After lacking out on the postseason in 2023 on the final day of the season, the Washington Spirit are off to a blazing begin within the 2024 common season. The Spirit defeated reigning 2023 NWSL Champions NJ/NY Gotham FC on Saturday, 2-0, with objectives by rookie Croix Bethune and Ashley Hatch. It is the Spirit’s fourth consecutive win and third at residence.

Listed below are some takeaways from the sport:

An early candidate for Rookie of the 12 months

Bethune, the No. 3 general decide within the 2024 NWSL draft has gotten an early begin on her resume for Rookie of the 12 months. The 23-year-old midfielder scored the opening purpose and gained the penalty to assist safe a victory over Gotham. She has three objectives over in 5 video games with the Spirit.

Bethune is not enjoying the sport like a first-year skilled, along with her imaginative and prescient and creativity, she’s discovered early chemistry enjoying alongside her teammates.

“I imply, she sees the sport. And I believe for us, having midfielders which are capable of flip and face ahead … having the boldness to carry the ball and see issues I believe is de facto vital,” mentioned Trinity Rodman after the match.

“I believe generally we’re making an attempt to go ahead too shortly, and generally we’re holding on to the ball too lengthy. So I believe she sees the sport rather well. I believe she’s assured on the ball, it is what we’d like within the center. On the finish of the day execution is every little thing and he or she’s doing that too.” 

Audi subject fortress

The Spirit are actually on a four-game win streak with three of their victories at residence in Audi Discipline. It is solely the second yr the squad is enjoying on the MLS stadium full-time, and the improve has been an element of their success, together with added funding and assets by proprietor Michele Kang. Over 15,000 followers attended Saturday’s match, the fourth-highest attended common season recreation.

Having a home-field benefit can go a great distance however for the Spirit, it is about ways. For Bethune, it was about sticking to the sport plan to take down Gotham. 

“I really feel prefer it’s somewhat little bit of each,” Bethune mentioned on irritating Gotham with their type. “However extra so our recreation plan and I really feel like we executed it completely. With coaching, we knew what we wished to do. When the sport got here, we executed, discovered the weaknesses, and put the ball again within the internet. So I really feel like we did what we wished to do.” 

It is solely week 5 of a 26-match common season, and interim head coach Adrian Gonzalez is making an attempt to implement early concepts with incoming supervisor Jonatan Giraldez set to reach in June. Giraldez will be part of the Spirit as the brand new Spirit head coach after FC Barcelona’s season and Gonzalez will keep on as a full-time assistant. Gonzalez is comfortable for the wins however is aware of the is simply scratching the floor of their ceiling. 

“Far-off. They don’t have any limits,” Gonzalez joked in postgame on how far the staff has to go. “So, I am gonna push them daily as a result of they need to be higher. They need to enhance. We nonetheless have lots of issues to enhance, lots of expertise to point out, however we’re constructing that already. I believe now we’re beginning [to] construct one thing actually, actually, highly effective. However our mindset is like ‘daily we are able to we are able to enhance’ and they’re humbled too. We’re all prepared to enhance and I hope the staff can enhance way more sooner or later.”

Tremendous staff stress

Gotham FC made massive headlines within the offseason for all of the gamers they had been capable of signal by way of free company. Crystal Dunn, Tierna Davidson, Rose Lavelle, and Emily Sonnett had been all launched as Gotham’s”Class of 2024.” The strikes had been largely praised and appeared to arrange the squad for a protracted season however the quartet of marquee signings have but to begin a recreation collectively. 

Lavelle has been rehabbing a decrease leg harm to begin the yr and has but to debut for the East Coast aspect, whereas Davidson, Sonnett, and Dunn have balanced minutes for each membership and nation. The membership’s latest signings aren’t the one gamers carrying accidents, and Normal Supervisor Yael Averbuch West has mentioned the group is engaged on long-term options for his or her gamers.

Nonetheless, there’s been loads of expertise accessible to them to select up factors, however they’ve just one win by way of 4 video games to begin the season. Head coach Juan Carlos Amoros has been vocal about minute administration for gamers, however the ways and recreation plan fall on the teaching employees, and the house aspect was fast to focus on Gotham’s gaps.

“I believe it doesn’t matter what staff we play, I believe we’re making an attempt to clearly look to see which aspect we are able to expose them on,” Rodman mentioned on breaking down Gotham’s excessive line after the sport.

“For me and Croix [Bethune], that was the left aspect. We began on the suitable and we weren’t as profitable after which as quickly as we moved to the left, Casey Krueger performed a ball in and we received that chance, then it was identical to again to back-to-back. For us, I believe it is simply ways and seeing who’s enjoying the place and the way they’re defending and their proper again was going very excessive, in order that left lots of room for us to assault,” she defined.

Olympic issues on the horizon

Gotham FC and U.S. ladies’s nationwide staff centerback Tierna Davidson exited the match throughout the twenty first minute after she pulled up on a restoration run. The Spirit’s early makes an attempt at enjoying in behind Gotham had been an issue all recreation, and as Davidson made a protecting run she grabbed the again of her thigh and known as for a coach. She was capable of stroll off on her personal and was later sitting on Gotham’s bench.

The potential hamstring concern comes with the Olympics only a few months away, and fellow USWNT centerback Naomi Girma solely not too long ago returned to play on Friday from a “thigh pressure.” Gotham FC head coach Amoros did not have a right away replace on Davidson postgame.

“Clearly she needed to come off which isn’t signal. We should consider, anticipate the medical testing we have to do after which go from there,” he defined. “We’re trying internally on how we are able to do higher in that facet as a result of for the time being, it’s no secret that we’ve lots of accidents. We’re analyzing every little thing as membership to guarantee that we are able to do higher.”

Davidson’s harm comes a day after Wave FC and USWNT ahead Alex Morgan injured her ankle throughout Friday’s recreation towards Orlando Satisfaction. Morgan sustained the harm throughout the late stage of the sport and the Wave had been out of substitutions and ended the match with 10 gamers. There isn’t a official replace on Morgan’s standing right now.