Washington Spirit’s Sirrit clears the way for NWSL playoffs after 14-game regular season

• Washington Spirit finished the regular season in third place and will enter the NWSL playoffs as the top seed, according to The Guardian, after their playoff rivals lost their final match.
• According to the sources, the team’s forward Aubrey Kingsbury and Casey Krueger will be out of action after 2026, due to the injury of Croix Bethune from Kansas City.
• The Guardian also reports that Trinity Rodman’s role in Sandy MacIver’s absence, who was injured by Kingsbury during the match, helped the club secure a place in the playoffs — which is why.

The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) is entering the playoffs after a 14-game regular season: 12 wins out of 30 matches were enough to secure the top spot, with the team’s only loss coming in the final match. The Guardian notes that Washington Spirit finished third in the regular season and will advance to the playoffs.

The material adds that in the NWSL, the regular-season standings are determined by points, and the table of the 14th season has been finalized. In the remaining matches, Gotham, San Diego, Kansas City, Orlando and Washington will compete for the playoffs, and the remaining teams will be decided by the results of the final matches.

Washington Spirit, according to The Guardian, demonstrated stability throughout the season. In particular, they managed to win their matches: Croix Bethune, who was the leading scorer for Washington Spirit, scored the winning goal against Kansas City, while Aubrey Kingsbury and Casey Krueger played a key role in the team’s performance.

President of Washington Spirit, Haley Carter, said in an interview with The Guardian that the team’s progress was the result of hard work and that the club’s next steps would be even more ambitious. She also noted that the club’s leadership system is built on the team’s collective effort, and not on individual achievements.

The material also provides information about the Washington Spirit’s international players. The Guardian quotes Sofia Cantore, who said that in the NWSL season she had also signed with the club, and that Claudia Martnez, who scored three goals in the season, has joined Washington Spirit.

In addition, Kingsbury’s absence was linked to the fact that Sandy MacIver (28) suffered a setback during the season and will miss the rest of the matches. The Guardian also notes that Trinity Rodman’s absence is due to an injury: she has scored 13 goals in 18 matches for Washington Spirit so far.

As the Guardian writes, the NWSL has also blocked “Talking points” ahead of Wafcon: the group stage will end on Thursday, and the knockout stage will begin in Morocco. The article notes that, according to the current schedule, the playoffs will be held in 2027 World Cup in Brazil, and the teams will be decided based on the results of the matches.

Tags: Sport/Football