and sustained pressure from players such as Ashley Hatch, who replaced Croix Bethune later on, Washington couldn't break through.
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Game Information
- Referees:
- Rebeca Pagan
NWSL Table
| Team | GP | W | D | L | GD | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego Wave FC | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | +5 | 12 |
| Portland Thorns FC | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | +3 | 10 |
| Seattle Reign FC | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | +3 | 10 |
| Angel City FC | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | +6 | 9 |
| Houston Dash | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | +4 | 9 |
| Orlando Pride | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | +3 | 8 |
| Utah Royals | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 7 |
| Washington Spirit | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | +1 | 6 |
| Denver Summit FC | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | +1 | 6 |
| Bay FC | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | -1 | 6 |
| Kansas City Current | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | -4 | 6 |
| North Carolina Courage | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | -1 | 5 |
| Gotham FC | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | -2 | 5 |
| Chicago Stars FC | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | -9 | 3 |
| Racing Louisville FC | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | -3 | 1 |
| Boston Legacy FC | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | -6 | 0 |

