Washington Spirit draws 2-2 with Racing Louisville | Cantore scores debut stunner

First Half: Cantore makes an instant impact

Audi Field erupted when Sofia Cantore, in her very first match with Washington Spirit, opened the scoring in the 38th minute with a spectacular strike that left the Louisville goalkeeper with no chance. The Italian forward showcased her quality immediately, earning loud cheers from the home crowd.

Racing Louisville responded with dangerous attacks toward Aubrey Kingsbury’s goal, but the Spirit keeper came up with key saves to preserve the lead going into halftime.

Second Half: Drama and late goals

The second half flipped the script. A misfortune for Washington came in the 52nd minute when defender Rebeca Bernal scored an own goal, allowing Louisville to level the match. Soon after, Savannah DeMelo put the visitors ahead with a penalty in the 79th minute, silencing the Spirit fans.

But in the dying moments of stoppage time (90+9’), Rosemonde Kouassi came to the rescue, striking the equalizer that secured a hard-fought 2-2 draw.

Final Takeaway

The result leaves Washington with mixed feelings. Fans celebrated Sofia Cantore’s dream debut and Kouassi’s clutch finish, yet defensive lapses remain a concern for the squad.

Racing Louisville, meanwhile, leaves the capital with a valuable away point, thanks to DeMelo’s decisive play and overall team resilience.

Washington Spirit showed resilience to avoid defeat and picked up an important point in the playoff race. The standout of the night was undoubtedly Sofia Cantore, whose debut goal marks her as a key figure for the rest of the season.