The Washington Spirit defeated the San Diego Wave, 4-3, in what was truly a hectic game from start to finish. The Spirit who was at one point up 3-1 thought they had blown another lead as the Wave battled back and made it 3-3 in the 82nd minute, but Ashley Hatch and the Spirit had other ideas as they would score the winner in the 100th minute.
The Wave started very positive as they would create the most chances over the first five minutes and would eventually make the Spirit pay as the Aussie Emily Van Egmond would whip in a perfect cross that would find the out stretching foot of Jaedyn Shaw and give the Wave a 1-0 lead in the 7th minute.
It was a near instant response as the Spirit wasted no time equalizing after Trinity Rodman would make a dazzling run down the right side of the pitch and find Ashley Sanchez who carried the ball down into the box before just laying it off for Tara McKeown who curled the ball into the top corner and evened things up at one a piece in the 11th minute.
The Spirit would keep the pressure throughout the next twenty minutes, winning their 50/50s and not letting the Wave properly clear their lines. The breakthrough would come though after a sloppy foul by the Wave deep into their own half saw Rodman float in a cross into the box and after bouncing around for a moment would find the left foot of Amber Brooks who slotted it into the bottom corner and give the Spirit a 2-1 lead in the 30th minute.
It would only take Brooks fourteen minutes to find another, this one again coming from a set piece. After another direct and powerful run into the box from Rodman would lead to a corner, it would be Sam Staab’s delivery that would find the head of Brooks who was falling back but still was able to float the header over the goalie and put the Spirit up two in the 44th minute.
The Wave come out of halftime with a different energy and confidence and looked to start their comeback. It would be an unusual partnership that would connect for the Wave as their goalie Kailen Sheridan would blast her goal kick and find Alex Morgan behind the Spirit defense. Morgan would be taken out and be awarded a penalty, her fifth on the season. Morgan would make no mistake and fire it into the bottom right corner to bring the Wave down just 3-2 in the 57th minute.
It would be Alex Morgan again who would make the Spirit pay after what was controversial call to give them a corner in the 82nd minute. It was Van Egmond who would whip in the corner and get her second assist of the game as Morgan who had beat her marker to the near post would head in the ball in with the back of head. It would be her NWSL league leading 15th goal of the season.
It was the Spirit though who would get the last laugh as added time was ticking down Trinity Rodman who create some more magic and drive the ball deep into the box of the Wave and find Anna Heilferty who took a touch around the defender before being taken down in the box. It would be Ashley Hatch who would step up for the penalty in the 100th minute, it would be a short run up but made no mistake and would convert the penalty to give the Spirit their first win since May 1st.
Washington Spirit
San Diego Wave
