The Washington Spirit clinched a playoff berth for the third straight season with a 1-0 win over Gotham FC at Audi Field on Saturday, and by the end of the night only three teams, separated by three points, were left in the race for the NWSL Shield.
Lucia Di Guglielmo scored in the 70th minute, her first goal for the Spirit, running onto a deflected cross. Gotham goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger made five saves, including a diving stop on Trinity Rodman's header in the 43rd minute, and Washington hit the crossbar two minutes after taking the lead. The crowd of 19,215 saw the Spirit beat Gotham for the first time in two years, ending a five-match winless run in the rivalry. Gotham, 16-5-7 with 55 points, stays first with two matches left. Jaelin Howell made her 41st consecutive start, the third-longest streak in club history. Washington has 52 points.
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