Leicy Santos and Trinity Rodman Snap NC Courage's Four-Game Win Streak in 2-0 Spirit Win

The North Carolina Courage had four straight wins, a big summer crowd and a Ring of Honor ceremony lined up for after the final whistle. The Washington Spirit had Leicy Santos and Trinity Rodman, and that was enough to crash most of the party.

Santos scored in the 37th minute, Rodman doubled the lead in first-half stoppage time, and the Spirit beat the Courage 2-0 in Cary on Saturday night. The result ended North Carolina's four-game winning streak, which the Courage said was their longest since the 2023 season. For Washington, it was a third straight win and, per the club, an eighth in its last nine regular-season matches.

A Slow Burn, Then a Rocket

The first 20 minutes were mostly shadowboxing. North Carolina lined up in a five-at-the-back shape and dared Washington to find a way through it, and for a while the Spirit could not.

The first real chances came in a three-minute burst. Kailen Sheridan saved Santos at the top left corner in the 24th minute and Gift Monday at the top right in the 25th, and Rodman sent a shot wide off the resulting corner in the 26th. Rodman nearly broke it open on a fast break in the 36th, but her left-footed shot from the left side drifted just wide.

A minute later, Santos made the whole sequence worthwhile. Kate Wiesner swung a long ball into the box, and according to the Spirit, Santos controlled it with her right foot and hit it on the fly with her left. It flew into the top left corner. That's the kind of finish that ends up on loop on a highlight show, and it was Santos' fifth goal of the season, per the club.

Washington then hit North Carolina again right before the break. Tara Rudd launched a ball over the top, and Rodman ran onto it, split two defenders on her way into the box and finished right-footed into the top right corner past Sheridan in the third minute of stoppage time. The Spirit said it was Rodman's sixth goal of the season. It was also the worst possible time for the Courage to concede, about three minutes before they could regroup in the locker room.

The Goal That Wasn't

North Carolina came out of halftime and appeared to get right back into it. In the 50th minute, Ashley Sanchez put a free kick into the net, and the home crowd got about two minutes of celebrating before video review took it away. The Spirit's recap said the goal came off because of a North Carolina infraction, and the VAR decision was confirmed in the 52nd.

That was the hinge of the night. A goal there and it's 2-1 with 40 minutes to play, a crowd behind the Courage and a back line that had just been beaten twice. Instead, North Carolina had to start over against a team that does not give much away.

The Courage kept swinging. Evelyn Ijeh fired high and wide in the 65th minute, and in the 66th, Shinomi Koyama rattled the crossbar from outside the box. Feli Rauch missed to the right moments later. At the other end, Rodman missed narrowly in the 64th and forced Sheridan into a save from a tight angle in the 65th.

Washington made a triple change in the 67th, bringing on Sofia Cantore, Deborah Abiodun and Paige Metayer. North Carolina answered with three changes of its own in the 81st, sending on Ivy Younce, Hannah Betfort and Natalia Staude.

Seven Minutes of Survival

Rauch forced the only save Sandy MacIver needed to make, in the 85th minute. After that, the Spirit spent the final stretch blocking everything in sight. Betfort and Sanchez had shots blocked in the 89th. The fourth official added seven minutes, and the Courage used every one of them. Maycee Bell headed wide off a corner, Chioma Okafor fired high, Sanchez was blocked again, and in the sixth added minute, Uno Shiragaki and Carly Wickenheiser had back-to-back efforts blocked before Wickenheiser sent one just past the top left corner.

Nothing went in. Washington closed it out.

Who Delivered

Leicy Santos put both of her shots on target and scored the goal of the night. She also drew two fouls.

Trinity Rodman led all players with five shots and kept North Carolina's back line on edge from start to finish.

Tara Rudd and Kate Wiesner each had an assist, and the Spirit's whole defense deserves a mention. Washington committed just one foul all night, made 13 interceptions and cleared the ball 31 times. That is control without chaos.

For North Carolina, Sanchez kept coming after the break, even with her goal wiped away, though both of her recorded shots were blocked. Koyama came closest to scoring with her shot off the bar.

The Numbers Behind the Win

• Possession: Washington 57.5 percent, North Carolina 42.5.
• Shots: North Carolina 13, Washington 8.
• On goal: Washington 5, North Carolina 2.
• Fouls: North Carolina 7, Washington 1.
• Clearances: Washington 31, North Carolina 13.

Where Both Clubs Stand

Washington moves to eight wins, three draws and two losses with 27 points. The Spirit said it was also their third win in the last four meetings with North Carolina. They stay on the road for a Rivalry Week date with Gotham FC at Citi Field on Wednesday, July 15.

North Carolina falls to six wins, three draws and four losses with 21 points. The streak is over, but the night still had its moments. The crowd of 8,726 was the largest for a summer match in Courage history and the ninth-largest overall, per the club, and Crystal Dunn was inducted into the club's Ring of Honor after the match, joining Sam Mewis and Jessica McDonald. The Courage visit Bay FC in San Jose on Saturday, July 18.

Final Word

Washington played the role of the friend who shows up to your birthday party and wins every round of Mario Kart. No fuss, one foul, two great goals and a clean sheet. North Carolina will get over it. The rest of the league should be paying attention.

Stats from ESPN's match data. Additional details as reported by WashingtonSpirit.com and NCCourage.com.