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Washington Spirit

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Washington Spirit
Founded2012; 12 years ago (2012),
as D.C. United Women
StadiumAudi Field
Segra Field
Capacity20,000
5,000
Co-ownersSteve Baldwin, Michele Kang, Bill Lynch
PresidentBen Olsen
Head coachKris Ward
LeagueNational Women's Soccer League
2021Regular season: 3rd of 10
Playoffs: Champions
Websitehttps://washingtonspirit.com/
Current season

The Washington Spirit is an American professional soccer club based in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area that participates in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). It is a continuation of the D.C. United Women of the W-League and continues to field both an amateur WPSL team[1] and a youth team, both under the Spirit name.

History

Establishment

The foundation of the National Women's Soccer League was announced on November 21, 2012, with Washington selected as a host for one of the eight teams selected for the inaugural season.[2] In December 2012, the team's name was announced as the Washington Spirit. D.C. United Women head coach Mike Jorden was kept on as well as assistant coach Cindi Harkes. Harkes is married to the former U.S. international and D.C. United star John Harkes.[3] Bill Lynch, the original Washington Spirit's owner when the National Women's Soccer League launched in 2013,[4] sold the majority of the team to tech executive Steve Baldwin in late 2018.[5][6] Several other minority investors have since been added to the ownership group—Jenna Bush Hager and Chelsea Clinton, daughters of U.S. presidents; Olympic gold medal-winning gymnast Dominique Dawes; and most recently (May 2021) Washington Capitals star Alexander Ovechkin.[7]

Inaugural season

Main article: 2013 Washington Spirit season

On January 11, 2013 as part of the NWSL Player Allocation, goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris (USA), defender Ali Krieger (USA), midfielder Lori Lindsey (USA), defender Robyn Gayle (CAN), midfielder Diana Matheson (CAN), defender Alina Garciamendez (MEX) and midfielder Teresa Worbis (MEX) were named to the team.[8][9][10] During the February 7, 2013 NWSL Supplemental Draft, the team selected Stephanie Ochs, Tori Huster, Jordan Angeli, Natasha Kai, Megan Mischler and Heather Cooke.[11][12]

The Spirit played their first competitive match on April 14, 2013, drawing Boston Breakers 1–1 with Tiffany McCarty scoring the team's first goal assisted by Stephanie Ochs.[13]

The inaugural season saw the Spirit stumble out of the gate under Mike Jorden, who was fired after the first eleven games having won only once in that time. Jorden was replaced by Mark Parsons, who finished the season in 8th (last) place registering only 2 more wins over the season.[14]

2014–2016 successes

After a poor inaugural season, the Spirit would much improve in the 2014 making some key acquisitions including Jodie Taylor and Christine Nairn, both who would finish as the team's tops scorers with 11 and 8 goals, respectively. Finishing 4th, the Spirit made their first NWSL Playoff appearance. They would lose at Seattle Reign.

The Spirit finished the 2015 season with a record of 8–6–6 and repeating their 4th place league position.[15] The playoff result, again, ended in an away loss to Seattle in the semifinals.[16] The season would be the breakout year for Crystal Dunn who was awarded the 2015 NWSL Golden Boot Award, scoring 15 goals during the campaign.[17] At the conclusion of the season, Mark Parsons stepped down as head coach and general manager to take over as coach of the Portland Thorns FC.[18]

Building off the successes of the 2014 and 2015 seasons, the Spirit hired former Sky Blue FC manager, Jim Gabarra ahead of the 2016 season.[19] The Spirit had their most successful season to date in 2016, being league leaders in the standings throughout most of the season. Only in the final week would the Spirit's loss finalize them as league runners-up. Earning their first post-season victory against Chicago Red Stars, the Spirit would lose the 2016 NWSL Final in penalties to Western New York Flash.[20]

2017–present

The Spirit line up in June 2018.

In the aftermath of finishing 2016 runners-up, the Spirit saw a series of key departures including captain Ali Krieger (traded to Orlando Pride), Christine Nairn and Diana Matheson (both traded to Seattle Reign), and Crystal Dunn leaving for Chelsea, while retaining her contracting rights. Unable to adequately replace these players, the Spirit struggled to compete throughout the 2017 season ultimately finishing last (10th) for the first time since the inaugural season.[21] However, building for the future, Gabarra was able to recruit U.S. national team prospect, Mallory Pugh mid-season.[22] Pugh would go on to lead the team in scoring, registering 6 goals in 16 games.[23] The 2018 season continued the Spirit's pursuit of young talent, but also continued the struggle for results. On August 21, after eight straight losses and being eliminated from playoff contention, the Spirit fired head coach, Jim Gabarra, and appointed assistant coach, Tom Torres as interim head coach.[24] Torres lead the Spirit through the final three matches of the season at home, including the Spirit's debut at newly opened Audi Field against Portland Thorns FC on August 25. The match set a new club record for home attendance with 7,976 fans.[25] The season ended with the Spirit finishing in 8th place, just ahead of Sky Blue FC. During the offseason, the Spirit appointed Richie Burke as the new head coach while retaining Torres on the technical staff. The announcement also noted local tech executive Steve Baldwin had become the Spirit's new majority owner.[26]

