11/15/25 01:39:00
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11/15 13:37 CST Monday and Bethune score in Spirit's 2-0 win over Thorns to
reach NWSL championship
Monday and Bethune score in Spirit's 2-0 win over Thorns to reach NWSL
championship
By THEO LLOYD-HUGHES
Associated Press
Gift Monday and Croix Bethune scored and the Washington Spirit beat the
Portland Thorns 2-0 on Saturday to advance to the National Women's Soccer
League championship game.
With the win, the Spirit will play in its second consecutive NWSL final next
weekend in San Jose, California. They will face the winner of Sunday's
semifinal between Gotham FC and the Orlando Pride.
It will be the fourth championship appearance in Spirit history. Last season,
the Spirit were defeated 1-0 by the Pride.
The Spirit's opening goal was sparked by a Thorns corner kick in the 27th
minute. The counterattack was created by Rosemounde Kouassi, who sprinted 80
yards before laying the ball off for Monday to tap in from a yard out to make
it 1-0.
It was the sixth time this season that Kouassi had assisted Monday, and also
the second consecutive playoff game the duo have combined.
Thorns goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold did her best to keep the score down for the
visitors and finished with six saves, including two athletic back-to-back saves
in the 56th and 57th minutes.
Spirit forward Sofia Cantore missed an opportunity to make it 2-0 when she hit
the post with the Spirit's best chance of the second half in the 69th minute.
But Bethune sealed the 2-0 win when she broke free in space in the 83rd. Just
inside the Thorns half, the 24-year-old midfielder took a touch past an
onrushing Arnold and dribbled through onto the empty net to finish with an easy
strike.
U.S. women's national team forward Trinity Rodman made her return from a knee
injury in the 90th minute, subbing in for Cantore. Rodman almost made it 3-0 in
the sixth minute of second half stoppage time, but her low strike from inside
the box went just wide of the post.
The semifinal was played in front of a sell-out crowd of 19,365 at Audi Field
in Washington D.C. It is the second consecutive year the Spirit has hosted a
NWSL Playoff semifinal, and the fourth consecutive playoff game the team has
had a sell-out.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
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