We’re officially into the weird portion of the 2019 NWSL schedule, and for the Washington Spirit that means playing without Rose Lavelle and Mallory Pugh. Tonight against Reign FC (who are similarly without Megan Rapinoe and Allie Long), we’ll get a preview of what this squad can do when dealing without two of the best attacking players on the planet. If the Spirit can break down a normally very organized Reign side, they just might have the stuff to turn 2019 into more than just a rebuilding year.
Key player: Ashley Hatch
Let’s put it in stark terms: The two most likely players to generate scoring chances on the Spirit roster are unavailable for potentially 2-3 months.