The Washington Spirit has successfully advanced to the NWSL Championship final, an achievement that is well-earned.
Finishing second in the regular season, the Spirit ended four points behind the Orlando Pride, who were regarded as the league’s top team. Even with the transition from interim head coach Adrián Gonzalez to Jonatan Giráldez on July 7, 2024, the Spirit experienced no downturn in form, continuing to perform at a high level.
Much of Washington Spirit’s current success can be linked to a robust midfield that effectively opens pathways for forwards Ashley Hatch and Trinity Rodman. The duo plays a pivotal role in executing successful attacking moves, prompting opposing teams to frequently assign man-markers to them. This situation allows the midfield greater freedom to dictate play. This was evident in their recent match against Bay FC, where Rodman and Hatch attracted multiple defenders, yet still found opportunities. Consequently, midfielders Leicy Santos, Andi Sullivan, and Hal Hershfelt enjoyed increased space to control the ball.
Giráldez has established the Spirit as a well-coordinated team with a clear style of play, quickly earning players’ support for his vision. The squad already featured several key athletes, including Hatch, Rodman, and Esme Morgan, and the summer acquisition of Leicy Santos provided an excellent foundation for Giráldez to build upon. However, it has been young midfielder Hal Hershfelt who has particularly stood out, significantly impacting the midfield and contributing to the team’s success.
Hershfelt is a dynamic and high-energy defensive midfielder, tasked with playing the deepest role in Giráldez’s 4-3-3 or 4-1-4-1 formation. She excels at operating between the lines and demonstrates a strong ability to read the game. Hershfelt is adept at screening the defense by intercepting passes and pushing the play forward with her dribbling, but her ability to regain possession and recycle it is especially valuable. Her proactive style keeps the team consistently looking to advance.
The Spirit’s primary tactical strategy hinges on quickly transitioning the ball from defense to attack, utilizing the speed of their wingers to create one-on-one situations. This approach often produces cutback or crossing opportunities for center-forwards and arriving midfielders to exploit.
Key players like Hatch, Rodman, Santos, Croix Bethune, and Rosemonde Kouassi are essential to this strategy, whether by receiving the ball directly or making decisive runs into scoring positions. However, this forward commitment requires a more stable and cautious approach in midfield, a role in which Hershfelt and her colleagues have thrived.
A large part of the season has seen Sullivan and Hershfelt form a dependable partnership, effectively guarding the backline while also initiating offensive plays. Hershfelt, in particular, has distinguished herself through her vibrant, all-encompassing performances, with Sullivan consistently backing her to fill any defensive voids left behind by the rookie. Together, they create a balanced and impactful duo vital to the Spirit’s achievements.
Throughout the season, Hershfelt has showcased her adaptability, initially playing alongside Sullivan in a double pivot before transitioning to a lone No. 6 position. In certain matches, she operated with Heather Stainbrook but played slightly higher in a 4-1-4-1 framework. This versatility reveals her tactical intelligence and ability to contribute effectively across various configurations.
In the double pivot setup, Hershfelt took on more of an aggressive role, pressing forward and initiating duels. This setup allows her to cover extensive ground and maintain a lively midfield presence that facilitates quick transitions to the wing players. The main attacking threats for Giráldez come from wide positions, particularly through Rodman. Although Rodman’s role within the Washington Spirit’s strategy is well known, the build-up that facilitates delivering the ball to her is critically important.
By analyzing Hershfelt’s defensive metrics (as per FBREF) during the 2024 NWSL season, we observe a number of impressive statistics. Her profile emerges as a high-volume pressing midfielder, characterized by a high rate of duels in the middle third and a strong tackle percentage ranks her in the upper 80s to low 90s. Competing against top NWSL wingers with a success rate of nearly 62% is commendable. Though her interceptions rate sits at 1.21 per 90 minutes, Hershfelt’s pressing often leads to opponents making mistakes and misplacing passes, ensuring the Spirit can engage in effective counter-pressing and reclaim possession rapidly.
In the example above, Hershfelt closely tracks the play as she pressures Kiki Pickett and Dorian Bailey. Though she doesn’t win the immediate duel, her actions force Bailey to make a hasty pass, losing possession back to the Spirit, which is then played to Rodman on the right. This aggressive style of play is precisely what Giráldez seeks from his midfielders. While it may not completely mirror his midfield strategies from his time at Barcelona, it does echo elements of Patri Guijarro’s approach, excelling at reading game situations and putting pressure on opponents to regain possession.
The tackle executed by Hershfelt exemplifies her relentless pressing ability and strong work ethic, effectively recovering possession with a clean tackle before transitioning the ball forward for the team to advance. This play directly contributed to Hatch’s goal against the Orlando Pride.
As she moves forward, Hershfelt’s role becomes more straightforward, centering on ball retention and maintaining control of possession. With her calm and stable presence on the ball, her key offensive strengths include efficiently recycling possession and positioning herself smartly around the edge of the box to create scoring chances. A notable moment from recent games was against Bay FC when she delivered a last-minute shot that struck the crossbar, highlighting her adeptness at finding open areas.
Hershfelt recorded an average of 60.43 touches per 90 minutes this season, positioning her in the 80th percentile in the NWSL, alongside 35.59 carries per 90, placing her in the 92nd percentile. While not solely accountable for ball progression, these statistics clearly illustrate the essential role of the team’s deeper midfielders, with Hershfelt representing a particular niche role known as the “segundo volante.”
The segundo volante shares similarities with traditional defensive midfielders, focusing on recovery, positional discipline, and the ability to intercept errant passes or best opponents in one-on-one situations. Nevertheless, this role also encompasses some attacking duties, as these players not only influence the game through their passing but also make dynamic forward runs, pressing into the box and providing passing options for teammates by moving into space.
Hershfelt’s off-the-ball movement enables her to make runs into open areas to maintain offensive flow, while also positioning herself at the top of the box for potential shots or as a passing option. This approach reflects Giráldez’s desire for possession-based traits within his team, ensuring players are present around the box to offer different angles for shots or passes.
The shot from outside the box previously mentioned illustrated her positioning and the slow yet deliberate approach to the edge of the box following a set piece, showcasing her awareness of nearby players and her attacking instincts.
Throughout much of the season, Hershfelt has not emerged as a primary progressive passer, chance creator, or influential player in the attacking third. However, this may change next season, particularly if her role shifts toward a single or double pivot, as her versatility has already shown her potential to thrive in a more advanced attacking capacity.
The forthcoming final against Orlando is expected to be one of the season’s most exciting matchups, with the Pride exhibiting an intense tactical setup and exceptional off-the-ball organization. For the Spirit to succeed, Hershfelt will need to execute a flawless performance, maintaining focus and excellence across all facets of her play.
Image Source: Washington Spirit @ YouTube
