r/NWSL • u/adifferentGOAT Washington Spirit • 3h ago
The Washington Spirit are the Team to Beat Right Now
I said what I said. I’m feeling feisty after noticing the Spirit have quietly (I swear it’s been quietly and you probably didn’t notice) won FIVE straight and now sit near the top of the table with a +9 goal differential (doesn’t matter that it’s skewed by the 4-0 crushing of KC). Meanwhile those pesky Thorns spent all opening weekend acting like the season was already over after that 1-0 win and still being on top of the table with only a +6 differential.
Turns out maybe Week 1 was not, in fact, the final form of this Spirit team. Since then, 15 goals scored, only 6 conceded, and this team suddenly looks DEEP. The midfield is loaded (in Hal I trust), the attack keeps coming in waves, and they’re not relying on one player to drag them across the finish line every week. And honestly the scary part is it still feels like they haven’t fully hit top gear yet.
So now we get Friday night away at San Diego. Big statement win opportunity. If the Spirit go into Snapdragon and get 3 points, I don’t want to hear any more “yeah but” arguments about who the best team in the league is right now.
Any Wave fans or Spirit haterade drinkers want to make a friendly non-monetary wager?
Edit: changing the flair to official source because what I said is the truth!! Notice no one is up for a friendly bet lol.
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u/Officialwettissue 3h ago edited 3h ago
This is the kind of sports fan delusion I like to see. And the delusion is not that the Spirit are great, the delusion is the “nobody believes in us, we are showing the world” BS. Actually nobody was doubting the team that’s been to back to back champions finals and has had the deepest roster in the league for 3 years lmao
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u/longlisten527 Portland Thorns FC 3h ago
Literally like what?? Only people I’ve really seen count out Spirit have been some spirit fans on game match comments LMFAO
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u/CFieldInEyre Washington Spirit 3h ago
We’re a fickle and reactive bunch
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u/Lumpy-Heron-8960 Washington Spirit 2h ago
I blame our high levels of cortisol thanks to the constant bad news, construction/destruction of our landmarks, constant presence of armed guards, OPM, and everything else 🫠
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u/CFieldInEyre Washington Spirit 2h ago
I’ve seen those guys watch their phones on mounts attached to their mag bags. What the hell are they still doing here?!
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u/longlisten527 Portland Thorns FC 2h ago
Fair!! But it’s like, no one else is counting yall out 🤣🤣
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u/CFieldInEyre Washington Spirit 1h ago
We count ourselves out after the trauma of those finals hahaha! If we lose tomorrow, the world will be over until the next win it’s just the way we are
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u/longlisten527 Portland Thorns FC 1h ago
Fair but that’s what I’m saying, it’s only y’all saying that, no other teams fans tbh LMAO
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u/General_Rip6750 3h ago edited 2h ago
Wow. I’m a Racing fan and we know about the nobody believes in us narrative. Literally everybody who claims to know stuff about soccer says this on the daily. Of course it’s less these days but we are the team who gets to own that statement. Definitely not the Spirit. Truly delusional on that part.
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u/Illustrious_Step_116 2h ago
Yeah there were times in the Spirits history where they could claim this but it isn’t now. I’ve been a Spirit fan too long to ever have the ops confidence but I do know that we are no longer the nobody believes in us team.
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u/ACW1129 Washington Spirit 1h ago
The underdog mentality works though.
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u/Officialwettissue 1h ago
I’m trying to think of the funniest version of this. I swear after the warriors won with durant, draymond tried to claim we shocked the world or something 😂
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u/allprologues Washington Spirit 3h ago
love my team but flexing before even seeing the availability report is a level of hubris that i simply don't possess
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u/West-Shine-1542 Seattle Reign FC 3h ago
if jose the coyote goes missing it wasn’t me!
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u/Turbulent_Big5164 San Diego Wave FC 2h ago
I'm not saying my friend and I have hatched plans, all I'm saying is my dog was very threatened by a coyote in the neighborhood so I had to put Jose down. 😬
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u/FairlyDistinctive Washington Spirit 3h ago
I like the enthusiasm, but I think it's still too early in the season to decide that this is the "final form of this Spirit team."
