It’s just a matter of time before the next round of the NWSL playoffs begins. After eight teams decided their fate in the quarterfinals last weekend, it’s time for the best four qualified sides to further have a dance of fate and make their way to the crucial NWSL Championship final spot. The first semifinal features the Washington Spirit facing the Portland Thorns at Audi Field. While either side is bound to have its own way with the other, the Spirit is facing not one but two possible advantages.

The first is pretty much obvious; this is yet another game that the Washington Spirit will be playing at their home ground. And it’s no better than head coach Adrian Gonzales, who understands how crucial this advantage can come into play for their chances to make the finals. “Well, we saw the environment the other day, you know, how loud the crowd was,” began the former assistant of Jonatan Gonzales in an interview with journalist Joe Yasharoff shared on X.

The previous game was an example in itself; a “Rowdy Audi Field” was witnessed, which somewhat played a significant role in helping the team secure the crucial win over Racing Louisville. “Having that energy coming from the crowd is something priceless, to be honest,” Gonzales continued. “We had a great connection the other day, and we are just building something, I think, magic. And they give us that extra push… I want to say thank you… That’s something we never forget about.”

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Of course, why would they? To recall, the Washington Spirit faced a mountain of challenges. The absence of a few star players due to injury, with Trinity Rodman being one of them, had already made things difficult. That severely reflected on their game against Racing Louisville as after the first half ended in a goalless affair, the Spirit were able to concede even though they had also scored.

As the full-time score line of 1-1 resulted in the game going into extra time, that also didn’t help, bringing penalty shootouts as the only solution to decide the game. Thankfully, with the help of the immense support of the crowd throughout the 120 minutes of the game, as well as during the penalties, the Spirit capitalized with a 3-1 win.

Now, as they move forward towards the semifinal against Portland Thorns, who are entering with a narrow and clever 1-0 win over San Diego Wave, it’s natural for both supporters and fans to put their best foot forward. Of course, things would come to the Spirit’s side in favor automatically if they had the presence of a key name in their ranks.

Will Trinity Rodman play for the Washington Spirit?

Perhaps the only question in the minds of ardent Washington Spirit fans, and quite a sensible one as well, considering the past few games have seen her sit out due to obvious reasons. For those unaware, Trinity Rodman suffered an MCL sprain during the Concacaf W Champions Cup match against Monterrey on October 15.

The 23-year-old was forced off in the first half, leaving the field in tears with a knee brace and crutches. Although coach Adrian Gonzalez described it as a sprain, the injury came at the worst possible time; just after her USWNT call-up from Emma Hayes for the October friendlies, which led to her being dropped from the squad.

While that also saw her miss the final few NWSL regular-season clashes as well as the playoff opener due to late recovery, she has been training both individually and collectively with her teammates. So, we ought to believe that if she feels ready, there’s no reason why Adrian Gonzalez shouldn’t play her.

Whether that means starting her in the XI or bringing her off the bench is a call that rests in the coach’s hands. Either way, it’ll be interesting to see what happens.