Angel City FC leaned on a late strike from Ally Sentnor to salvage a 1-1 result in Sunday's Washington Spirit vs Angel City FC match at BMO Stadium.
The midfielder's first goal for the club arrived in the 85th minute and stretched Angel City FC's unbeaten run to three straight draws. The result also kept the team's playoff push intact heading into the final stretch of the regular season.
Trinity Rodman Powers Washington Spirit vs Angel City FC Tie
Before that equalizer, Trinity Rodman broke the deadlock for Washington in the 65th-minute. Her curling effort past goalkeeper Angelina Anderson off a Tara Rudd through ball marked Rodman's 10th goal of the 2026 NWSL season.
Sentnor nearly answered sooner, but a 37th-minute strike was waved off after VAR flagged a handball by forward Prisca Chilufya. Then, in the 85th, defender Savy King fed Sentnor at the edge of the 18-yard box, and she bent a right-footed shot into the top corner.
"I honestly just felt a lot of momentum in this game," Sentnor said after the match.
"I was crediting this team and the staff for really allowing me to be my true self – taking shots and taking chances and allowing me the opportunities to do that, fail or succeed."
Multiple Stars Return to the Pitch in NWSL Draw
Sunday's match also doubled as a return-to-play showcase for both teams.
Forward Ashley Hatch subbed on for the Washington Spirit in the 83rd minute, earning her first appearance in nearly 15 months after maternity leave.
Angel City fielded two comeback stories of its own: King made her first on-field effort since April 3rd, and forward Sydney Leroux entered in second-half stoppage time for her first minutes since the club's 2024 season.
The Spirit next face the Orlando Pride on Sunday at 4 PM ET on ESPN. Angel City, meanwhile, take on Gotham FC, also on Sunday, at 8 PM ET on ION.
Trinity Rodman needed just one chance to decide Wednesday's Washington Spirit vs Utah Royals matchup. After a rain delay, her 28th-minute finish, a close-range tap off Paige Metayer's cross, gave the Spirit a 1-0 win at America First Field.
Trinity Rodman Goal Breaks Deadlock After Weather Delay
The goal came moments after an hour-long weather delay. The Royals had controlled the tempo early, outshooting Washington 5-2 before the stoppage. However, that momentum vanished in a matter of seconds.
Utah didn't fold. The Royals outshot Washington 10-4 before halftime and piled up 34 touches in the box across the full match, but managed just four shots on target. Spirit goalkeeper Sandy MacIver turned each one away to preserve the clean sheet.
"We had two or three very clear chances," head coach Jimmy Coenraets said. "We referred to it as a lapse of five seconds against a world-class player."
Washington Spirit vs Utah Royals Result Impacts NWSL Standings
Meanwhile, the result widened the gap in the NWSL standings.
Washington moved to a 11-3-3 record with 36 points, now six clear of third-place Utah at 9-5-3. It also marked the Royals' third loss in five matches since the Men's World Cup break.
Still, Coenraets left encouraged. Utah next hosts Portland Thorns FC on Sunday at 7 PM ET, live on NWSL+.
The Washington Spirit climbed to the top of the NWSL standings on Sunday, downing Boston Legacy FC 2-1 on the road at Centreville Bank Stadium. It was the club's ninth win in 15 matches this season, prevailing despite a late effort from Boston's Sammy Smith.
Spirit defender Tara Rudd broke the deadlock in the 25th minute. Leicy Santos whipped a ball into the penalty area, and Rudd rose to nod it over Boston Legacy goalkeeper Casey Murphy.
Then, just six minutes later, Trinity Rodman made it 2-0. Gift Monday played Rodman in behind the back line, and the forward finished calmly for her seventh tally of 2026.
Sammy Smith Scores Late Goal for Boston Legacy FC
Still, Boston's NWSL expansion side wasn't done. The hosts pushed forward after halftime, and Spirit goalkeeper Sandy MacIver had to come up big on multiple occasions.
