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Jeff Carlisle
SAN JOSE, Calif. — Washington Spirit forward Trinity Rodman expressed that she “definitely underperformed” in Saturday’s NWSL Championship final. The Spirit lost to Gotham FC 1-0, with Rose Lavelle‘s decisive goal in the 80th minute being the difference-maker.
Rodman, who has been recovering from a sprained MCL in her right knee for the past month, began the game on the bench and came on as a substitute in the 57th minute. Unfortunately, she was unable to make an impact and did not register a single shot during her 33 minutes of play.
Regarding her knee, Rodman stated it “felt great,” but she acknowledged that she wasn’t at full strength. This was the second consecutive year she entered the final with an injury, having dealt with back issues in the previous season when the Spirit lost to the Orlando Pride by the same scoreline.
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The disappointment of losing a second straight final weighed heavily on the Spirit players. When Rodman navigated through the post-match area, she could no longer hold back her tears.
“Having only nine minutes of playing time leading into a final is not ideal,” Rodman shared, reflecting on her limited preparation post-injury.
“As much as I don’t want to acknowledge it, I didn’t feel like my full self tonight, which is disappointing. This is the second year in a row that I’ve gone into a final not feeling 100%. It makes me sad. I just wanted to contribute and I definitely didn’t perform as I could have.”
After the game, Rodman made her way to the opposite end of the field, where her boyfriend, tennis star Ben Shelton, was waiting. They shared a long embrace.
“It was sad. You live with your team throughout the year, but sometimes you need outside support, and Ben provides that for me,” Rodman reflected. “I was just crying. It’s tough. Losing isn’t just about the game; it’s about all the effort we’ve put in, and we wanted that validation at the end. But we can still celebrate what we’ve accomplished.”
Now the pressing question is whether Rodman has played her final game for the Spirit or even in the NWSL. Reports suggest she has enticing offers from teams in England as well as an emerging USL Super League. When asked if the defeat would affect her future decisions, she replied, “No, every team experiences loss.”
As typical for a championship match, the game started intensely, with both defenses capitalizing and limiting scoring opportunities. This held true throughout, as both teams collectively registered an xG of 0.88. A spark of brilliance was necessary for the breakthrough, which Lavelle provided, aided by a key pass from substitute Bruninha.
Before Gotham’s goal, Washington holding midfielder Hal Hershfelt had gone down with a lower leg injury and received extensive treatment before re-entering the game. Hershfelt appeared to still be struggling when Gotham scored, and Spirit head coach Adrian González admitted he should have substituted her earlier.
“We received information that [Hershfelt] wanted to continue, and she insisted she was fine to play,” he explained. “In a final, players want to be on the pitch, and it can lead to delays in substitutions. It is a situation we need to learn from, but she genuinely wanted to support the team.”
Goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury, who endured the Spirit’s loss in the 2024 final, said this year’s defeat “stings just as much.” However, she acknowledged Lavelle’s exceptional strike.
“It’s shocking because our team truly believed we would win. There was no scenario we envisioned where we wouldn’t lift that trophy today,” Kingsbury remarked. “It definitely hurts. It was an excellent final that came down to a brilliant moment from Rose Lavelle. I’m proud of the season we’ve had and how we played, but we fell just a bit short today.”