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The National Women’s Soccer League released its 2017 schedule today. The Washington Spirit had known their first two games of the season when home openers across the league were announced, but now a full season of fixtures is confirmed. The Spirit will play three matches against most NWSL clubs, while facing Seattle Reign FC, Chicago Red Stars, and FC Kansas City just twice.
That means three games against both the defending champions (North Carolina Courage, who were the Western NY Flash when they defeated the Spirit on penalty kicks in last year’s final) and Portland Thorns FC, the defending NWSL Shield winners. The Spirit will travel to Portland twice, while they’ll host the Courage in their season opener as well as at the end of August.
In the last two seasons, NWSL teams had played 20 games; this year’s 24 game slate matches the league’s 2014 format. The season kicks off on April 15th, a day that will see a rematch of the NWSL championship game as the Spirit host the Courage (who relocated during the offseason from Rochester, NY) at the Maryland Soccerplex.
Here is the entire Spirit schedule:
Spirit 2017 schedule
| Date | Home team | Away team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Home team | Away team | Time |
| April 15 | Washington Spirit | North Carolina Courage | 3:00 PM |
| April 22 | Orlando Pride | Washington Spirit | 4:00 PM |
| April 29 | Washington Spirit | Houston Dash | 7:00 PM |
| May 6 | Washington Spirit | Sky Blue FC | 4:00 PM |
| May 13 | Seattle Reign FC | Washington Spirit | 4:00 PM |
| May 20 | Washington Spirit | FC Kansas City | 4:00 PM |
| May 27 | FC Kansas City | Washington Spirit | 8:00 PM |
| June 3 | Washington Spirit | Houston Dash | 7:00 PM |
| June 17 | Chicago Red Stars | Washington Spirit | 4:00 PM |
| June 24 | Washington Spirit | Portland Thorns FC | 7:00 PM |
| July 1 | Boston Breakers | Washington Spirit | 4:00 PM |
| July 8 | Washington Spirit | Orlando Pride | 4:00 PM |
| July 15 | Houston Dash | Washington Spirit | 8:30 PM |
| July 22 | Portland Thorns FC | Washington Spirit | 10:00 PM |
| August 4 | Sky Blue FC | Washington Spirit | 7:00 PM |
| August 8 | Orlando Pride | Washington Spirit | 7:30 PM |
| August 12 | Washington Spirit | Boston Breakers | 4:00 PM |
| August 19 | North Carolina Courage | Washington Spirit | 4:00 PM |
| August 26 | Washington Spirit | Chicago Red Stars | 7:00 PM |
| August 30 | Washington Spirit | North Carolina Courage | 7:30 PM |
| September 2 | Portland Thorns FC | Washington Spirit | 4:00 PM |
| September 10 | Sky Blue FC | Washington Spirit | 6:00 PM |
| September 23 | Washington Spirit | Boston Breakers | 7:00 PM |
| September 30 | Washington Spirit | Seattle Reign FC | 4:00 PM |