The Washington Spirit (6W-3D-4L, 4th place) face their toughest challenge of the NWSL season thus far tonight, as they head south to take on the defending champion North Carolina Courage (7W-4D-3L, 2nd). It’s not just that the Courage won the league last year, lost the final the year before that; it’s the history between these teams. In seven meetings, the Spirit have seven losses (scoring just 5 goals in the process). They played a preseason game last year...and that was a loss too.
With Rose Lavelle and Mallory Pugh away on USWNT duty, the Spirit will have to dig deep and produce a near-perfect performance to break the hex the Courage have on them.