On Nov. 12, the Washington Spirit announced it will bring professional women’s soccer to Northern Virginia for the first time in 2020.
The team, which has played games in previous seasons at the Maryland SoccerPlex in Boyds, Maryland, as well as DC United’s Audi Field in Washington, DC, will host four of its home games at the newly opened Segra Field in Leesburg. It will also transition its full-time training facilities to Loudoun County in 2021.
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“Our decision has everything to do with forging a path to where our players have world-class training facilities,” said Spirit Majority Owner Steve Baldwin in a released statement.
“In 2021, we will move our training home to the new training facility DC United is constructing by Segra Field. This new training facility provides the best of everything for our players. In one location, we will have our locker room, training fields, health and wellness, laundry, food, strength and conditioning, video/technology and recovery,” says Baldwin.
The Washington Spirit is a part of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) and boasts two 2019 World Cup champions, Rose Lavelle and Mallory Pugh.
Midfielder Andi Sullivan, a graduate of South County High School in Lorton, was also recently called up to the United States Women’s National Team, as well as Spirit goalkeeper Audrey Bledsoe. Sullivan played in the final two exhibition games of the World-Cup-winning team, held in Columbus, Ohio, and Jacksonville, Florida.
