See below a collection of phots taken from the southwest corner of Audi Field during a 2026 NWSL match between the Washington Spirit and the North Carolina Courage. In one of the games of the season, the Courage held off, then killed, an electric Spirit comeback to take all three points back to North Carolina by a score of 4-3.
The visitors jumped out to a near perfect start, scoring three goals in 20 minutes: one from former Spirit Ashley Sanchez and two from the in-form Evelyn Ijeh. The Spirit responded in kind in the second half, with Trinity Rodman and Sofia Cantore bringing the hosts to within one five minutes after halftime. A scrappy Rebecca Bernal finish in the 91st minute brought the Spirit level, sending the crowd into full Rowdy Audi mode. Two minutes later, Hal Hershfelt fired what 20,000 in southwest DC thought was the game winner square off the far post. Two minutes after that, the Courage’s Natalie Jacobs broke through the Spirit’s defense and slotted in the winner.
The Courage ultimately deserved the three points, but the killing of the comeback is heartbreaking nonetheless.