The 2019 Washington Spirit season marked several changes for the Spirit organization. Owner Steve Baldwin outlined several planned improvements including theme nights for fans, pride night, a gear store in the stadium, and a mascot.[27] The 2019 season also featured major changes on the field; fifteen new players were added to the Spirit roster including Australian national team members Chloe Logarzo and Amy Harrison.[28] The Spirit surpassed their point total from the previous season on May 18 after the 5th game of the season against Portland Thorns FC. They would go on to surpass their past season's point total the next week against the Chicago Red Stars. They ultimately finished 5th in the 2019 NWSL standings.

In September 2021, Burke was fired as head coach following an investigation into allegations of harassment and abusive behavior towards players.[29][30] CEO Steve Baldwin was also accused of nepotism and retaliatory behavior, leading to fellow co-owner Y. Michelle Kang to call for him to step down and sell his ownership interest in the team.[30] Fans and Spirit players alike echoed this sentiment.[31] On October 14th, 2021 the Washington Post reported that Steve Baldwin had announced to club investors that he intended to sell the club.[32]

The Spirit won their first NWSL Championship on Saturday November 20, 2021 when they defeated the Chicago Red Stars, 2–1 in extra-time at Lynnn Family Stadium in Louisville, Kentucky.[33]

On December 20, 2021, The Spirit announced that interim Head Coach Kris Ward would become the teams permanent Head Coach.[34]

Colors and badge

In January 2013, the team unveiled its new colors and badge. The badge was designed to resemble a torch reflecting the notion of "Burning with Spirit." It also contains a crown that holds 11 stars to represent the 11 players on the field and a ball with a single star to represent the 12th player (the team's fans) placed where the fuel for the torch would be representing how the fans "fuel the spirit." All of the components of the badge are "wrapped in the Banner of Spirit for a patriotic theme honoring our flag and all of those who have given their lives and sacrificed much so we can enjoy the freedoms we have."[35]

The logo was designed by freelance designer Pete Schwadel and incorporates the team colors of navy, red, and white, further reinforcing the patriotic theme woven throughout the team's imagery. It also features both "Washington" and "DC" to represent the team's connection with the District and the greater Washington metropolitan area.[36]

The color and design of the 2020/2021 kit reinforces these values. The blue represents the unity of the club with the communities of DC, Virginia and Maryland and the waters of the Potomac River that ties those three parts of the region together. The two red stripes depict the District of Columbia flag and the roots of the club in the nation's capital. The gray stripes signify the constant upward growth of the organization in promoting equality, diversity and inclusion. The red notch reflects the sacrifices made by the players—past, present and future—to fulfill their maximum potential as athletes and leaders in society.

Stadium

See also: NWSL stadiums

The Maryland SoccerPlex, located in Germantown, Maryland, was home to the Washington Spirit beginning with the inaugural 2013 season.[37] The facility was also home to the Washington Spirit Reserves in the WPSL.

Starting during the 2018 season, the Spirit began coordinating with D.C. United to play home matches at Audi Field in Buzzard Point in Washington D.C. The Spirit played their first match on August 25 that season, hosting the Portland Thorns FC. The match registered the team's highest attended game and was viewed as a means to generate more interest in the team.[38] During the 2019 season, the team announced it would host two home matches at Audi Field.[39]

On November 12, 2019, the team announced that in the 2020 season, the Spirit reached an agreement with D.C. United that will split the team's home games between three stadiums, the Maryland SoccerPlex, Audi Field and Segra Field in Leesburg, Virginia for four games each. Due to COVID restrictions, the Spirit played two home matches at Segra Field in 2020. Starting in 2021, the Spirit will play all its home regular-season games at Audi Field and Segra Field,[40] although the club still planned to hold at least one preseason game a year at the SoccerPlex after 2020.[41]

In addition, the team has relocated its training facilities to Segra Field and will occupy the new D.C. United training center in Leesburg once the facility is completed in the summer of 2021.[42]

