Krieger’s sense of urgency a catalyst for Spirit’s ascent
The location of the game itself did not matter to Ali Krieger, but the symbolism was off the charts.
Fresh off Olympic disappointment with the U.S. women’s national team, Krieger rushed back from Brazil to play for the Washington Spirit in a make-up game against the Dash in Houston. The Spirit were in the thick of the playoff race at the time and needed every point they could get.
Krieger played all 90 minutes that night at BBVA Compass Stadium and led Washington to a 2-1 victory that vaulted it to the top of the table. Big backer of league
Nearly two months after she returned to her club, a full four days sooner than most of her U.S. teammates, Krieger will lead the Spirit in the NWSL championship game against the Western New York Flash at BBVA Compass Stadium on Sunday.
As she took part in the league’s media day Thursday at the stadium, Krieger said she felt like everything had come full circle.
“Everyone said after that (August) game that you deal with things differently,” Krieger said. “I felt I had an adequate amount of rest and jumped back in. This team is just as important. This league is just as important. If we don’t take it serious from the very beginning, it could go in a different direction, a direction we don’t want it to go.”
The Spirit ultimately finished second in the league and used their home pitch to their advantage in last week’s semifinal victory over Chicago. Sunday’s opponent, however, did not clinch a playoff berth until the final week of the season.
Western New York was coming off consecutive seventh-place finishes when Paul Riley became the new boss before this season. Riley looked at media predictions for his team and always saw the Flash among the bottom three. Role as underdogs
Riley happily used that information to tell his players they were the underdogs. He has said several times this week that, throughout the regular season, he did not discuss postseason possibilities.
Instead, he focused on getting his players to work hard and have fun.
“When you have a young team, you have to go in knowing you can’t use the word ‘result’,” Riley said. “If you want to use the word ‘result’ and the word ‘playoff,’ you are in serious trouble straightaway.”
Led by the forward tandem of league MVP and Golden Boot winner Lynn Williams (11 goals) and Jessica McDonald (10 goals), the Flash piled up goals in a hurry. They finished the season with a league-high 40 in 20 games.
Their goal-scoring prowess was at full throttle in their 4-3 semifinal victory at Portland, which conceded fewer than one goal per game during the regular season. With the game tied, 2-2, after regulation, Williams scored twice in the first 15 minutes of extra time. Different paths
On Sunday, the Flash will face a team they scored only once against in two tries this season. While Western New York needed a few late season results to get into the playoffs, Washington has been near the top all year after starting the season with four consecutive wins.
For the Spirit, Krieger has plenty of experience, having won a World Cup and the UEFA Champions League, but she has yet to win an NWSL title.
“We’re all very excited for the opportunity,” Krieger said. “You never know if this is the last time you’ll ever be in a final. We are fully focused and committed to win.”