The Washington Spirit will forfeit a second match and must pay a $25,000 fine, the NWSL said in a statement Thursday, an announcement that came after a coronavirus outbreak on the team earlier this month.
The forfeit, for a Sept. 4 match against the Portland Thorns that was initially postponed because of positive coronavirus tests among Spirit players, could seriously jeopardize Washington’s hopes of making the NWSL’s six-team playoffs. After a forfeit against OL Reign over the weekend, the Spirit sat in sixth place. With this forfeit, it appears the Spirit will fall to seventh place.