Trinity Rodman scored the only goal on Wednesday night as the Washington Spirit beat the Utah Royals 1-0 in Sandy, Utah, giving the Spirit another important result in the National Women’s Soccer League race. The win moved Washington to 11-3-3, while Utah fell to 9-5-3 after being held scoreless for the first time in nine matches.
The match turned shortly after a weather delay. Play was paused in the 25th minute because of inclement weather, then resumed three minutes later with Paige Metayer providing the cross that set up Rodman’s finish. It was Rodman’s eighth goal of the season and the decisive moment in a tight game that featured limited margin for error.
What the result means
For Washington, the victory adds another clean, efficient win to a strong season. The Spirit did not need a high-scoring night to get the points, and the defensive side of the performance mattered just as much. Utah’s attack, which had found the net in eight straight matches before this one, was shut down by a Washington group that has now posted its eighth clean sheet of the season.
The Royals did create chances, but they could not solve the Spirit defense or goalkeeper Sandy MacIver, who finished with four saves. That combination helped Washington protect the lead after Rodman’s goal and turn a short-lived restart window into the difference in the match.
Other NWSL results
Wednesday also brought a few other notable NWSL results. Kansas City Current beat Racing Louisville 5-1, and Gotham FC topped Bay FC 1-0.
For the Washington Spirit, though, the main story was simple: Rodman delivered again, and a one-goal edge was enough to secure a valuable road win.
