The No. 2 Washington Spirit are heading back to the NWSL Championship, booking a second straight trip to the title match after silencing the No. 3 Portland Thorns in front of another sellout home crowd on Saturday.
The Spirit began the match on the front foot, with forward Gift Monday notching her second postseason goal in the 27th minute before midfielder Croix Bethune's 83rd-minute empty-net strike secured Washington the 2-0 semifinal result.
"I feel like we've been in this steady spot," Bethune said following Saturday's match. "These past two games honestly have been the best soccer that we've played."
Dealing with availability issues as of late, the semifinal saw center back Tara McKeown return to Washington's lineup after an ankle knock forced the center back to exit the Spirit's quarterfinal match, with second-half sub Trinity Rodman also making her return while defender Gabby Carle remained sidelined.
"I was playing, and that's that," McKeown told reporters after putting in a 90-minute performance in the shutout.
"I think Spirit is definitely the better team — I think that can kind of go without being said," Portland captain Sam Coffey reflected. "They outplayed us for sure, and I think they definitely have all the pieces to go and win the whole thing."
How to watch the Washington Spirit in the 2025 NWSL Championship
Saturday's result sends the No. 2 Washington Spirit to the 2025 NWSL Championship in San Jose, where they'll face No. 8 Gotham FC on Saturday.
The match kicks off at 8 PM ET, with live coverage airing on CBS.
The No. 2 Washington Spirit are gearing up to face the No. 3 Portland Thorns on Saturday, hoping for a healthy roster as they take the pitch in front of another sold-out "Rowdy Audi" crowd in the 2025 NWSL semifinals.
The Spirit are still waiting for the return of star forward Trinity Rodman, with the 23-year-old serving as an unused sub in Saturday's quarterfinal while continuing to rehab a recent MCL injury.
Washington also saw defenders Gabby Carle and Tara McKeown exit last weekend's win with apparent injuries, though Rodman and McKeown were both spotted training with the team on Friday morning.
Despite their availability issues, the Spirit aren't ready to tap out of the 2025 NWSL Playoffs, as Washington prepares to take on a Portland side firing on all cylinders after overcoming their own losses earlier this season.
"We are not just 11 players," Spirit head coach Adrián González assured reporters. "We have a deep roster and that's something that's giving us a lot."
"The bounce-back ability of this team has been absolutely outstanding all season long," said Portland manager Rob Gale. "We ain't done yet."
How to watch Washington vs. Portland in the 2025 NWSL semifinals
The No. 2 Spirit will face the No. 3 Thorns in the 2025 NWSL semifinals at 12 PM ET on Saturday, airing live on CBS.
No. 2-seed Washington have booked their second straight NWSL semifinals berth, after a short-staffed Spirit bested a resilient No. 7 Racing Louisville side in penalty kicks following Saturday's 1-1 quarterfinal draw.
Washington forward Gift Monday first broke the 0-0 stalemate in the 73rd minute after VAR called back an early Spirit goal, while Racing forward Kayla Fischer managed to keep Louisville's hopes alive with a second-half stoppage time equalizer.
Washington goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury then played penalty shootout hero for a second straight year, blocking two sharply hit strikes to allow the Spirit to advance 3-1.
"At the end of the day, there was no chance that we could lose this game," said Spirit head coach Adrián González postgame. "It was a matter of just keep insisting — that's the mentality we have."
The Spirit had more than Racing's tenacity to contend with this weekend, however, as an MCL strain continues to sideline star forward Trinity Rodman.
Washington defenders Gabby Carle and Tara McKeown both exited Saturday's match with injuries, as well, as players pile up on the Spirit's availability report.
How to watch the Washington Spirit in the 2025 NWSL semifinals
No. 2 Washington will next face No. 3 Portland in the 2025 NWSL semis, with the Thorns punching their record-10th semifinal ticket by downing the No. 6 San Diego Wave 1-0 in their own extra-time showdown on Sunday.
The Spirit take on the Thorns for a shot at competing for the 2025 NWSL title at 12 PM ET on Saturday, airing live on CBS.
Saturday's soccer lineup underlines a brewing East Coast rivalry, as the Washington Spirit hosts Gotham FC for the first time since knocking the Bats out of the 2024 NWSL semifinals.
"Just playing against them, you feel that fire," Spirit forward Makenna Morris told JWS this week, with Washington's Audi Field anticipating a large crowd for Saturday's match.
Both clubs know each other well, with 2021 NWSL champions Washington and 2023 trophy-winners Gotham seeing a number of big-name players migrating between New York and DC in recent years.
After finishing 2024 in the league's top four, both teams continue to lurk near the top of NWSL table this season, cementing the idea that the best rivalries blossom between winning sides.
"The [team] that poses the most challenge to you, it just makes you want to beat them so bad," said Washington midfielder Gabby Carle.
"You hate to play them because they're good, but you also love it because it's so competitive," echoed Morris.
Ultimately, familiarity is breeding healthy resentment between two of the NWSL's winningest sides, providing a little extra incentive to secure all three points in this weekend’s matchup.
How to watch NWSL rivals Washington vs. Gotham this weekend
The Spirit will host East Coast rival Gotham at 1 PM ET on Saturday, with live coverage of the 2024 NWSL semifinals rematch airing on CBS.