Washington Spirit clinch NWSL playoff spot with win over Gotham FC

The Washington Spirit secured their place in the 2026 National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) playoffs following a 1-0 victory against NJ/NY Gotham FC. The decisive goal was scored in the 70th minute by Lucia Di Guglielmo, marking her first goal since joining the team, after receiving a pass from Mélissa Bethi.

The result prevented Gotham FC from clinching the Shield. In other NWSL action, the San Diego Wave defeated the North Carolina Courage 2-1 to guarantee a top-four playoff seed and home hosting rights for the quarterfinals. During that match, Melanie Barcenas set a new NWSL single-season record for goals scored by a teenager, while Trinity Byars scored her 11th goal of the season.