In a historic match, the Washington Spirit earned a 2-1 victory over Chivas Femenil in the opening game of the inaugural NWSL x LIGA MX Femenil Summer Cup. This event marks the first-ever international tournament collaboration in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) history, involving all 14 NWSL clubs and six Liga MX teams.
The Washington Spirit's starting lineup saw significant changes, with Aubrey Kingsbury and Tara McKeown being the only players who have consistently started throughout the regular season. National team replacement players Jenna Butler and Olivia Stone made their NWSL debuts, while Heather Stainbrook, Lena Silano, and Chloe Ricketts earned their first starts of the 2024 season across all competitions.
The Spirit got off to a flying start thanks to midfielder Paige Metayer, who scored the first goal of the match. Ashley Hatch's expertly delivered corner kick connected with Metayer's head, sending the ball past the Chivas Femenil goalkeeper. Throughout the first half, the Spirit dominated possession and limited Chivas to only two shots, neither of which were on target. The Spirit's control of the ball, with over 57% possession, kept Chivas on the defensive.
Tensions rose in the first half, resulting in three yellow cards issued within six minutes—two to Chivas Femenil and one to the Spirit.
Early in the second half, the Spirit doubled their lead. A well-coordinated play from the defensive area allowed Brittany Ratcliffe to exploit space on the right flank. Her precise cross into the 18-yard box found Lena Silano, who scored her second goal of the season in all competitions. Silano came close to adding another goal shortly after, but an unfortunate bounce thwarted her effort.
Chivas Femenil fought back and scored in the 68th minute. Carolina Jaramillo's free kick service found the head of captain Alicia Cervantes, bringing Chivas within one goal.
Both teams made several substitutions in an effort to change the game's dynamics. The Spirit made four changes, while Chivas Femenil utilized all five of their substitutions. Despite these adjustments, the scoreline remained unchanged, and the Spirit secured a crucial three points to begin the Summer Cup group stage.
Throughout the match, the Spirit displayed their dominance, ending with 15 shots, seven of which were on target, compared to Chivas Femenil's six shots and only one on target. This victory extends the Spirit's strong form, having lost only once in their last nine matches across all competitions.
The Spirit will continue their residency at Subaru Park with a match against east coast rivals NJ/NY Gotham FC, scheduled to kick off at 6 p.m. EDT on Sunday, July 28.
Match: Washington Spirit vs. Chivas Femenil
Date: Sunday, July 21, 2024
Venue: Subaru Park, Chester, PA
Kickoff: 4:30 p.m. EDT
Weather: Sunny, high-80s
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Washington Spirit:
Unused Substitutes: 28 – Nicole Barnhart, 16 – Courtney Brown, 31 – Kaylie Collins
Chivas Femenil:
Unused Substitutes: 16 – Victoria Acevedo, 12 – Blanca Félix, 3 – Damaris Godínez, 10 – Adriana Iturbide