Season Stadium Location Capacity
2013–2019 Maryland SoccerPlex Germantown, Maryland 4,000[37]
2018–present Audi Field Washington, D.C. 20,000[43]
2020–present Segra Field Leesburg, Virginia 5,000

Supporters

The Spirit Squadron is the name of the supporter's group for the Spirit. The group was started by friends Ashley Nichols, Megan Wesson and Tory Johnson.[44] Of the group's founding, Nichols said, "... with a new league we needed to show the team as much support as possible because we really want a women's pro league to stay here in the United States. So between that and wanting to also provide a fun experience for fans, we decided to create the Spirit Squadron."[45]

Rose Room Collective is an independent supporter group for the Washington Spirit and D.C. United by and for people of color (POC). They were founded on a strong desire to have a supporter group in the D.C. area with a more targeted approach to including and amplifying the voices of POC.[46]

In February 2021, The Washington Post reported that Chelsea Clinton, Jenna Bush Hager, Dominique Dawes and Brianna Scurry were part of an investment group investing in the team.[47][48]

Broadcasting

See also: National Women's Soccer League § Broadcasting

In 2020, broadcast rights for NWSL matches was consolidated at the league level. Washington Spirit matches are broadcast on CBS Sports Network , Paramount+ and Twitch . International streaming began in 2021 via geolocked feeds on Twitch .

At the beginning of the 2019 season the Spirit announced a broadcast partnership with NBC Sports Washington and Monumental Sports Network.[49]

As of April 2017, Washington Spirit games are streamed exclusively by Go90 for American audiences and via the NWSL website for international viewers.[50] For the 2017 season, the Spirit will be featured in three nationally televised Lifetime NWSL Game of the Week broadcasts on April 22,[51] June 17, and August 19, 2017.[52]

In 2016, the Spirit's NWSL Playoff game against the Chicago Red Stars was broadcast on Fox Sports 1 and was available for streaming on the company's online streaming platform, Fox Sports Go.[53]

Players

See also: List of Washington Spirit players

Current squad

As of December 18, 2021.[54]
No. Pos. Player Nation
1 GK Aubrey Bledsoe  United States
2 FW Trinity Rodman  United States
3 DF Sam Staab  United States
5 DF Kelley O'Hara  United States
6 DF Emily Sonnett  United States
7 MF Saori Takarada  Japan
8 FW Averie Collins  United States
10 FW Ashley Sanchez  United States
11 MF Jordan DiBiasi  United States
12 MF Andi Sullivan  United States
13 FW Bayley Feist  United States
16 MF Julia Roddar  Sweden
17 FW Kumi Yokoyama  Japan
18 GK Devon Kerr  Canada
19 MF Dorian Bailey  United States
21 MF Anna Heilferty  United States
23 DF Tori Huster  United States
25 DF Karina Rodríguez  Mexico
26 MF Taylor Aylmer  United States
27 FW Tara McKeown  United States
28 DF Morgan Goff  United States
30 DF Camryn Biegalski  United States
31 GK Sydney Schneider  Jamaica
33 FW Ashley Hatch  United States
— DF Alia Martin  United States

Staff

Current staff

As of December 20, 2021.[55][56]
Executive
President of club operations Ben Olsen
Vice president of sporting operations Denise Caldwell
Acting president of business operations Lauren Kenney
Coaching
Head coach Kris Ward
Assistant coach Lee Nguyen
Assistant coach Annie Worden
Goalkeeper coach Paul Crichton
High performance director Michael Minthorne

Head coaches

As of December 20, 2021
Name Nat. Tenure M W D L Win % Notes
Mike Jorden United States April 6, 2012 – July 1, 2013 11 1 3 7 9.1% First head coach[14][57]
Mark Parsons England July 1, 2013 – September 30, 2015 57 20 13 24 35.1% [14][18]
Jim Gabarra United States October 14, 2015 – August 21, 2018 65 19 11 31 29.2% [24]
Tom Torres United States August 21, 2018 – December 27, 2018 3 0 1 2 0.0% Interim head coach[26][24]
Richie Burke England December 27, 2018 – August 10, 2021 24 9 7 8 37.5% [26][58]
Kris Ward United States December 21, 2021- 0 0 0 0 .00% [59]

