We’re on the level of the 12 months the place we’re working our method by way of all the tip of season awards and waiting for playoffs, which looks as if the proper alternative to take a look at who all is on the Washington Spirit — and what that roster will have the ability to do in opposition to the Chicago Pink Stars in Saturday’s NWSL Championship.
And, to combine issues up slightly bit, it looks as if the proper time to take a look at the Spirit and this upcoming match by way of the lens of astrology.
Spirit and star (indicators)
I’ve been protecting an inventory of each participant within the NWSL’s solar signal because the finish of the 2019 season, and this 12 months’s Spirit roster is among the extra astrologically-balanced groups I’ve seen. There’s at the least one participant on the roster for every of the 12 solar indicators — the signal you’ve most likely heard based mostly on the day you have been born, which is taken to symbolize one’s id.
Since it might take some time to undergo every participant line-by-line, I’ve additionally discovered it useful to make use of a few of astrology’s predominant grouping strategies.
Washington’s roster is equally balanced when it comes to its “qualities” — which teams indicators into “cardinal,” “mounted,” or “mutable” based mostly on their ties with creation, preservation and transformation.
If there’s an space the place we don’t fairly see that very same degree of steadiness, it’s within the indicators’ components — the 12 indicators are related to hearth, air, water or earth, every of which carries its personal that means — the place the Spirit’s roster options fewer earth signal gamers than these with hearth, air or water indicators. It’s not a big lack of earth indicators, that are seen as steady and sensible, in of itself, however it’s one thing that can be fascinating to observe in opposition to a workforce just like the Pink Stars.
What does this imply for the ultimate?
I wrote about how Chicago is a really earth-sign heavy workforce final 12 months—one thing that was in keeping with the roster once I began protecting monitor of NWSL astrology in 2019 and holds true now. Towards The Portland Thorns final weekend, six of the 11 gamers who began for the Pink Stars have been earth indicators. The quantity will doubtless develop on Saturday, particularly if Katie Johnson, an earth signal, steps into the house within the XI that air signal Kealia Watt stuffed at striker.
That’s in fairly stark distinction to the Spirit, who, as talked about above, have comparably fewer earth indicators on their roster and can solely begin one in Trinity Rodman.
For Chicago, that earth sign-heavy beginning XI meshed properly with the workforce’s defensive sport plan in opposition to the Portland Thorns: protecting numbers within the field defensively, marking gamers tightly and positioning themselves to chop off passing angles. They’ll depend on that very same stability and consistency to include the Spirit’s assault on Saturday.
For Washington that offense will fall on the likes of Rodman, Ashley Hatch, Tara McKeown and Ashley Sanchez.
As talked about above, Rodman, a Taurus, is the one earth signal of the group. Her development over the season and willingness to take gamers on will show invaluable for the Spirit.
Hatch is a Gemini, an indication outlined by (typically an excessive amount of) pondering. Geminis aren’t at all times essentially the most flashy gamers — although there are a pair notable exceptions — however they have a tendency to have an consciousness that enables them to be in the proper place on the proper time, which is at all times a great factor for scoring targets.
McKeown and Sanchez are each water indicators, usually identified for being emotional and intuitive. Pisces, like Sanchez are identified for being inventive and adaptable, and water indicators are inclined to have a sure smoothness on the ball. I’m particularly to see how Sanchez probably going up in opposition to the likes of fellow Pisces Morgan Brian performs out on this sport.
Whereas the Spirit lacks hearth indicators in its entrance 4, it makes up for that deficit additional again within the discipline — by way of gamers like Kelley O’Hara, Emily Sonnett, Sam Staab and Andi Sullivan.
Fireplace indicators are identified for his or her power, and Sagittariuses — like Sonnett and Sullivan — deal with increasing horizons and a love of motion. Sullivan’s work within the No. 6, particularly, has been instrumental to Washington’s success all season, and the Spirit will want that motion to interrupt down Chicago’s block on Saturday.
Nevertheless it’s additionally Scorpio season — a time of transformation that, no matter who wins tomorrow, will see a membership take residence their first NWSL trophy. Whether or not that performs out in favor of the Spirit or the Pink Stars is anybody’s guess.