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Jeff Kassouf
Multiple Authors
Trinity Rodman netted two goals, including a dramatic stoppage-time winner, leading the Washington Spirit to a 2-1 victory against the Houston Dash on Friday at Audi Field in Washington, D.C., marking the NWSL’s first regular season match in over a month.
This win positions Washington just one point below the top of the table and ties them with three other teams following Friday’s matches.
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Rodman’s winning goal came at the 94th minute when she fell to the ground and sent a shot past three defenders, beating Houston goalkeeper Jane Campbell at the far post.
The forward seemed in disbelief that her shot found the net as she sprinted to celebrate with family and friends, including her boyfriend, tennis pro Ben Shelton.
“I’m just realizing what I said a lot now,” Rodman noted post-game, referencing her stunned reaction captured on camera after the game-winning goal.
“Honestly, in the box, I’m not even sure how it got through. All I know is that once we conceded, I thought, ‘We need to respond.’
Houston managed to equalize in the 89th minute through rookie Kate Faasse, who capitalized on a mistake in the Spirit’s defense.
Rodman opened the scoring in the 50th minute after connecting with a perfect long pass from midfielder Leicy Santos during a counterattack.
With her two goals on Friday, the USWNT standout now has five goals this season, tying her for fourth in the league rankings.
Rodman also earned a penalty in the first half after getting past U.S. teammate and Dash defender Avery Patterson, but Campbell thwarted Spirit’s Rosemonde Kouassi’s attempt from the spot.
The match took place in Washington, D.C., amidst an extreme heatwave affecting the East Coast, with the city under an air quality alert and heat indices exceeding 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
Angel City, Kansas City dominate
In addition, two other matches in the NWSL kicked off on Friday, marking the league’s return after a month-long hiatus due to the 2026 Men’s World Cup, during which several teams’ facilities were occupied.
USWNT forward Michelle Cooper scored two goals while two-time reigning NWSL MVP Temwa Chawinga added a late score, leading the Kansas City Current to a convincing 3-0 victory over the expansion team Denver Summit FC.
Chawinga now stands with eight goals for the season.
Angel City FC returned to form in their first game following the dismissal of former coach Alexander Strauss and after signing USWNT forward Ally Sentnor from Kansas City for a hefty $850,000 transfer fee.
Sentnor played the entire match as Angel City defeated the Orlando Pride 2-0. The goals came from Maiara Niehues and Sveindís Jónsdóttir on either side of halftime, positioning Angel City just one point behind Orlando in the standings.
The Pride played without leading scorer Barbra Banda, who was sidelined due to a thigh injury sustained in May but is training with the team and near a return. Banda has scored 11 goals in 12 games this season.