The Washington Spirit advanced to their first-ever NWSL Championship with a thrilling 2-1 win extra time win over the visiting Chicago Red Stars. Ali Krieger scored a header towards the end of the first half to seal 45 minutes of Spirit dominance, but the Spirit lost momentum in the second half and Christen Press scored the equalizer in the 81st minute. In the 111st minute, Francisca Ordega scored the game-winning goal, inciting a deafening celebration among the over 4200 fans at the Maryland Soccerplex.
1. How the midfield is doing = how the Spirit are doing
In the first half, the Spirit moved the ball well, pressured Chicago and denied the Red Stars a chance to attack.