When the final whistle sounded on Friday, May 10th between the Washington Spirit and Racing Louisville, the relief among the Spirit players was palpable. They had just survived a physical match and won, moving into third place in the National Women's Soccer League standings.
During the contest, which resulted in a total of six yellow cards, the Spirit were forced to fight to maintain a healthy but uncommanded lead throughout. The victory capped a three-game road trip for the Spirit, and many of the lessons he learned from road games were on full display in Friday night's game.
In preparation for Friday night's game, the Spirit focused on defending the opening stages of the game. As the team has learned recently, staying organized and calm early on can be the difference between success or failure, even though it has been difficult at times.
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