Washington’s transition from worst to playoff contender last season was impressive. A season later, with the Spirit’s leading scorer now in Portland and World Cup call-ups looming, does Washington have enough for another postseason run?
Head coach: Mark Parsons, third season
Where we left off: The Spirit finished the regular season with a 10-9-5 record, good for fourth on the table and the final playoff spot, a season after finishing dead last. Washington couldn't finish the worst-to-first run though, knocked out in the semifinals by top seed and eventual championship match loser Seattle.
Dramatic: Ashlyn Harris returns for a third season in Washington with former Flash keeper Kelsey Wys serving as backup. Harris had four clean sheets, allowed 31 goals, and made dozens of saves look way more dramatic than they probably needed to be through 19 regular season games in 2014, while Wys made ten appearances for Western NY, tallying one shutout and allowing 20 goals. With Harris set to miss some time due to USWNT commitments, Wys will once again find herself in a starting role for at least part of the season.
Youth and reinforcements: Ali Krieger, Crystal Dunn and Alex Singer return from the 2014 Spirit, but with Krieger and Dunn in the USWNT picture, D.C. also made sure to add plenty of reinforcements to its defensive corps. Washington used three draft picks on defenders -- Whitney Church, Megan Oyster and Caprice Dydasco -- and they're all on the roster. The Spirit also executed a pair of trades with Western NY, acquiring Estelle Johnson, who didn't play in 2014, but whose rights were still held by the Flash, and Katherine Reynolds. With Dunn and Krieger expected to miss some time, the duo of former Flasher--- no. Flash players? The duo of former Flash players will add some much needed experience alongside Singer. Washington also picked up Mexico international Arianna Romero, who made 20 appearances for Houston last season, but isn't expected in D.C. until after the World Cup. Or until Mexico is done with the World Cup, unless maybe she bought tickets to some of the knockout games and is just staying to watch after the group stage, sorry Mexico.
Diana Matheson will be back, so do the Spirit even really need anyone else?: The midfield is sort-of the same, with the exception of Jordan Angeli, who was traded to Western NY, Yael Averbuch, who's now in Kansas City, and Lori Lindsey, who retired following the 2014 season. Diana Matheson and Christine Nairn, who combined for 14 of the Spirit's 36 goals last season will both be back, as will Tori Huster and Veronica Perez. Matheson and Perez aren't expected to join the team until after the World Cup, and Matheson is still recovering from an ACL injury but the Spirit has added a trio of experienced players in Amanda Da Costa, Joanna Lohman and Angela Salem.
Revamped: Washington will definitely need the offensive production of Matheson and Nairn after trading away last season's leading scorer in Jodie Taylor. Taylor, now in Portland, netted 11 goals for the Spirit last season, but Mark Parson's didn't feel confident she'd want to return to D.C. and dealt her to the Thorns in a draft day trade. Taylor isn't the only player who won't be back on the front line for Washington this season -- Lisa De Vanna, Danesha Adams, Kerstin Garefrekes and Renae Cuellar have all also gone elsewhere, or just aren't playing in NWSL this season. The only players returning to the D.C. forward corps from a season ago: Tiffany Weimer and Caroline Miller, neither of whom played a single minute in 2014 due to injury. Parsons did bolster his offense with a trio of international players -- Nigeria's Francisca Ordega, Argentina's Estafania Banini and Spain's Laura del Rio. Ordega, who most recently played for Pitea IF in the Damallsvenskan, could miss some time due to World Cup commitments -- she played for the Super Falcons in the African Women's Championship last year. Banini spent the last several years playing for Colo-Colo in Chile and Argentina didn't qualify for the World Cup, so Washington's got that going for them. Del Rio is the only one of the three who's played professionally in the U.S., though not in NWSL. The Spain international spent some time in both Boston and Philadelphia in the WPS days, where she was mostly just really frustrating to watch, occasionally making forays into non-frustrating territory, only to further frustrate everyone. Del Rio's been playing for Briston Academy in the FAWSL since 2012.
In conclusion: Parsons tried to add some veteran experience in places where the Spirit would be hit hardest by international call-ups, but a back line consisting of potentially three rookies is a pretty big risk. As is putting the offensive load on Nairn, Matheson and three international players who have no NWSL experience.
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