Sammy Smith finally pulled one back in the 88th minute. Smith collected a pass from Emerson Elgin on the left side of the box and slotted a sharp finish into the far corner. But Washington held firm through stoppage time to seal the result.
What’s Next on the Washington Spirit Schedule
With the win, the Spirit sit atop the standings at 30 points, level with Gotham FC but ahead on goal difference. Next on the Washington Spirit schedule: a home match against Denver Summit FC at Audi Field on Sunday at 7 PM ET (Victory+).
Meanwhile, Boston Legacy will face the KC Current at home on Saturday at 5 PM ET, live on ION.
Wildfire smoke and stifling heat turned Gotham FC’s historic Queens Classic win into a stop-start affair Wednesday night, as the reigning NWSL champions edged the Washington Spirit 1-0 before a record crowd at Citi Field.
Rose Lavelle settled the match with a curling chip in the 37th minute. But her strike was slightly overshadowed by the orange haze hovering over Flushing’s night sky. A sellout crowd of 42,175 — a New York City women’s sports record — packed the MLB stadium for the event, watching through the smog as mandated hydration breaks repeatedly broke up the game.
Wildfire Smoke Filled New York Skies Ahead of Gotham FC Clash
The league monitored conditions all day before the 8 PM ET kickoff. Smoke from hundreds of wildfires across Canada and Minnesota had settled over the Northeast, prompting New York to issue a statewide air quality advisory. As if that wasn’t enough, near-100-degree temperatures added an extreme heat warning to the mix.
According to NWSL policy, an air quality index between 150 and 180 mandates two breaks per half, while anything above 180 triggers delays or cancellation. The AQI read 171 at kickoff, allowing the match to kick off but forcing players off the pitch for two hydration breaks per half. During one stoppage, Spirit star Trinity Rodman was spotted using an oxygen mask on the sidelines.
“Air quality was rough,” a frustrated Rodman said afterward. “Not to make excuses at all, but I think on both sides we were all like, ‘another break, another break, another break.’”
“If we have to have a hydration break every 15 minutes, then we shouldn’t be playing the game. That’s my opinion,” she continued. “But at the end of the day, there’s 40,000 people. It’s a whole event. So it was a hard situation for everybody.”
The interruptions put both benches on edge. Washington head coach Adrián González didn’t mince words postmatch. He called the breaks a momentum-killer even as he acknowledged their necessity.
“Can I be honest? I don’t like them,” González said. “I think it kills the game. But I understand it, so I need to accept it.” He added that solving problems on the fly is “part of the beauty,” and providing mid-match feedback interrupted that rhythm.
Players Debate NWSL Hydration Break Pros and Cons
Spirit midfielder Andi Sullivan took the conditions in stride. She suggested the extra water breaks may have actually helped her hold up physically across her longest outing since returning from maternity leave. However, she suggested incorporating a single break earlier on might be more effective for maintaining flow.
“I didn’t mind it too much,” said the NWSL veteran. “I would be curious to do one water break at 20 minutes instead of waiting until 30. That would be a good compromise, so that the game doesn’t become too chopped up.”
Washington defender Tara Rudd suspected the hype surrounding the Queens Classic influenced the decision to play despite air quality concerns.
“I think if it were different circumstances, maybe the game would have been pushed,” she told reporters. “But because there’s so many people here… It’s not an excuse, but the water breaks [were] disrupting the game.”
The debate mirrors a broader one at the Men’s World Cup, where warm summer weather ushered in the tournament’s first-ever hydration breaks. Sunday’s final between Spain and Argentina is slated to be played at MetLife Stadium, about 22 miles from Citi Field. However, forecasters expect the air quality to improve by the end of the week.
“Times are changing, and we need to adjust, and we need to accept it,” González concluded.
The NWSL returned from its summer break with a bang this weekend as the Washington Spirit continue to climb the table.
A tight 2-1 win over the Houston Dash on Friday pushed them even higher in the league standings. Star Spirit forward Trinity Rodman played hero for her side, scoring the opener in the 50th minute before overcoming Houston forward Kate Faasse’s equalizer with a stoppage time game winner.
