The past weekend in the Gainbridge Super League gave us one of the games of the season between Fort Lauderdale United FC and Brooklyn FC, a crucial road victory for Spokane Zephyr FC and another night of frustration for defending title-holder Tampa Bay Sun FC.
Here are three things we took away from the action.
1. Spokane Finds Breakthrough, Carolina Still Searching
If there was a key question going into Saturday’s clash between Carolina Ascent FC and Spokane Zephyr FC, it was for which club the attacking dam would finally break.
The clubs entered the contest with the two largest gaps between their goals and Exepected Goals marks in the league, with Spokane sitting second at -4.93 with 17 goals on a 21.93xG mark, and Carolina first at -5.01 with 20 goals in 25.01xG.
For Spokane, in dire need of victory with the fewest games remaining of any team in the league, the breakthrough arrived. Ginger Fontenot’s opening goal got things going as her chipped delivery from the top-right corner of the penalty area found the far corner of the net, while Lina Silano’s hustle created something out of very little for Spokane’s second, and it finally gave Zephyr something to hang its hat on as it returns home after the international break with a 2-0 win.
For Carolina, though, it was more of the same. Ascent recorded 16 shots, 13 of which came inside the penalty area, and accumulated an Expected Goals mark of 1.65 – more than triple that of Spokane, which scored on its lone two shots on target – but the combination of a vintage display by Zephyr goalkeeper Hope Hisey with a five-save shutout and missed opportunities for the hosts left Carolina on the outside of the playoff positions with four defeats in their past five games and little luck going its way.
“I think one thing that’s been frustrating is we clearly are creating opportunities and it’s just trying to put one of them away to get it going,” said Ascent defender Jenna Butler. “We’ve done a really good job of creating chance after chance and getting in the box and getting crosses and getting shots off. We just need that one to go in to keep it going.”
2. Fort Lauderdale Shows Resilience, Pegs Back Brooklyn
With a stretch of three consecutive games conceding 3+ goals resulting in a midweek coaching change, Fort Lauderdale United FC entered Saturday’s contest against Brooklyn FC in need of showing some signs of life.
The appointment of interim Head Coach Paul Jennison didn’t immediately fix FTL UTD’s defensive issues – the side conceded three times once again, becoming only the second team to concede 3+ goals in four consecutive games in league history after Lexington SC between March 23-April 16, 2025 – but it rallied twice to earn a 3-3 draw at Beyond Bancard Field that kept it in touch of the playoff positions.
Having taken the lead midway through the first half, Fort Lauderdale could have dropped after not only conceding off a shortly before the break but then allowing Brooklyn to hit the front on a spectacular finish by Mylena 19 seconds into the second half. Instead, FTL UTD dug in and played their part in one of the most entertaining games of the season so far. Jasmine Hamid capitalized on Abigail Hugh’s sharp pass with a finish to match, and while United conceded again off a corner reset with nine minutes to go, Ella Simpson’s late finish gave the hosts a result they ultimately deserved.
“It is a point, it’s not a win, and obviously that the goal, but at the same time, you saw heart, resiliency and battle – you can’t deny that,” said Jennison. “To be involved this week has been truly special, and we’re very excited for the remainder of the season. I think we’ve given ourselves, hopefully, a little bit of a jump start.”
3. Tampa Bay’s Close, But No Cigar
The final sequence in Tampa Bay Sun FC’s 1-1 draw against DC Power FC might have symbolized how this season has gone for the defending title-holders. A great sequence saw Madi Parsons’ pass spring Faith Webber into the left channel for an opportunity, and while her initial shot to the far post was well saved by DC’s Morgan Aquino, the rebound fell nicely to Jordan Zade, only for the finish to sail over the crossbar.
Moments later, the final whistle blew, providing a deflating end to a game in which the Sun could have claimed their first home win of the campaign but continued to show improvement that can make them a dangerous opponent down the final stretch of the season even with their slim postseason hopes. Against DC, Tampa Bay logged its season-high single-season Expected Goals mark (1.72xG) and equaled its season-highs of 18 shots and 13 shots inside the penalty area as the addition of Jordan Fusco – who struck to give Tampa Bay a first-half lead – and increased attacking chemistry made it a far more potent threat than at points earlier this season.
“Finding more of an offensive identity is definitely clicking for us,” said midfielder Jilly Shimkin. “I think partnerships and chemistry has started to click, and I think just the competitiveness and training – like starters and subs – it’s… very competitive. Everyone pushes each other every single day.“
The margin for error for the Sun continued to narrow on Saturday. With 12 games to play, they must make up a 10-point margin, and generally, once that ratio of games to play and points to make up inverts it becomes out of reach. That makes Saturday’s in-state showdown with Fort Lauderdale a critical contest to turn progress into results.