Honors

Award Winners

Most Valuable Player

Golden Boot

Goalkeeper of the Year

Rookie of the Year

Best XI First Team

Best XI Second Team

Year-by-year

See also: National Women's Soccer League attendance
Year League Regular Season P W D L Pts Playoffs Top Scorer Avg. Attendance
2013 NWSL 8th Place 22 3 5 14 14 Did not qualify Canada Diana Matheson (8) 3,620
2014 NWSL 4th Place 24 10 5 9 35 Semi-Finals England Jodie Taylor (11) 3,335
2015 NWSL 4th Place 20 8 6 6 30 Semi-Finals United States Crystal Dunn (15) 4,087
2016 NWSL 2nd Place 20 12 3 5 39 Final Argentina Estefanía Banini (5) 3,782
2017 NWSL 10th Place 24 5 4 15 19 Did not qualify United States Mallory Pugh (6) 3,491
2018 NWSL 8th Place 24 2 5 17 11 Did not qualify United States Ashley Hatch (4) 3,892
2019 NWSL 5th Place 24 9 7 8 34 Did not qualify United States Ashley Hatch (7) 6,138
2020 NWSL Challenge Cup 6th Place 5 2 2 1 7 Quarter-finals[a] United States Bayley Feist (1) 0[b]
2020 NWSL Fall Series 3rd Place 4 2 2 0 7 N/A United States Bayley Feist (1) 0[c]
2021 NWSL 3rd Place 24 11 7 6 39 Winner United States Ashley Hatch (10)
  1. ^ Results of the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup.
  2. ^ Tournament played behind closed doors owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  3. ^ Matches played behind closed doors owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Washington Spirit Reserves 2016 — Washington Spirit". washingtonspirit.com. Retrieved 2016-09-10.
  2. ^ "U.S. Soccer to announce new women's professional league today". Leagues. Soccer Wire. November 21, 2012. Retrieved 14 December 2012.
  3. ^ Kassouf, Jeff. "New DC team named Washington Spirit". Equalizer Soccer. Retrieved 26 March 2013.
  4. ^ goff, steve (October 10, 2018). "Washington Spirit owner in talks about selling majority share of NWSL club". Washington post.
  5. ^ "Washington Spirit owner Steve Baldwin: Pay women players more than men - The Washington Post".
  6. ^ https://ontaponline.com/2019/03/02/washington-spirit-dc/
  7. ^ Kaplan, Emily (May 9, 2021). "Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin becoming investor in NWSL's Washington Spirit". ESPN.com. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
  8. ^ "NWSL allocation easier said than done". ESPN. Retrieved 12 January 2013.
  9. ^ "Player distribution sees NWSL take shape". FIFA. Archived from the original on January 15, 2013. Retrieved 12 January 2013.
  10. ^ Bell, Jack (11 January 2013). "New Women's League Allocates Players". New York Times. Retrieved 25 January 2013.
  11. ^ "NWSL Supplemental Draft results". The Equalizer. Retrieved 7 February 2013.
  12. ^ "Washington Spirit focused on offense during the NWSL Supplemental Draft". NWSL News. Retrieved 26 March 2013.
  13. ^ "Breakers come back to draw with Washington". Boston Breakers. Retrieved 17 January 2018.
  14. ^ a b c Sean Sedam (July 1, 2013). "Washington Spirit Fire Coach Mike Jorden". Germantown Patch. Retrieved April 22, 2017.
  15. ^ "MATHESON PENALTY NOT ENOUGH TO OVERCOME THE REIGN — Washington Spirit". washingtonspirit.com. Retrieved 2015-10-21.
  16. ^ "WASHINGTON SPIRIT FALLS TO SEATTLE REIGN FC 3–0 IN HARD FOUGHT SEMIFINAL — Washington Spirit". washingtonspirit.com. Retrieved 2015-10-21.
  17. ^ "Spirit forward Crystal Dunn wins 2015 Golden Boot". washingtonspirit.com. September 7, 2015. Archived from the original on September 25, 2015. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  18. ^ a b Steven Goff (September 30, 2015). "Mark Parsons steps down as Washington Spirit coach and GM". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 22, 2017.
  19. ^ Steven Goff (October 14, 2015). "Soccer Insider Jim Gabarra named coach, general manager of Washington Spirit". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 22, 2017.
  20. ^ Alexandra Grant (October 18, 2016). "Washington Spirit 2016 NWSL season review". Vavel. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  21. ^ Emily Kesel (October 24, 2017). "2017 NWSL season review: Washington Spirit". Vavel. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  22. ^ "Washington Spirit acquires U.S. Women's National Team forward Mallory Pugh". washingtonspirit.com. May 13, 2017. Retrieved May 14, 2017.
  23. ^ Emily Kesel (October 24, 2017). "2017 NWSL season review: Washington Spirit". vavel.com. Retrieved January 17, 2017.
  24. ^ a b c "Washington Spirit parts ways with head coach and general manager Jim Gabarra". August 21, 2018. Retrieved August 21, 2018.