"Honestly, in the actual box, I don't even know what happened for it to get through," Rodman said of her winning goal. "I just know that once we got scored on, I was just like, 'we've gotta go.'"
NWSL Standings Shake Up After June Regular Season Break
The win launched Washington into third place in the NWSL standings. That shift reflects a momentum reset league-wide after the NWSL took the entirety of June off from regular season play due to the 2026 World Cup.
No. 4 Utah suffered their first loss in 10 games on Sunday in a 3-2 thriller against No. 14 Chicago, while No. 7 Gotham couldn’t back up their Challenge Cup win in a 2-0 loss to No. 1 San Diego.
"It's a long [season]," said Gotham manager Juan Carlos Amoros. "Today we lost a battle, but we are ready for the war."
The Washington Spirit made two roster moves Monday to shore up depth for the second half of the 2026 NWSL season.
The club locked in forward Tamara Bolt through 2027 and kept defender Madison Haugen on board through December.
Trinity Rodman and the Spirit Build Momentum After the NWSL Break
Bolt originally came to Washington ahead of its 2025 campaign but spent that year gaining minutes on loan in the USL Super League. Now back with the Spirit, the Brazilian forward has worked her way into five matchday squads this season.
Haugen, for her part, arrived on a short-term deal during NWSL preseason when several veterans stepped away for maternity leave. She has yet to see the pitch but gives the coaching staff another defensive option as games come quickly after the break.
"We're confident in the group of players we have together, and our midseason roster moves reflect that," sporting director James Hocken said.
The moves reinforce a roster already built around attackers like Trinity Rodman. If the Spirit can keep their NWSL stats trending upward, a second-half push for the playoffs looks within reach.
Washington will next host the Houston Dash at Audi Field on Friday, July 3rd.
Alex Morgan, Trinity Rodman, and the rest of the US women's soccer team are at the center of a new collectibles deal.
Upper Deck has partnered with US Soccer to become the official source of authenticated USWNT memorabilia, giving fans direct access to signed gear tied to the program's top players.
Inside Upper Deck's Alex Morgan and Trinity Rodman Drops
To mark the launch, Upper Deck released two exclusive collections.
The first honors Morgan's international career and her 123 USWNT goals. The second highlights Rodman's 2024 Olympic gold-medal run.
Both lines include hand-signed jerseys, Olympic canvas posters, and a dual-signed print titled "American Glory." Together, the pieces span two generations of US women's soccer.
"The landscape of women's sports has changed so much since I started my career, so I'm proud to have been a part of that growth and now work with Upper Deck to help fans take part in that journey," Alex Morgan said in an Upper Deck press release.
"There's no better way to stay connected with my fans than to team up with a brand that shares the same passion. Their commitment to supporting the Alex Morgan Foundation is further proof this collaboration is the perfect fit."
The partnership arrives with a major tournament on the horizon.
When Is the Next Women's World Cup?
The 2027 Women's World Cup kicks off in Brazil on June 24th with an expanded 32-team field. So far, 14 nations have already qualified, including host Brazil, defending champion Spain, and fellow contenders Germany, France, and Australia.
The USWNT's path runs through CONCACAF qualifying, with remaining spots still up for grabs before the intercontinental playoffs in February 2027. For Upper Deck, the timing gives collectors a full year to build out their USWNT memorabilia ahead of the tournament.
The USWNT is back in action tomorrow, kicking off the first of two friendlies against Brazil in another tough test ahead of November’s World Cup qualifiers.
It’s the USWNT’s first time playing As Canarinhas in Brazil since 2014 — and the team’s first road trip since its post-2024 Olympics European tour.
“This is another moment where we get to see how we cope with all of the environmental conditions that come with going to Brazil,” said manager Emma Hayes.
“This gives us an opportunity to really pick up some valuable lessons.”
