Something went wrong in the Washington Spirits' NWSL championship.

The team’s struggles came to a head on Saturday, when they fell to the Portland Thorns in the NWSL championship game.

The match was a rematch of last year’s NWSL final, which the Spirit won handily. But this time around, things were different. The Spirit looked out of sorts from the start, and Portland took advantage, scoring twice in the first half.

All of these factors and more came into play during a topsy-turvy NWSL season for the Washington Spirit.

The team’s struggle to find consistent success was evident early on, as the Spirits dropped four of their first five matches. The slow start put the club in a hole that they would never fully climb out of, as they would go on to lose eight of their first 11 games.

One of the primary issues for the Washington Spirit this season has been an inability to score goals. The team finished the regular season with a league-low 20 goals, and their leading scorer, Ashley Hatch, had just six goals.

This lack of offensive production was on display in the NWSL Championship game, as the Spirit were shut out by the Portland Thorns.

The Spirit did manage to get on the board in the second half, but it wasn’t enough. They ultimately fell 2-1, and Portland claimed the NWSL title.

It was a disappointing end to what had been a promising season for the Spirit. But even in defeat, they can take solace in the fact that they made it all the way to the championship game. And with a young core of players, they should be in contention for years to come.