The Washington Spirit nearly pulled off one of the most dramatic comebacks of the NWSL season Saturday night, erasing a three-goal halftime deficit before the North Carolina Courage scored late to escape Audi Field with a 4-3 victory.
In front of more than 14,000 fans during Spirit Worldwide: Culture Night, Washington endured a disastrous opening 45 minutes before completely flipping the script after halftime.
The Courage wasted little time taking control.
Less than two minutes into the match, former Spirit player Ashley Sanchez lifted a shot over goalkeeper Sandy MacIver to give North Carolina an early lead. The Courage continued to pressure Washington, adding another goal that was initially ruled offside before a VAR review overturned the decision.
North Carolina struck again minutes later, leaving Washington staring at a three-goal deficit before the Spirit could find any offensive rhythm.
Washington began to settle into the match late in the opening half. Trinity Rodman created space and found Claudia Martínez, whose effort was blocked, before Andi Sullivan fired the Spirit’s first real attempt just wide of the goal.
Still, Washington entered halftime down 3-0.
Head coach Jonatan Giráldez responded with a series of changes, bringing on Rebeca Bernal, Tamara Bolt, Sofia Cantore and Élisabeth Tsé to start the second half.
The moves immediately changed the complexion of the match.
Washington finally got on the scoreboard when Kate Wiesner surged down the left side before finding Rodman. The forward danced around a defender and unleashed a shot into the upper corner, cutting the deficit to 3-1.
The goal was Rodman’s ninth of the season, setting a new single-season career high, while Wiesner picked up her second assist of the campaign.
The Spirit had momentum, and they weren’t finished.
Less than four minutes later, Bolt chased down a deflected ball inside the box and found Cantore. After another deflection off a sliding Courage defender, Cantore managed to put the ball into the net for her fifth NWSL goal of the season.
Suddenly, a match that appeared to be out of reach was becoming a contest again.
Washington continued throwing pressure at North Carolina throughout the second half, repeatedly testing the Courage defense as the home crowd grew louder.
The equalizer finally arrived in the 90th minute.
Following a corner kick, Bernal pounced on a loose ball inside the box and fired it into the back of the net, sending Audi Field into a frenzy and completing an extraordinary three-goal comeback.
With the match level at 3-3 and only stoppage time remaining, both teams pushed forward looking for the winner.
Washington nearly completed the turnaround when Hershfelt unleashed a shot from the edge of the box that struck the far post.
Instead, the Courage delivered the decisive blow.
North Carolina quickly transitioned into attack, finding Natalie Jacobs open in the final third. Jacobs calmly placed a low shot into the right side of the net to restore the Courage’s lead just minutes before the final whistle.
Washington had no time to answer.
After seven goals and a dramatic second-half comeback, the Spirit walked away empty-handed in one of the wildest matches of their season.
Despite the defeat, Washington’s response after halftime showcased the team’s resilience after being dominated for much of the opening half.
The Spirit will now look to regroup on the road when they travel west for their first meeting of the season with Angel City FC. Washington will face Angel City on Sunday, Aug. 16, with kickoff scheduled for 9 p.m. ET. The match will air on ESPN.
