The 2025 NWSL regular season is in full swing. In an upcoming match at Audi Field, the Washington Spirit, bolstered by Trinity Rodman, will face Chicago Stars FC and their star player, Ludmila.
Despite being 12 points behind Kansas City Current in the NWSL Shield race, the second-place Spirit are firmly on track for another postseason appearance. With nine weeks left in the regular season, there`s ample time for the standings gaps to close. Currently, the Spirit are clearly emerging as strong contenders to rival Kansas City for the league`s top spot.
On paper, Chicago sits second-to-last in the league table, yet they are on an impressive four-game unbeaten streak, including two consecutive come-from-behind draws. In both turnarounds, the Stars rallied from a three-goal deficit, largely due to a stellar 10-minute hat-trick performance by Brazilian international Ludmila.
The upcoming encounter offers the Spirit an opportunity to solidify their elite status, while the Stars aim to play spoiler. With both teams coming off record-setting weekends, it`s the perfect moment for a clash of contrasting team cultures.
Managing the Chaos
The Spirit secured another victory last week, playing on the road against Bay FC at MLB`s Oracle Park in front of a record-setting crowd. It wasn`t an easy win, as the Spirit had to fend off a determined home side eager to snatch points. The narrow 3-2 victory brought a happy conclusion for the Spirit but underscored the parity among clubs at this stage of the season.
“Well, it`s tough to find `normal` games. Perhaps we should define that first… But as I always say, we want to be truly focused on what we need to do, obviously respecting the opponent, understanding their profile, but also striving to improve in the areas where we must,” Spirit manager Adrian Gonzalez told the media.
Both the Stars and the Spirit conceded goals in their previous two matchweeks, presenting an opportunity for the Spirit to refine their defense, especially as the home team in the upcoming game.
“So, I think we`re doing a good job starting games and scoring goals. Perhaps we need to get a bit better in those final minutes and try to `suffer` a little less. But then again, it`s not easy, because the opponent also plays. And obviously, we know how wild games can get in the last 10-15 minutes in this league,” Gonzalez commented.
Cultivating a Winning Culture
If timing is a critical ingredient for NWSL success, the Spirit are getting it just right. The club has navigated a season marked by significant player injuries and a head coach departure during the first half of the year. Yet, mirroring Gonzalez`s leadership, several players are delivering exceptional performances in their sophomore seasons.
The club has been instrumental in assisting key starters such as Trinity Rodman, Leicy Santos, and Casey Krueger with various injury management. Second-year players Hal Hershfelt and Croix Bethune, who ascended to starting-caliber status during their rookie seasons last year, also faced earlier sidelines this year. The depth of the roster has kept the team well afloat, with the Spirit not dropping below fourth place since week three of the season.
The return of Bethune and Hersfelt, coinciding with Rodman and Santos working their way back, provided a substantial boost to the squad. Bethune, the 2024 NWSL Rookie of the Year and Midfielder of the Year, notably scored her first goal since an eight-month absence in the match against Bay FC.
“Well, they are improving a lot. They are doing great. And even though they are still young, it seems like they are better now,” Gonzalez remarked about his second-year players.
The Spirit`s 2024 rookie class earned significant playing time last season, and their development has propelled them into starting roles or as starting-caliber contributors. Sophomore players and Washington`s 2025 first-year acquisitions collectively account for 11 of the Spirit`s 25 goals this season.
“The type of year that they had, not just Hal, Croix, Courtney [Brown], Heather [Stainbook], all the players that were coming from college. I think they had a pretty good year because we could give them a lot of minutes, and also they got those exposures,” Gonzalez elaborated.
“Perhaps in other teams, it`s harder to find those minutes, but fortunately, we could give them those opportunities, and that helps right now. The fact that they have more experience, they are more mature, they know each other, the connections are much better, and they are in a better spot to help the team. Also, in terms of leadership, they are stepping forward. So, I`m very happy with the performance. We are a team where age or background doesn`t matter; if you are ready to compete, you`re going to have chances.”
The extensive roster has presented the Spirit with some “champagne problems” – issues arising from an abundance of good options. With so much prospective talent and only 11 starting spots, the club executed several roster changes by the summer window deadline. Makenna Morris was notably traded to Racing Louisville FC, where she immediately secured a starting position.
Meg Boade joined the Spirit this season as a non-roster invitee before signing a short-term injury contract, featuring in three matches and scoring a goal. After a stint as a national team replacement player with Gotham FC, she recently joined Chicago Stars FC on a roster relief contract and is a potential player to face the Spirit.
Sustainable Success
Beyond successfully scouting talent and assembling a deep roster, the club also needed to stabilize its head coaching position. Despite initially attracting former Spirit manager Jonatan Giraldez from FC Barcelona, the Spanish coach departed less than a year later to accept a coaching role back in Europe with Lyon. However, even with this sudden change, Gonzalez`s consistent presence was a steadying force for the team.
He served as interim coach in 2024 while Giraldez concluded his tenure with Barcelona in the UEFA Women`s Champions League, and was subsequently appointed head coach after Giraldez`s move to France. Gonzalez`s trajectory in his second year has mirrored the growth of his many sophomore players.
“I`m trying to get to know myself much better, if I can put it that way. Because, you know, I`m also learning. I`m trying to identify the best way to transmit what I want,” Gonzalez reflected on his second year in the NWSL.
“How can I improve every day? Knowing the players much better, knowing the league, knowing the coaching staff. Being a head coach carries immense responsibility. There are so many things to do. So you need to be able to manage those situations effectively. You need to be very efficient with your time, because otherwise, you could be working 24 hours. So, I`m focusing on learning how to create that impact and be more efficient.”
The club`s remarkable turnaround since Spirit owner Michelle King`s acquisition of the franchise in 2022 is highly notable. After a series of coaching changes and no postseason appearances in 2022 and 2023, the club has emerged as a clear contender, having finished as runners-up in the 2024 NWSL Championship.
The team kicked off 2025 with an early title win in March, becoming the NWSL Challenge Cup champions. Even with the departure of former general manager Mark Krikorian, the enduring impact of the former executive and the club`s robust scouting department is evident across the roster and within the team`s culture.
“We`ve been building that from the beginning. It`s been a year and a half of cultivating a team culture where we are welcoming to people… We strive to create environments where people feel safe, where they feel there`s no judgment,” Gonzalez stated.
“It doesn`t matter where you`re from, who you are, your age, your background; we also try to help them integrate as quickly as possible. They did that for me, so I was more than happy. And after that, we just tried to emphasize that with every new person joining the facility… because it`s not easy when you come from another country or environment, to arrive here and perform quickly. So, I believe we are doing a good job.”
