Washington Spirit’s Esme Morgan chases the NWSL championship

Esme Morgan is used to playing on a big stage.

From her years with Manchester City of the WSL to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup with the Lionesses, the Washington Spirit defender has played all over the world. But even with all that experience, nothing could have prepared her (or her ears) for Audi Field last Sunday.

“I feel like the fans just found another level of noise,” Morgan says. “During the regular season the atmosphere was constant noise for 90 minutes, but on Sunday my ears were ringing like they couldn’t hold the volume – it was just crazy! It was the loudest atmosphere I’ve ever played in.”

The Spirit were the favorites coming into the quarter final against Bay FCbut the team fell behind after an 82nd minute goal scored by Bay’s Asisat Oshoala. The 19,215 fans at Audi Field fell silent for a moment, as the Spirit would equalize four minutes later.

“The (crowd) noise, especially from the equalizer, the roof just came off the stadium,” Morgan remembers. “It was such an incredible buzz and I think the fans really rode us and picked us up after we fell behind.”

In such big, exciting matches, one goal can often make the difference. For the Spirit on Sunday, the fans’ energy literally got them extra time, ultimately a 2-1 win and a place in the final. semi-finals against last year’s champions, NJ/NY Gotham FC.

Since making the move to the National Women’s Soccer League, Morgan has become a mainstay in the Spirit’s backline. The versatile player is mainly found as a central defender and has the option to play as a right back if necessary. The 24-year-old has quickly adapted to the NWSL, playing 120 minutes in the Spirit’s quarterfinal thriller.

Adjusting to the NWSL is exactly the reason Morgan came to the United States in the first place. She wanted a new challenge, competitive matches and the chance to compete against some of the best strikers in the world. In Sunday’s quarter-final, Morgan certainly got her wish as she faced off against a forward line led by two of the best strikers in the competition: Oshoala and Racheal Kundananji.

“They are so direct, as soon as they receive (the ball) they want to beat you and beat you down the line, and it’s a huge challenge to come up against them,” Morgan reflects. “I have good moments, but I also have moments where I have to think about it and see what I can do differently next time, but that is exactly why I came to the competition. I want to have those learning moments where I can challenge myself against these great players and try to progress.”

Morgan is continually impressed with the caliber of forwards on each NWSL team. Competing against Kansas City’s Temwa Chawinga or Chicago Red Stars’ Mal Swanson has allowed the young defender to continue her development as a player, a challenge she relishes every step of the way.

This Saturday’s match against Gotham FC will place its own unique demands on the Spirit’s backline. Morgan has her eye on the team’s top scorer, Esther González, winner of the 2023 World Cup.

Esther’s clever moments off the ball, combining play and the ability to find small pockets of space, will prove to be a different kind of challenge, but one that Spirit is happy to tackle. Luckily for Morgan, she has some experience battling the Spain international.

“I played against (Esther) when I was at Man City and she was at Real Madrid. She is a very technical player,” says Morgan. “We’re really excited about the threat that Gotham brings and I feel like we thrive as a group when we face the best opposition. We stand for it and see it as a real fight.”

Since coming to the NWSL, Morgan has seen how competitive the league is. On the pitch, the game is fast, players spend less time on the ball, the style is more direct and transitional, and every club is looking for all three points every weekend.

“You go into every match and no matter where the opponent sits in the table, it’s going to be a very, very tough match, and if you’re not at your best, any team is capable of taking points away from you,” Morgan says. say. “I enjoy that in the NWSL no one ever plays to defend for a draw for 90 minutes or just low-block all the time.”

The biggest difference so far for Morgan has been the NWSL’s playoff structure, but with the Spirit falling just behind the Shield and finishing second overall, she sees the playoffs as another opportunity to bring back hardware for the fans.

“We didn’t win the Shield, so now we get a second chance to have some success this year,” said Morgan. “The atmosphere (before the quarter-finals) was incredible, even thinking about it now I just get chills because it was such a special day. Hopefully we can create the same atmosphere this weekend.”

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