Sunday night’s shutout provided a dash of good news for Gotham FC on an otherwise forgettable evening.
Gotham FC won’t have to face the Washington Spirit again during the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) regular season.
Gotham hasn’t been able to solve the Spirit, suffering matching 2-0 defeats to them.
Gotham entered the match between the third- and fourth-place teams in the league hot, riding a five-game winning streak and without a loss in its previous nine contests.
Gotham had allowed five goals in that span. It had conceded 11 all year, tied for the fewest in the league with the Orlando Pride.
But under an oppressive heat — the game was pushed back five hours for safety reasons and there were water breaks in each half — the high-scoring Spirit cooled down Gotham at humid Red Bull Arena.
Courtney Brown and Trinity Rodman each scored, and Gotham had to play a woman down in the second half after left wing Yazmeen Ryan was given a pair of yellow cards, the second coming in first half stoppage time.
To add insult to the defeat, Gotham had a chance to at least avoid the clean sheet, but Katie Stengel was turned away on a penalty shot by goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury in the 89th minute.
With the win, the Spirit vaulted the Kansas City Current and the Pride into first place.
Gotham (8-4-3, 27 points) was the better team over the first 45-plus minutes. The defending NWSL champions were mostly dominant in midfield, controlling possession. It attempted six of the eight shots on goal, and the first four. It had myriad opportunities, carrying play on the Spirit end.
But one mistake put them in a hole, a giveaway by fullback Emily Sonnett in midfield that resulted in the lone goal of the first half.
The Spirit (11-3-1, 34 points) took advantage. Croix Bethune went on the counterattack, setting up Brown, whose right-footed shot from outside the box to the bottom right corner beat goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger.
It was the low point of a frustrating half for Gotham.
It was whistled for three yellow cards, two charged to Ryan. In the 54th minute, after she had to briefly come out following a hard fall, Ryan was given a second yellow for re-entering before being given permission by the referee. The crowd exploded in boos then, and throughout the second half.
It got worse right after the break.
In the 48th minute, Rodman beat Berger to the back left corner on another successful counter. It marked just the second time this season Gotham has conceded two goals — that was also against the Spirit, in a 2-0 loss on April 20.
It nearly became a three-goal hole a minute later, but Berger made an acrobatic diving spot of an uncontested laser from short range by Brown.