The Washington Spirit started slowly against NJ/NY Gotham FC today, but came to life after conceding an early goal on route to an authoritative 3-1 road win. Ashley Sanchez fired home a direct free kick midway through the first half, while Trinity Rodman scored before and after halftime to give the Spirit a second straight win in the NWSL Challenge Cup.
Gotham started brightly, pressing high and causing Washington some trouble. Nahomi Kawasumi’s 3rd minute shot, the product of a turnover on the left side, forced Aubrey Kingsbury into a save at full stretch. Within a minute, it was 1-0 to the home side, with Kawasumi scoring from virtually the same spot.