Fans could see Triple Espresso trio Mallory Swanson, Sophia Wilson, and Trinity Rodman reunited on the pitch for the first time in nearly two years. Hayes recently named the strikers to this month’s 26-player USWNT roster.
“Just having my sisters back is amazing,” Rodman said. “And then on the field, I feel like our connection is so good.”
“It’s been super exciting just to see everyone again and getting caught up to speed,” added Swanson.
Where to Watch USWNT vs Brazil Friendly
The US takes on Brazil tomorrow at 5:30 PM ET, live on TBS.
The United States Women’s National Soccer Team (USWNT) just got its gold medal winning frontline back.
For the first time in nearly two years, the attacking trio known as "Triple Espresso" has fully reunited. Stars Trinity Rodman, Sophia Wilson, and Mallory Swanson are together again in São Paulo, preparing for a pair of friendlies against Brazil.
Triple Espresso's Return to Form Fuels USWNT Attack
The three forwards led the USWNT's 2024 Paris Olympics run, combining for 10 of the team's 12 goals. But roster changes, injuries, and life events have kept them from playing together on the national stage ever since.
Both Swanson and Wilson recently welcomed daughters, while Rodman battled through a nagging back injury during the 2025 NWSL season.
Now, the three stars are ready to build on their scoring chemistry as Emma Hayes's squad prepares for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup.
Ahead of the team's first match on June 6th, Rodman, Wilson, and Swanson spoke to press about their reunion. The trio shared their respective experiences reintegrating with a younger, relatively inexperienced national side.
"Having my sisters back is amazing," Rodman said of the trio's time together in training camp. "And then on the field, I feel like our connection is so good. Being able to play with them again has been really good."
Rodman's been sparking winning momentum with the Washington Spirit this season. Wilson, meanwhile, is finding her scoring form for the Portland Thorns. The striker's netted five goals since stepping back onto the pitch in March 2026.
And Swanson — who returned to the Chicago Stars' starting lineup just last month — has already logged her first goal of the NWSL season.
"The team has done a lot in the time that Mal and I have been gone," Wilson said.
"But they’ve done a really good job of making sure that we are getting caught up and feel like when we come back into camp, we haven’t missed a beat and can kind of just get back on the ground and flying."
USWNT vs. Brazil Friendlies: Schedule, Game Times, and Broadcast
The upcoming friendlies will test the team's — and the Triple Espresso trio — against Brazil's aggressive, fast-paced style.
The two sides haven't met in South America since 2014, as Hayes hinted she hopes to test her squad's resilience against a passionate and vocal home crowd.
"Brazil’s always a really hard opponent... I think the biggest thing is controlling the game," Rodman said of the USWNT's strategy. "Being able to kind of dictate things will be important."
The US women's national team double-header against Brazil opens at Neo Química Arena in São Paulo on Saturday, June 6th. Coverage begins at 5:30 PM ET on TNT and HBO Max.
The No. 2 Washington Spirit is riding high, overcoming a slow start to register a fourth straight win in Saturday’s 4-2 victory over No. 12 Orlando.
Spirit forward Sofia Cantore tallied two goals in the match’s first six minutes to mark the quickest brace in league history. Later, Claudia Martinez added a second-half strike while star Trinity Rodman notched her third goal in as many games.
“I’m so proud of this team, I think they’ve done amazing,” said manager Adrian Gonzalez afterwards. “Sometimes you just need to suffer.”
Washington has now racked up nine points in eight days.
However, the Spirit still trail No. 1 Portland by four points in the NWSL standings. The Thorns recorded a fifth straight result in Sunday’s 2-0 win over Chicago.
20-year-old Portland midfielder Olivia Moultrie notched a goal and an assist in her 100th club appearance, becoming the youngest player in league history to accomplish the feat.
“I can’t believe I’ve hit 100 games — it doesn’t feel like that at all,” Moultrie said. “I get to show up and do what I love every day and it doesn’t feel like a chore.”
How to Watch the Washington Spirit in NWSL Matchday 9
Washington returns on May 10th, kicking off against Seattle at 7 PM ET on Victory+.