Esme Morgan believes Washington Spirit are in a far better place to tackle Portland Thorns than they were earlier in the season, with the defender saying the team now has the confidence and clarity to handle a match that could matter hugely in the NWSL standings.
The top-of-the-table clash comes with only four points separating second through seventh, so there is very little margin for error for either side. Washington Spirit are also trying to build on last time out, when they beat Bay FC after a spell in which they had gone winless in four matches.
Why Morgan thinks Spirit are ready
Morgan was clear that Washington Spirit’s progress is not just about results, but about how the team has developed collectively. She said the group was slow to settle at the start of the season, but that the picture now is different.
“I think at the beginning of the season, we were a bit slow to hit our stride, find connections between players, and although we've had a rough patch again recently, I feel like where we are as a team now compared to then is totally different,” Morgan said.
That is an important point for Washington Spirit. Portland Thorns already beat them 1-0 at Audi Field earlier in the season, so this is not a fixture where Spirit can rely on reputation alone. Morgan’s message was that the team understands its own structure much better now.
She added that the side has improved in its understanding of what it wants from each other, how it wants to play, and how it wants to approach games, particularly away from home.
In practical terms, that suggests a more settled Washington Spirit side heading into a difficult away test. The concern in a game like this is not simply form, but whether a team can turn improved habits into a performance under pressure.
The table makes every point matter
Morgan also pointed to the growing importance of the standings. With the table so tight, she said there is an extra hunger within the squad because every match has a direct effect on how the 2025 playoffs picture will look.
“Coming off the back of that, we want to try and continue that momentum that we've given ourselves in the last couple of games and approach this game with a real intensity and drive to win as we do every game,” she said. “But I think now there's an extra hunger knowing that the table is so close and every single game matters so much in terms of how the standings are going to look at the end of the year.”
That is what gives this match real weight. Washington Spirit do not just need a good performance for morale; they need points because second place down to seventh is compressed enough that one result can shift the entire outlook.
Morgan’s belief is that Spirit can rise to that challenge. The Bay FC win ended the immediate skid, the Orlando match gave the team a clearer idea of what it wants to be, and now the next test is whether that momentum can travel with them against Portland Thorns.
If Washington Spirit can back up the improvement Morgan described, they will strengthen their position in the race at the top. If not, Portland Thorns will once again make them pay for any lapse, just as they did earlier in the season.
