Last October, the Washington Spirit were seconds away from winning the NWSL Championship before a last-second goal and penalty kicks led to a crushing defeat. The Spirit’s offseason got worse from there. Washington lost most of its stars amid widespread reports of club-player conflict. In all likelihood, only three of the starters from October’s championship game will start against the North Carolina Courage on Saturday.
So what’s left of the Spirit? More than this offseason would indicate. Parts of the roster are sneaky good - namely the midfield - and there are a few attackers such as Francisca Ordega who could have a breakout season.