  25. ^ "Washington Spirit finally score, but have to settle for 1–1 draw with Sky Blue FC". Washington Spirit. August 25, 2018. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
  26. ^ a b c Steven Goff (27 December 2018). "NWSL's Washington Spirit hires Richie Burke as head coach". Washington Post. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
  27. ^ sambishopcws (2019-04-09). "A Statement from our new Ownership Group member – Steve Baldwin". Washington Spirit. Retrieved 2019-07-09.
  28. ^ Cavalier, Mason (2019-07-03). "How every new player has contributed to the Spirit's resurgent season". Washington Spirit. Retrieved 2019-07-09.
  29. ^ Fels, Sam. "Now we may know why Richie Burke is no longer coaching the Washington Spirit". Deadspin. Deadspin. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
  30. ^ a b Grannam, Cydney (September 28, 2021). "Washington Spirit Coach Fired After Investigation Into Verbal Abuse". DCist.
  31. ^ "Steve Baldwin resigns from Spirit CEO/Managing Partner position". www.blackandredunited.com. Retrieved 2021-11-21.
  32. ^ Henslley-Clancy, Molly (October 14, 2021). "Washington Spirit owner Steve Baldwin says he plans to sell stake in club as NWSL fallout continues".
  33. ^ https://www.nwslsoccer.com/game/washington-spirit-vs-chicago-red-stars-2021-11-20/latest
  34. ^ https://washingtonspirit.com/2021/12/20/washington-spirit-name-kris-ward-permanent-head-coach/
  35. ^ "Spirit unveil new logo with a lot of meaning". Washington Spirit. Retrieved 26 March 2013.
  36. ^ Linehan, Meg. "Washington Spirit revamp logo, add more VIP seats". Equalizer Soccer. Retrieved 26 March 2013.
  37. ^ a b "Washington Spirit Pro Team". Washington Spirit. Retrieved 16 December 2012.
  38. ^ Jason Anderson (25 August 2018). ""Excited" Washington Spirit hoping game at Audi Field is a long-term boost". Black and Red United. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
  39. ^ Steven Goff (4 April 2019). "Washington Spirit set to play a pair of matches at Audi Field". The Washington Post. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
  40. ^ Goff, Steven (November 8, 2019). "Washington Spirit to split home matches among three venues next season". The Washington Post.
  41. ^ Anderson, Jason (November 12, 2019). "Washington Spirit to split 2020 NWSL season between 3 stadium". Black & Red United.
  42. ^ {{cite [press release|url=https://washingtonspirit.com/2019/11/12/washington-spirit-to-play-2020-games-at-audi-field-segra-field-and-the-maryland-soccerplex/%7Cpublisher=Washington Sprit|date=12 Nov 2019|access-date=14 Nov 2019}}
  43. ^ "Audi Field". dcunited.com. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
  44. ^ "About the Squadron". Retrieved 27 May 2014.
  45. ^ "NWSL Supporters Groups ready for the season to start". NWSL News. Retrieved 26 March 2013.
  46. ^ ["https://www.roseroomcollective.com/" ""Rose Room Collective""]. Retrieved 8 August 2021. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
  47. ^ Polacek, Scott. "Report: Chelsea Clinton, Jenna Bush Hager Among New Investors in NWSL's Spirit". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 2021-02-17.
  48. ^ Goff, Steven. "Chelsea Clinton, Jenna Bush Hager among several new Washington Spirit investors". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2021-02-17.
  49. ^ Casteel, Quinn (2019-01-30). "Washington Spirit, Monumental Sports Network and NBC Sports Washington Announce Broadcast Partnership". Washington Spirit. Retrieved 2019-05-16.
  50. ^ "NWSL, go90 announce exclusive streaming partnership". Black and Red United (SBNation). Vox Media. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
  51. ^ "S2017 E2 Orlando Pride vs. Washington Spirit". Lifetime. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
  52. ^ "NWSL Game of the Week on Lifetime schedule". National Women's Soccer League. April 16, 2017. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
  53. ^ "WNT on TV: Washington Spirit vs Chicago Red Stars". US Soccer. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
  54. ^ "Roster – Washington Spirit". Retrieved March 1, 2020.
  55. ^ "Front Office".
  56. ^ "Coaching Staff".
  57. ^ "D.C. United Women Name Mike Jorden First Head Coach". washingtonspirit.com. April 6, 2012. Retrieved April 22, 2017.
  58. ^ "Richie Burke Re-assigned to Spirit Front Office". Washington Spirit. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  59. ^ https://washingtonspirit.com/2021/12/20/washington-spirit-name-kris-ward-permanent-head-coach/
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