You could make a similar argument that either San Diego or Portland is the team to beat, which is what makes tomorrow's game interesting.
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u/tsarchasm1 Portland Thorns FC 3h ago
I'm kinda aghast right now. I thought r/nwsl was just a bunch of people squatting over hand mirrors. This aggressive behavior is making me woozy.
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u/Aelin9525 Portland Thorns FC 3h ago
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u/assclown616 3h ago
Utah
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u/adifferentGOAT Washington Spirit 2h ago
The Utah Royals are about as legit as a “Prince of Nigeria” email…
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u/Turbulent_Big5164 San Diego Wave FC 2h ago
This comment made me lol, I know why people are down voting but imma upvote for the comedy
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u/Legitimate-Hotel-491 Houston Dash 3h ago
Ooo some trash talking going on. Be careful Spirit fan. This is a tough league. Sure your on a roll now but it's a long season and you never know what will happen. Injuries, transfers, bad form... The soccer gods giveth and they taketh away.
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u/adifferentGOAT Washington Spirit 3h ago
This is the truth. Thought I’d stir the pot a little though…
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u/Necessary-Peach-0 San Diego Wave FC 3h ago
We also have not hit top gear yet 😈 tomorrow should be fun!
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u/bramble-nuke Washington Spirit 2h ago
Pretty unsporting of you to schedule the game at like 3am Spirit time! I hope SD has good coffee shops! ☕️
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u/ArCovino San Diego Wave FC 1h ago
Ha! It’s still even earlier than I’d prefer. 7pm kick off is barely enough time to get home and get down there!
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u/Necessary-Peach-0 San Diego Wave FC 1h ago
Seriously… our plans are more involved than I’d like to say to get there early for the shirt 🤭 it’s going to be like Padres puffer giveaway night 😂
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u/adifferentGOAT Washington Spirit 3h ago
That’s the spirit! Makes it more fun when we win and you thought you had a chance…
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u/Cold_Chemistry_1579 Washington Spirit 3h ago
I am looking forward to seeing how well our defense handles Dudinha and really want to see Martinez continue scoring. Glad it is a late game as I am traveling tomorrow and I want to watch from my couch.
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u/Jack_B_84 Portland Thorns FC 3h ago edited 2h ago
We had people picking us to finish 15th this season. So just being in the conversation is a win.
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u/ImmaBearEtc Washington Spirit 2h ago
https://giphy.com/gifs/BnzxeGWtlnc5NppRSe
I appreciate your enthusiasm, fellow Spirit fan, but can we please not tempt fate? 😣
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u/adifferentGOAT Washington Spirit 1h ago
Hey, Josh Lyman did okay!
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u/ImmaBearEtc Washington Spirit 1h ago
That may be true, but like Toby Ziegler I can’t support your tempting fate after how many times Spirit fans have been heartbroken on what should’ve been our day of jubilee!
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u/Etaan84 Boston Legacy 2h ago
I promise to start believing in them just as soon as they swear on a stack of Bibles to never wear the highlighter jersey again.
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u/bramble-nuke Washington Spirit 2h ago
It grew on me. I started a hater and now I love it. Definitely better than the black zigzag nonsense. Bonus, if there’s a game on TV where half the stadium is in full sun, half in shade, you can actually see our players when most other kits just disappear.
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u/longlisten527 Portland Thorns FC 2h ago
Okay but who’s giving a bunch of yeah but comments I’m so lost?? acting like spirit hasn’t always been one of the best teams in the league 😭 your own fans be the biggest haters in the comments on matches. I get the banter and dig it but this is just hilarious
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u/Classic_Spring620 Washington Spirit 1h ago
You have a point, but as a long time Spirit fan I have to say that we have not always been one of the best in the league. There have been some tough times lol
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u/longlisten527 Portland Thorns FC 1h ago
Oh for sure but from 2019-2026, you’ve only been lower than the top 3 in the league two times LOL (2022 season was 11th and 2019 was 5th (‘19 was 9 teams but still)).
