WASHINGTON, D.C. (November 8, 2026) – The Washington Spirit delivered a commanding playoff performance Sunday afternoon, defeating the Portland Thorns 4-1 at Audi Field to advance to the NWSL semifinals. Led by a brilliant two-goal performance from superstar Trinity Rodman, Washington wasted little time taking control of the quarterfinal matchup, putting three goals past Portland in the opening 35 minutes.
The Spirit came out attacking from the opening whistle, with Rodman making an immediate impact. Just six minutes into the contest, she connected with Melissa Bethi, who finished the opportunity to give Washington an early 1-0 advantage and energize the home crowd.
Washington continued applying pressure, and in the 34th minute, Clara Luvanga capitalized on a costly mistake by Portland goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold to double the Spirit’s lead. Before the Thorns could regroup, Rodman struck just one minute later, finding the back of the net to extend Washington’s advantage to 3-0 heading into halftime.
Portland attempted to mount a comeback early in the second half when Pietra Tordin scored shortly after the restart, cutting the deficit to 3-1. However, any hopes of a dramatic turnaround were quickly extinguished.
In the 58th minute, Luvanga delivered an excellent assist to Rodman, who completed her brace with another clinical finish to restore Washington’s three-goal cushion. The goal put the Spirit firmly in control and capped an outstanding individual performance from one of the NWSL’s biggest stars.
Washington’s offensive firepower and aggressive start proved too much for Portland, as the Spirit maintained their advantage through the final whistle to secure a place among the league’s final four teams.
The Spirit will now face the Utah Royals on Saturday, November 14, with a trip to the NWSL Championship on the line. The winner will advance to face either Gotham FC or the Kansas City Current for the league title.
With Rodman leading the charge and Washington finding its rhythm at the perfect time, the Spirit are moving one step closer to their championship ambitions.
