The Washington Spirit on Friday named Albertin Montoya as its interim coach for the remainder of the National Women’s Soccer League season.
Montoya, 47, replaces Kris Ward, who, less than a year after overseeing the club’s first NWSL title, was fired Aug. 22 amid a 17-game winless streak across all competitions and strained relations with the players.
“He is a wonderful teacher of the game and our players will benefit from his development and leadership,” Mark Krikorian, the Spirit’s president of soccer operations, said in a statement. “We look forward to having Albertin lead this group through the final five regular season matches and are optimistic about what he will be able to add to our club.