Meet the Spirit’s lucky plastic coyote. Plus: Juicy midweek NWSL match

Seventy percent of respondents to last week’s poll said USWNT-Japan is a true rivalry. We’re mentally bookmarking that. Coming up: 📈 Weekend of comebacks 🐺 Spirit’s good luck charm 🍿 Appointment viewing this week Let’s get to it: Rewind Comebacks everywhere If there is one theme that threaded through this past weekend in the NWSL, i

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Seventy percent of respondents to last week’s poll said USWNT-Japan is a true rivalry. We’re mentally bookmarking that. Coming up: 📈 Weekend of comebacks 🐺 Spirit’s good luck charm 🍿 Appointment viewing this week Let’s get to it: Rewind Comebacks everywhere If there is one theme that threaded through this past weekend in the NWSL, it was comebacks .

Start in Washington, where the Spirit didn’t just beat the Kansas City Current last Friday; they made it look easy. A 3-0 win, with Trinity Rodman back on the scoresheet. For a team that has spent stretches searching for rhythm, this felt like a reset button and a reminder of their ceiling with their front line, especially when the dynamic duo of Leicy Santos and Rodman drove at defenders instead of circling around them.