Monday scores fourth goal of season to lift Spirit over Courage
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WASHINGTON (AP) — Gift Monday scored her fourth goal of the season to cap a 3-1 Washington Spirit victory over the North Carolina Courage in Sunday's lone National Women's Soccer League match.
Courtney Brown and Brittany Ratcliffe also scored for the Spirit, who are undefeated in four straight.
Brown scored her first goal of the season in the 24th minute for the Sprit (7-3-1). Just moments later, Casey Krueger sent a perfectly placed ball in to Ratcliffe, who headed the ball to the opposite post and into the side netting.
The Courage (3-5-3) narrowed the game in the 31st when Manaka Matsukubo rushed forward and popped the ball over Spirit goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury and into the net.
Monday scored the final goal for the Spirit in the 58th on a header off a cross from Narumi Miura.
Earlier this week, French club OL Lyonnes announced that current Spirit coach Jonatan Giraldez would take over as head coach next month. He will replace Joe Montemurro, who was was named head coach of the Australian women's national team.
Assistant Adrian Gonzalez will take over at the Spirit's new coach once Giraldez leaves.
Olympic gold medalist and Spirit forward Trinity Rodman, who is sitting out indefinitely as she rehabs a nagging back injury, was at the match. She had been undergoing treatment in Europe.
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