In this edition of Oppo Research, Hudson River Blue spoke with José Mauricio Umaña of WTOP to learn more about the Washington Spirit, Gotham FC's opponent in the NWSL Championship on Saturday. Here is your Gotham versus Washington preview.
• League Form (All Comps): W-D-L-L-W
• Record: 12W, 8D, 6L | 44 points, 2nd Place
• Scoring Leader: Gift Monday, 10 goals
• Assist Leader: Rosemonde Kouassi, 6 assists
1. Washington are having a great season
Hudson River Blue: The Washington Spirit will play in the NWSL Championship for the second straight season and fourth time overall in club history. The Spirit is consistently a solid team, but with only one NWSL Championship, how high are the expectations for a team that lost their head coach in the middle of the season?
José Mauricio Umaña: Expectations at the Washington Spirit have grown since Michele Kang became owner in 2022. The hiring of Jonatan Giráldez last year brought those expectations to a new level. However, because Giráldez was not in Washington until the summer of 2024, Adrián González was named the interim. Since his appointment and later full promotion, the team has responded positively to the Spaniard’s methods.
The standards and expectations have remained high, yet he has navigated those waters well while keeping his players at bay. They don’t feel as anxious or nervous as in previous seasons. They are a calmer presence and more poised than ever before.
2. Washington needs to start fast
HRB: Gotham FC are no stranger to being the underdog: They won the NWSL Championship in 2023 as the 6th seed, becoming the lowest-ranked team in league history to win the title. This year, they are the 8th seed and eliminated the No 1 and No 4 seeds, respectively. With Gotham playing above their seed, what does Washington need to do to set the tone and take control of Saturday’s game?
JMU: Washington needs to start the game on the front foot with pressure and offense early, as it did in the semifinals. González and Spirit players called their win against Portland the best game of the season, and it started when they jumped out in attack right away.
The partnership of Rose Kouassi and Gift Monday was aggressive with their combination play, leading to an early chance that was called back for offsides. Portland could not adjust fast enough, and Washington kept attacking.
If Washington goes on the offensive to start and can establish the Kouassi/Monday combination, it may be a long day for Gotham.
Megha Gupta
3. The neutral site venue won't matter
HRB: Saturday’s final will be played at PayPal Park in San Jose, CA. Gotham have enjoyed playing in hostile road environments, but it will be a neutral venue for the title game. Considering both teams are from the East Coast, how much of an effect do you think the game’s location will have?
JMU: Very little, to be honest. Gotham and Spirit have enjoyed similar weather conditions and fun environments for these playoffs. I think not having the “Rowdy Audi” support will be something Washington players will miss, but they spent the first half of the season excelling on the road than at home, so they will be ready for the task at hand.
I am curious, though, when travel fatigue will set in for these two teams, since both sides have played the most games among NWSL teams, if you count their CONCACAF W Championship tournament matches.
I think the history between these two teams, dating back to the 2022 season with Trinity Rodman/Ali Kriger/Ashlyn Harris Twitter beef, is more than enough fire for both sides to be ready by championship Saturday.
4. The X-Factor: Depth
HRB: What's the X-factor that could decide this game?
JMU: Depth. Washington has rotated its lineup all season long and is confident that any one of its players can start. As mentioned earlier, if fatigue starts to set in and Washington can bring a game-changer like Rodman, how will Gotham respond? It was tested with two teams missing key pieces and lacking depth. Can it stop a fresh Rodman or Italian forward Sofia Cantore after chasing Kouassi and Monday?
5. Predicted score, Starting XI
HRB: Prediction time: Starting XI? Final score?
JMU: Not to be that homer, but I have felt underwhelmed by Gotham all season. For the number of talented players on their roster, everything has hinged on the performance of one player for most of their results during their previous playoff runs. Whether it was in the past with goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger and Esther González, or now with Jaedyn Shaw, I have yet to feel fully impressed by their performances.
I think the Spirit are peaking at the right time. And, unlike the three other times they played each other this season, this will be the most complete roster they will have against Gotham. I expect Washington to score first and frustrate Gotham right away: 2-0 with Kouassi winning game MVP with a goal and an assist.
