Esme Morgan is Hungry for an NWSL Championship

Esme Morgan is accustomed to playing on a big stage.

From her years with the WSL’s Manchester City to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup with the Lionesses, the Washington Spirit defender has played all over the world. But even with all that experience, nothing could have prepared her—or her ears—for Audi Field last Sunday.

“I feel like the fans just found another level of noise,” Morgan tells Sports Illustrated. “The atmosphere during the regular season was just constant noise for 90 minutes, but on Sunday my ears were ringing like they couldn’t hold the volume – it was just crazy! It was the loudest atmosphere I’ve ever played in.”

The Spirit were the favorites coming into the quarterfinal matchup against Bay FC, but the team found themselves behind following an 82nd minute goal scored by Bay’s Asisat Oshoala. The 19,215 fans at Audi Field went silent, but only for a moment, because four minutes later the Spirit would equalize.

“The [crowd] noise, particularly from the equalizer, the roof just came off the stadium,” Morgan recalls. “It was such an incredible buzz and I think the fans really, really drove us and picked us up after we went behind.”

In such big, tense games, one goal can often be the difference. For the Spirit on Sunday, the energy of the fans quite literally lifted their spirits, pushing them into extra time, and eventually, a 2–1 victory and a place in the semifinals against last year’s champs, NJ/NY Gotham FC.

Since making the move across the pond to the National Women’s Soccer League, Morgan has become a mainstay on the Spirit’s backline. The versatile player will mostly be found at center back with the ability to slot in at right-back when needed. The 24-year-old has quickly adapted to the NWSL, playing a full 120 minutes in the Spirit’s quarterfinal thriller.

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Adapting to the NWSL is exactly the reason Morgan came to the United States in the first place. She wanted a new challenge, competitive matches, and the chance to take on some of the best forwards in the world. In Sunday’s quarterfinal, Morgan certainly got her wish, having to take on a forward line led by two of the top attackers in the league: Oshoala and Racheal Kundananji.

“They’re so direct, just as soon as they receive [the ball], they’re looking to take you on and beat you down the line, and it’s a huge challenge coming up against them,” Morgan reflects. “I have good moments, but I have moments where I have to reflect on them and see what I can do differently next time, but that’s exactly why I came to the league. I want to have those learning moments where I can challenge myself against these great players and try and progress.”

Morgan has been continuously impressed with the caliber of strikers on every NWSL team. Taking on the likes of Temwa Chawinga of Kansas City or Mal Swanson of the Chicago Red Stars has allowed the young defender to continue her development as a player, a challenge she is enjoying every step of the way.

This Saturday’s match against Gotham FC will present its own unique demands for the Spirit’s backline. In particular, Morgan has got her eye on the team’s top goal scorer, 2023 World Cup winner Esther González.

Esther’s clever moments off the ball, link up play, and ability to find little pockets of space will prove a different type of challenge, but one the Spirit are eager to come up against. Luckily for Morgan, she’s got some experience going up against the Spanish international.

“I played against [Esther] when I was at Man City and she was at Real Madrid—she’s a really technical player,” Morgan says. “We’re really excited for the threat that Gotham poses and I feel like as a group, we thrive when we come up against the best opposition. We rise to it and see it as a real battle.”

Since coming to the NWSL, Morgan has seen just how competitive the league is. On the pitch, play is fast, players spend less time on the ball, the style is more direct and transitional, and every single club is searching for all three points every weekend.

“You go into every game and no matter where the opposition sits in the table, it’s going to be a really, really tough game, and if you’re not at your best, any team is capable of taking points off you,” Morgan says. “I enjoy that in the NWSL, no one ever plays to sit out and defend for a draw for 90 minutes or just low block the whole time.”

The biggest difference so far for Morgan has been the NWSL’s playoff structure, but as the Spirit fell just short of the Shield, finishing second overall in the standings, she sees the playoffs as another opportunity to bring hardware back for the fans.

“We didn’t win the Shield, so now we get a second go to try and have some success this year,” Morgan says. “The atmosphere [for the quarterfinals] was incredible, even thinking back now I just got shivers because it was such a special day. Hopefully we can have that same atmosphere this weekend.”