Washington Spirit advance to NWSL Championship with 2-0 win over Portland Thorns

The Washington Spirit secured a berth in the NWSL Championship for the second consecutive year after defeating Portland Thorns FC 2-0 in the semifinal match at Audi Field on Saturday. The Spirit, playing in front of a sellout crowd of 19,365 in Washington, D.C., relied on goals from Gift Monday and Croix Bethune to clinch the victory in regulation time.

The Spirit's opening goal came in the 27th minute. Following a cleared Portland corner kick, forward Rosemonde Kouassi launched a rapid, full-field counterattack. Kouassi sprinted down the right flank and delivered a precise pass to Gift Monday, who calmly slotted the ball home to give the home side a 1-0 lead. It was Monday's second consecutive playoff goal, with Kouassi registering her sixth assist on a Monday goal this season.

Washington continued to apply pressure, registering 16 shots to Portland's 10 throughout the match. The insurance goal arrived late in the second half, in the 83rd minute, when Croix Bethune capitalized on a poor pass by Portland defender Sam Hiatt. Bethune charged up the field, maneuvered around the Thorns goalkeeper, and converted the goal to extend the lead to 2-0, ending any hopes for a Portland rally.

The victory was notable as the Spirit secured the win in regulation time, breaking a long-standing trend. In the club's 13-year history, all four previous home playoff games had required extra time or penalty shootouts, including their quarterfinal match this year.

Star forward Trinity Rodman, who had been sidelined for a month with a knee injury, made her return to the pitch, entering the game as a substitute in the 90th minute to a strong ovation from the crowd.

The Spirit now advances to the NWSL Championship game, which will take place at PayPal Park in San Jose, California, on Saturday, November 22. They await the winner of the second semifinal, scheduled for Sunday, between Gotham FC and Orlando Pride.