U.S. women’s national team star Trinity Rodman delivered another highlight-reel worthy moment on Sunday, scoring an impressive goal and following it up with an equally entertaining celebration in the Washington Spirit’s victory over the Houston Dash.
Shortly after the halftime break, Rodman received the ball on the left flank from her Spirit teammate, Casey Krueger. From there, the 22-year-old put a few of her skills on display. She first spun around a Dash player before making a run towards the center, battling the Dash’s Elin Rubensson who tried to knock her off the ball. With a body on her, Rodman still managed to turn to face the goal and take a shot from outside the box, sending the ball into the top right corner to give the Spirit a 3-0 lead.
Take a look below.
As if the goal was not memorable enough, Rodman followed up the incredible strike with a notable celebration, dropping to the ground as she pretended to sleep peacefully as her teammates patted her to assist her faux slumber.
Rodman is in the midst of a strong season for club and country. She now has eight goals and six assists in NWSL play this season, including a goal and an assist on Ashley Hatch’s 26th-minute goal on Sunday. She has played a crucial role for the Spirit, who have already booked a playoff berth after missing the postseason last year and sit in second place after Sunday’s win, four points behind the still-undefeated Orlando Pride with six games to go in the regular season.
The forward also played a key part as the USWNT won their first Olympic gold medal since 2012, scoring three goals en route to her first championship with the national team.
Rodman has effortlessly mixed both skill and flair into her on-field reputation, and Sunday’s sleeping celebration was not even her first entertaining moment of the month in NWSL play. She scored another outstanding goal a week earlier in the Spirit’s win over the Portland Thorns, following that strike up by running towards Earvin “Magic” Johnson and performing a slam dunk in front of him before high-fiving the NBA legend, who became a minority investor in the club just days earlier.
KVSP