The Washington Spirit scored an early goal and got a second-half equalizer Sunday, even after going down to 10 players against NJ/NY Gotham FC. But in between was a costly inability to defend corner kicks during the run of play — and when Gotham’s Margaret Purce scored late, the Spirit’s 3-2 loss was sealed at Segra Field in Leesburg.
The complexion of the game changed early, when a turnover left Purce coming in alone on Spirit goalkeeper Aubrey Bledsoe. Spirit defender Sam Staab pulled Purce’s jersey from behind, right on the edge of the penalty area. Staab was shown a red card, but the referee determined the play happened just outside the area despite Gotham’s protests.