Washington Spirit Fans Brought 'Rowdy Audi' to CPKC Stadium for NWSL Final | OneFootball

After winning the coin toss, the Washington Spirit made the easiest decision of the night, starting the first half of the National Women’s Soccer League final on the east side of the stadium, with their home fans directly behind the goal.

Goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury quickly ran over, throwing her hands in the air, riling up the crowd—just like she’s been doing all season at “Rowdy Audi” in Washington D.C.

“We started at the [5,000 seat capacity] Maryland SoccerPlex, and you could hear individual fans—you could hear my dad. I knew we needed more people there,” Kingsbury says. “Now, it’s packed, everyone is involved, it’s not this quiet crowd. They come up with songs and chants for players. In the years to come, they’ll be more passionate, invested, and connected, but anytime I can turn around and [rile up the fans], they just roar.”

All season long, and particularly in the postseason, Rowdy Audi, with a capacity of 20,000, has truly been the 12th player on the field for the Spirit. Sellout crowds filled the stadium both visually and auditorily, and with the championship at a neutral site in Kansas City, the fans were ready to bring Rowdy Audi to the Midwest.

“After those last two [sellout playoff games], I finally got my voice back, and we have to bring that same energy here,” says Spirit super fan Megan McNulty before the match, dressed head to toe in the Spirit’s iconic black and yellow in the form of a bee suit with the words “Hal Hive” splashed across the top. “Our players just feed off it and you can see it. Aubrey, when she saved those three penalties [in the semifinal], you could just tell—I like to believe and I know it in my heart—that our rowdiness helps to get them going."

Nothing encapsulated the effect of 'Rowdy Audi' more than hearing the fans roar following Hal Hershfelt’s equalizing goal in the semifinal that sent the Spirit to penalty kicks against NJ/NY Gotham FC and ultimately to the NWSL Championship.

“It’s honestly unreal, scoring that goal, I think I have permanent hearing loss from it, but seriously one of the best moments of my life that I will remember forever,” Hershfelt says. “[Our traveling fans] just show how committed they are. You just feel so special playing at Audi. To have those same people that we see after every single game come show their support all the way here in Kansas City is so special.”

Last minute flights to Missouri were not cheap, with some fans paying upwards of $800 or more for their round trip tickets, but for dedicated fans of the Spirit, the price was a small one to play to bring their team that extra spark that has helped them throughout the season.

For D.C. resident Elora Tocci, making the trip over was never in doubt. After attending every 2024 home game, she was ready to recreate the magic of Rowdy Audi at CPKC Stadium.

“This team plays with so much heart and has made being a Spirit fan such a source of joy,” said Tocci. “I’m so proud of how much they accomplished this season and their absolute refusal to ever give up. I want the team to feel how much love and energy their fans have for them as they play for the championship and for them to know that, win or lose, it’s an honor to root for the Spirit.”

On game night, chants of "Rise up, D.C." drowned out the smaller contingent of Orlando Pride fans. The allotted supporters group seats were nearly a sellout for the Spirit, and it seemed like the Kansas City locals in attendance had a clear allegiance for the team from the nation’s capital—unsurprising given that the Pride knocked out the Kansas City Current in the semifinals.

Unfortunately for the Spirit, the Pride would come out victorious in the final, but, the silver lining for the Spirit players was the strong community being built around their team, and a sizable fan base that had been a long time coming for one of the eight inaugural NWSL teams from 2013.

“It meant a lot, we’re super grateful for our fans. They’ve been amazing all year, so to have them show up at an away venue just means a lot,” Ashley Hatch said after the match. “We’re sad that we couldn’t get the W for them, but we know that great things are going to happen in the future if they stick with us.”

It really feels like up is the only direction the Spirit can go from here. Since the team’s first and only NWSL championship in 2021, the club has undergone a transformation following an influx of investment from majority owner Michele Kang. Kang, who became a minority owner in '20, jostled for a majority stake in the club and eventually became the majority owner by early '22, a move that was lauded by the players and led to significant change in the club’s structure.

Included in these changes was a permanent move to Audi Field, a major upgrade from the team’s initial years at the SoccerPlex and the 2021 season, where the club split time between Audi and Segra Field in Virginia. With expanded investment from Kang and a permanent home in D.C., fans began showing up more and more to Spirit matches, including the two soldout playoff matches leading up to the final.

“The atmosphere [at Audi] is amazing and being able to play in front of all of our fans who are not only there to support us but are so engaged in the game, you can feel that they knew we were going to make it [to the final] to matter what,” says Hatch.

Overall, attendance in the NWSL has risen by 6% in 2024, a clear sign of the increased interest in the league led by individual investments at the team level. In June, the Spirit broke its attendance record, hosting 19,897 fans in a regular season game against San Diego Wave FC. In September, the team became the first non-West Coast team to hit 150,000 spectators in one season.

The Spirit’s substantial growth in attendance is due to the club’s continued push forward both in the front office and on the field. In addition to the easy access to Audi Field, fans come to see stars like Hatch, Trinity Rodman and the NWSL Rookie of the Year Croix Bethune all coached by former Barcelona manager Jonatan Giráldez. Some fans are new, but many have been around for the long haul, and the club will need both kinds of supporters to continue this upward trajectory.

“It’s amazing to hear from fans who have been season ticket holders since the SoccerPlex days and I feel like they have brought all their friends along,” says Hatch. “It’s just cool to see our fanbase grow and for them to actually be super invested to come out to Kansas City to cheer us on at the final.”