The NWSL Challenge Cup wasn’t where the Washington Spirit were supposed to end up. 2020 was supposed to be a big year for the Spirit, who with new leadership on and off the field showed real promise. The idea for this year was to take the next step forward, to move from being a team that played pretty soccer to one that could consistently worry any other NWSL club.
And then, just after the club flew to Florida to start their preseason, the world ground to a near-halt. The league, with so much momentum following the USWNT’s World Cup triumph last year, had to scramble to even have games at all.