Originally published May 22, 2014
The Washington Spirit played Sky Blue FC to a 3-3 draw in a wild match in Boyds, Maryland on Wednesday night.
The Spirit were up 1-0 going into halftime; however, Sky Blue scored two goals in the opening six minutes of the second half to take the lead. The third goal of the night came from forward Kelley O’Hara whose arm provided to the needed tap to beat Ashlyn Harris.
Lori Lindsey gave the Spirit hope for a comeback as her shot from the top of the box took a slight deflection, hit the post and trickled into the goal beyond Jill Loyden. As time stoppage time ticked on, the Spirit were aggressively and desperately pushing numbers forward. That paid off when the referee signaled there was a handball in the box and that a penalty kick would be awarded. Diana Matheson, penalty kick extraordinaire, placed the ball and swiftly equalized for the Spirit at 3-3.
Both teams started the game fairly flat and both sides squandered important opportunities in front of net. The Spirit managed to put away one chance in the 39th minute as defender Robyn Gayle took possession of the ball directly in front of the Sky Blue Goal and knocked it through a gaggle of defenders.
Both sides needed to come out in the second half and limit giveaways and shore up the organization of their back line. Only Sky Blue managed to take that halftime message and translate it to their play, at least for the first 15 minutes of the second half.
In a massive breakdown of communication between three members of the U.S. National team, Crystal Dunn, Ali Krieger, and Ashlyn Harris bungled a ball that should have been easily cleared. Jonelle Filigno maintained focus and expertly capitalized on the breakdown and equalized for Sky Blue to make it 1-1 in the 47th minute.
Just four minutes later Sky Blue earned a free kick from about 30 yards out and Katy Freels sent in a screamer, which beat Harris on the far post.
Sky Blue scored their third consecutive goal in the 65th minute off a counterattack. Monica Ocampo brought the ball to the midline and sent it to Rampone who launched it into the Spirit penalty box to O’Hara whose hand provided the needed deflection to get in the net.
Letting in three goals in twenty minutes, primarily attributable to defensive errors, must have been deflating for the Spirit who entered the match as favorites. However, the Spirit showed a resilience and grit unseen so far this season.
The Spirit didn’t settle in their defensive third and merely attempt to keep the score from becoming 4-1 or 5-1. Parsons made personnel changes and the team continued to battle and push forward. More importantly, they never looked defeated.
“I don’t think magic happened, but to get opportunities in and around the goal, and to steal goals is something really different and really positive,” noted Parsons. Matheson mirrored his comments when asked about what the draw meant to the squad. “It shows good character,” she explained. “It wasn’t pretty for a lot of the game, but we pushed forward.”
The Spirit finally broke through in the second half in the 74th minute when Lori Lindsey launched a hard strike from the top of the box. Her shot took a slight deflection and Loyden managed to get the tips of her fingers on it, but the ball had too much pace and careened into the post and finally back into the net.
The Spirit were still down 3-2 as the four minutes of stoppage time was added. The Spirit threw everything they had at Sky Blue as Ashlyn Harris came out of goal and across the midline to launch a ball into the box. Shortly thereafter, the Spirit were awarded a handball. No doubt this call is one more that can be added to the long list of game changing controversial calls this season in the NWSL.
Matheson converted the penalty kick with her usual clinical precision and the Spirit found themselves level with Sky Blue at 3-3.
Following the match Rampone noted that playing with a lead isn’t a position Sky Blue have found themselves in and that inexperience contributed to giving up two goals in the final minutes of the game. “I don’t think we have played up yet this year, so that is definitely something we need to work on,” said Rampone. “I think we were a little bit uncomfortable in that position. I think we need to conserve that lead by staying compact, staying tight, and not getting stretched.”
Notably, this is one of the few times in franchise history the Washington Spirit were considered favorites (even slight ones) to win a match. That mentality will be challenged again on Monday when they take on the Houston Dash. The Dash play on Friday and will be playing on the road so there is no doubt the Spirit will once again find themselves as favorites. If the Spirit can’t earn a win at home against a bottom of the table team on short rest who are on the road, then it is raises a question regarding whether they have the mettle to be a true playoff challenger.
Captain Ali Krieger stressed the importance of consistency and the importance of winning their next match against the Houston Dash on Monday. “We have to starting winning games,” said Krieger. “We have to start performing and being more consistent. We’re too inconsistent right now. We have to prove ourselves every single time. I think that comes from within.”
Sky Blue is now 1-3-4 on the season and will face the Portland Thorns this Saturday at 7 PM PT. Meanwhile, the Spirit are now 3-4-1 and will play the Houston Dash on Monday at the Maryland SoccerPlex at 4 PM EDT.