WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Washington Spirit begin another postseason run Sunday at Audi Field in Washington, D.C., where the third-seeded club meets the sixth-seeded Portland Thorns in an NWSL quarterfinal at 3 p.m.
Washington locked up the No. 3 seed with a 17-9-4 record despite heavy roster turnover, including a stretch in August when the team went almost the whole month without a victory. The Spirit have reached the league final in each of the past two years and lost both times.
The clubs know each other well. Washington beat Portland 2-0 in last season’s semifinal, and the two sides traded results this year, with the Thorns winning in the District in March and the Spirit winning in Oregon in September.
Forwards Trinity Rodman of Washington and Sophia Wilson of Portland are both healthy. The Spirit will be without midfielder Hal Hershfelt, 25, who tore an ACL in an October 25 loss to the Kansas City Current.
Anyone going should leave backpacks at home; the stadium allows only small bags, under 14 inches square and 6 inches deep. Supporters groups gather just inside Gate A at 2:15 p.m. before a march around the concourse, and the first 9,500 fans get a playoff bandana. Navy Yard-Ballpark and Waterfront are the closest Metro stations.
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