Trinity Rodman scored twice and added an assist as the third-seeded Washington Spirit rolled to a 4-1 victory over the sixth-seeded Portland Thorns in the NWSL quarterfinals Sunday in Washington.
Rodman helped create the opening goal in the sixth minute, winning possession deep in Portland territory before feeding Melissa Bethi for a score. Clara Luvanga capitalized on a mistake by Thorns goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold in the 34th minute, then set up Rodman less than two minutes later to send Washington into halftime ahead 3-0.
Pietra Tordin gave Portland life in the 51st minute when she finished Jessie Fleming’s delivery into the box, but Rodman answered seven minutes later off another feed from Luvanga to restore the Spirit’s three-goal cushion. Thorns defender Jayden Perry was sent off in the 88th minute after receiving her second yellow card.
Washington, which reached the NWSL semifinals for the third straight season, will host the seventh-seeded Utah Royals on Saturday for a spot in the championship match.
–Field Level Media