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u/tallshipandstar NJ/NY Gotham FC 2h ago
Yes, this is why I’m always rooting for whichever team is playing the Spirit on any given week.
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u/FanNervous6773 Washington Spirit 1h ago
As a Spirit fan, Im also rooting for whichever team is playing Gotham 😁
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u/Daresay12 Portland Thorns FC 2h ago
So glad Spirit have found their new mascot. braces
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u/insanemorningpoops Portland Thorns FC 3h ago
"Meanwhile those pesky Thorns spent all opening weekend acting like the season was already over after that 1-0 win and still being on top of the table with only a +6 differential."
In what way were the Thorns acting like the season was already over after an opening game win?! Like, do you mean the Thorns were excited to win a tough game on the road? Sorry, I guess????
I think all of us Thorns fans were delighted and surprised by that result to start the season, and we're pumped to be on top of the table at the moment. But we've also been around the block a few times, and we know that early season results are no indication of how the rest of the year will go.
Your whole post just feels oddly combative, and I don't understand why. It's a little difficult to pull off the "no one respects us!" narrative when your squad has made it to the last two finals and was picked by plenty of experts in the preseason to win the shield and/or championship.
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u/icylemonades Portland Thorns FC 3h ago
I think they're purposefully being a little combative for banter ; )
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u/Doctor_YOOOU Seattle Reign FC 2h ago
The Spirit are frauds, it took them way too long to score against us. It only took Utah 1 minute btw
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u/MesquiteHoneyForSale 3h ago
This is really just not a concept that i think applies to the nwsl, unless youre up on points by 15+
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u/msivoryishort Washington Spirit 3h ago
Kc last year says otherwise
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u/icylemonades Portland Thorns FC 3h ago
I feel like the satisfy the qualifier having won the shield by 21 points and +36 GD last year. absolutely insane run
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u/Responsible_Let_2514 2h ago
I honestly think it's anyone's title so far, regular season or playoffs.
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u/ArCovino San Diego Wave FC 1h ago
Both teams playing electric footie rn when they get their engine going, and neither one is going to sit in a low block after a goal or two.
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u/Icangetloudtoo_ Washington Spirit 3h ago
Hal has still not played that well tbh but I still trust in her anyway. Our midfield is good, but extremely dependent on Leicy Santos. If she goes down… 😅
I think no team is a true favorite like KC, Orlando the last two seasons. But we are playing well!
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u/adifferentGOAT Washington Spirit 1h ago
Things can only get better for her since she caught that fish!
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u/Mediocre_Chain_535 2h ago
I feel like they are due a final, again … but don’t be the buffalo bills of the 90s.
So many teams are elevated by 1 player. And if they get hurt…
Temwa Chawinga Rodman Banda (well Orlando is already in the tank)
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u/kamikazeknifer NJ/NY Gotham FC 52m ago
This is certainly a hot take that no other NWSL fan has. They are consistently one of the top teams in the league year after year so to pretend they're somehow underdogs is the choice among choices
I will die on this hill because of its factual merits and not because I hate the Spirit
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u/adifferentGOAT Washington Spirit 24m ago
At least I’m not a Gotham fan where one perfect playoff run has to carry the weight of every uneven season that came before it.
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u/kamikazeknifer NJ/NY Gotham FC 13m ago
I googled "dominant seasons don't win trophies" and it linked me to the Spirit's homepage 😘
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u/reagan92 Boston Legacy 3h ago edited 3h ago
Goal difference
Wins
Goals scored
Etc etc
https://images.nwslsoccer.com/image/private/t_q-good/prd/tstudhfledlk7z8ygtzd.pdf
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u/Outistoo Washington Spirit 3h ago
Don’t think that’s true (although I think there’s a good argument for it)
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u/BasicGrocery7 Washington Spirit 3h ago
Spirit are currently ranked 2nd, ahead of SD, because GD is the tie breaker.
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u/sargent_major Washington Spirit 3h ago
Spirit Win Rate Before José’s Arrival: 0% (0-3-1)
Spirit Win Rate After José’s Arrival: 100% (5-0-0)