Sydney Leroux and Annaig Butel score during Angel City’s loss to Washington Spirit
Trinity Rodman scored twice in the first half and the Washington Spirit went on to beat Angel City 4-2 on Saturday night in the National Women’s Soccer League.
All six goals came in the first half at Washington D.C.’s Audi Field, matching a league record for most goals in the opening half. Casey Krueger and Ouleymata Sarr also scored for the Spirit (7-3-0).
Sydney Leroux scored for Angel City (3-5-1), who were hurt when veteran defender Sarah Gorden was injured early in the game.
Angel City goalkeeper DiDi Haracic stopped Rodman’s blast in the fourth minute but Rodman broke through in the ninth off a cross from Sarr to give the Spirit the early lead.
Angel City pulled even on an own goal when Annaig Butel muffed a clearance, then went up 2-1 on Leroux’s header off Claire Emslie’s cross in the 23rd.
Krueger sent a long ball toward a waiting Croix Bethune, who slipped. But Rodman picked it up with a touch for control before a left-footed shot into the net to tie it again.
Krueger pulled the Spirit ahead in the 34th after Haracic fought off a barrage of shots and Sarr added another some two minutes later to make it 4-2.
There were 13,432 fans at the game.
CURRENT 2, RACING LOUISVILLE 2
Savannah DeMelo scored deep into stoppage time and Racing Louisville salvaged a 3-3 draw on the road with the Kansas City Current.
The Current (6-0-4) and the Orlando Pride remain the lone undefeated teams in the league this season. Kansas City has a league-leading 25 goals, scored by 14 different players to tie an NWSL record for most goal-scorers in a single season.
Louisville (1-2-6) jumped into the early lead when Emma Sears crossed the ball toward the box and it floated over Current goalkeeper AD Franch’s reach before hitting the far post and into the goal.
Lo’eau LaBonta converted on a penalty after Vanessa DiBarnardo was brought down in the box just before halftime to tie the score at 1.
Michelle Cooper broke the stalemate, maneuvering around two defenders and sending her right-footed shot between them and into the upper corner to give the Current a 2-1 lead in the 56th minute.
But Abby Erceg’s header off a corner kick in the 68th minute pulled Louisville back into a tie.
Kansas City defender Gabrielle Robinson appeared to give the win to Kansas City with a goal two minutes into stoppage time. DeMelo spoiled the celebration at the sold-out CPKC stadium with her goal just moments before the final whistle.
“I knew we only had a couple of minutes left so we just wanted to keep going forward. I just saw the opportunity and went with it and I was thinking I was in the box, might as well shoot it,” DeMelo said. “Just happy it went in and we could celebrate.”
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