The 2025 NWSL regular season continues, featuring a rematch of last year`s playoff rivals. The Washington Spirit are set to host Gotham FC at Audi Field in Washington, D.C., this Saturday, April 25th, with kickoff at 1 p.m. ET. Fans can watch the game on CBS or live stream it on Paramount+. Both teams are dealing with significant player injuries as they face off for the first time this year, considered playoff contenders for the season ahead.
Gotham FC, coached by Juan Carlos Amoros, are playing on short rest following a midweek defeat away to Portland Thorns FC. Meanwhile, Spirit manager Jonatan Giraldez and his squad are coming off a victory in week five against the 2024 NWSL champions, Orlando Pride.
Trinity Rodman`s Status
Recent reports indicate that Trinity Rodman is currently away from the club to manage a back injury. She is working with both club and U.S. Soccer medical staff.
The 22-year-old has experienced back problems since her rookie season, but this recent episode has sidelined her for the 2025 season so far. Rodman`s difficulties were noticeable during the playoff run of the 2024 season, and the productive forward played through back pain during the 2024 NWSL Championship.
“I`m not hiding the fact that my back is not feeling great, but I decided to stay in the game,” Rodman commented after the 2024 NWSL Championship. “I could have pulled myself out, so that`s not an excuse. I wasn`t the Trin that I wanted to be today, so that`s a bummer.”
The U.S. women`s national team winger was given the rest of 2024 for recovery and was not called into USWNT camps until April 2025. She began the 2025 NWSL season on the Spirit`s bench, gradually increasing her minutes before the April international break. Her last appearances saw her come off the bench for 45 minutes against Louisville for the Spirit and play 60 minutes for the USWNT against Brazil.
Spirit head coach Giraldez confirmed before Saturday`s match that there is no firm timeline for Rodman`s return this season as she continues treatment with specialists.
Match Storylines and Context
This match is a significant one, revisiting their 2024 NWSL semifinal clash. In that postseason encounter at Audi Field, Gotham played the role of spoiler against the second-place Spirit. The high-stakes match ended 1-1 after extra time and was decided by a penalty shootout, which the Spirit ultimately won.
What Gotham FC are Saying
Gotham has been navigating player injuries early in the season. With this match being the third game of a road trip within a week, player rotation is a key priority for the coaching staff to manage the workload.
“Well, I think it`s important that for us, the priority is the health and safety of the players, and we work really closely with our medical team, with our high-performance team, to make sure that the players are ready to compete and to play,” said coach Amoros after their midweek match. “And that`s not something new. It`s something that we`ve always done, and sometimes it`s the position we are in, something that we cannot really control, so we just try to adapt.”
What the Spirit are Saying
The Spirit anticipated being without some key players entering the 2025 season. Midfielder Andi Sullivan suffered an ACL injury in October 2024, and midfielder Croix Bethune returned from a torn meniscus for 2025 but hasn`t played significant minutes yet. These challenges have placed more responsibility on other players, which Spirit head coach Giraldez sees as an opportunity.
“It creates, for me, a big impact, a huge impact, because when you perform and when you win games, it doesn`t matter who is playing,” Giraldez told media before Saturday`s game. “That`s the most beautiful thing, positive for the environment, for the culture, try to be as competitive as possible. It doesn`t matter who is playing. So I would like to say that as you know, as an opportunity, as a team, to grow together, especially in the bad moments, we know how easy is. In the good moments, when you are winning games, when everyone is healthy, that`s easy. But in the bad moments, we have to be there together, and we are showing a huge character as a team, and I am very happy for that.”
Predicted Lineups
Washington Spirit: Aubrey Kingsbury, Esme Morgan, Tara McKeown, Rebeca Bernal, Gabby Carle, Narumi Miura, Leicy Santos, Heather Stainbrook, Makenna Morris
Gotham FC: Ann Katrin Berger, Lilly Reale, Emily Sonnett, Jess Carter, Brunihna, Neely Martin, Jaelin Howell, Sarah Schupansky, Taryn Torres, Gabi Portilho, Esther Gonzalez
Prediction
Given the injuries and focus on managing player minutes for both sides, this match could easily be another tightly contested, perhaps cautious affair. While questions remain about Gotham`s defense, there`s enough attacking quality on both teams to suggest goals are possible. Expect a competitive draw.
Predicted Score: Spirit 1, Gotham 1
