Soccer coach saves the day

With its first- and third-string goalies out due to playing for the Canadian national team and injury, respectively, the Washington Freedom was down to its last man -- er, woman.

In the second half, when second-string goalie Kati Jo Spisak went down with a pulled quadriceps injury after a routine goal kick on Sunday at RFK Stadium, the Freedom had to get creative.

Knowing it was going to be shorthanded, the Freedom had signed 36-year old goalkeeper coach Nicci Wright to a two-day contract as an emergency plan in case Spisak got injured. Without any other options, Wright grabbed a jersey and ran out to play goalie for her first pro game in six years.

It wouldn't be much of a story if Wright allowed six goals and the Freedom got spanked, but Wright actually held her own as the Freedom shut out the St. Louis Athletica for a 1-0 win in front of 4,606 fans.

Even funnier is the fact that it is the Freedom's first win in nearly a month, and it kept Washington (5-6-5) alive for postseason contention for the time being. They couldn't win with the three goalies on their own roster, but putting in the 36-year old coach who hasn't played pro ball in six years and they're golden.

Wright's success could be argued as a collective step backwards for professional women's soccer, at least in the U.S. I mean, if a 36-year old who hasn't played in six years can shut out another team for 26 minutes, the overall talent on the field probably isn't overwhelming.

After the game, Wright joked that the short-term contract probably only paid $75 for the one-game stint.

"I think I should get more than $75, don't you? I think they should just double my pay for what I had to go through," she joked.