The Washington Spirit got to play in front of fans at home for the first time since September 2019, but had to settle for a 0-0 draw with NJ/NY Gotham FC before a crowd of 2,039 at Audi Field. Despite peppering the Gotham goal with shots in the second half, Washington couldn’t repeat their previous dramatic win on Buzzard Point earlier in the NWSL Challenge Cup.
Richie Burke opted for a 433 formation after starting previous Challenge Cup matches in a 3421, bringing Ashley Sanchez into the midfield to add some creativity to a team that had scored one goal in their last two games.