After intense rain pushed the start of the Houston Dash’s match at the Washington Spirit back from Saturday night to Sunday morning, the Dash made a third-minute goal stand up for more than 90 minutes as they captured a 1-0 win at Maryland SoccerPlex.
Forward Rachel Daly netted her third game-winning goal of the season and goalkeeper Jane Campbell made a season-high nine saves to lead the Dash to their sixth win of the season. With the win, Houston improves to 6-7-5 on 23 points, six points shy of the playoff line with six matches remaining.
Both sides came out firing from the opening whistle, anxious to get after it following the lengthy delay. Spirit forward Francisca Ordega got free for a shot inside of two minutes, but Campbell got a foot to the shot and forced it wide for a corner. The ensuing corner fell to Ordega, but Campbell was there again to smother the short-range effort.
Less than a minute later on the other end of the field, Daly put the Dash ahead, beating Washington goalkeeper Aubrey Bledsoe and defender Tori Huster to a cross from midfielder Sofia Huerta and leaping to get her left boot on the end of it, pushing it into the net as she clattered to the ground with Huster. It was Daly’s team-leading seventh goal of the year, while Huerta added her second assist since joining the club in mid-June.
The end-to-end action continued throughout the first half hour. In the eighth minute, Washington midfielder Taylor Smith beat her defender and got into the penalty area, forcing a save from Campbell. Two minutes later, Spirit forward Estefanía Banini found space in the area, but put her shot wide of the target.
Then it was Houston’s turn to retake the momentum. In the 15th, it was Dash forward Thembi Kgatlana’s turn as she drove past a defender and into the Spirit penalty area before pushing her shot just wide. Kgatlana then nearly got on the end of a long ball from midfielder Clare Polkinghorne in the 20th, but Bledsoe just beat her to the ball. Two minutes later, Huerta forced a save from Bledsoe with a shot from the edge of the box.
Campbell came up big again in the 25th, turning Smith’s shot away, and doing the same to forward Ashley Hatch in the 31st. Campbell again came up with a save in the 45th minute, this time cleanly catching a blast from Banini from the right side of her penalty area to send the Dash into halftime up 1-0.
The second half started off much like the first half ended – with more end-to-end action, but few clear chances on goal. Campbell came up with another save just after the hour mark, cleanly catching a shot from Spirit midfielder Caprice Dydasco from the left side of her penalty area. A minute later in the 62nd, Banini again worked free in the box, but her shot again went wide of goal.
Campbell came up with yet another save in the 81st minute, leaping high to deny Hatch on a blast from the top of the area and push her shot over the bar for a corner kick. Two minutes later, each team saw a shot whistle just over the bar. First it was Huster for Washington, then on the other end Huerta had a chance to ice the game with a shot from 25 yards out, but her right-footed blast went high.
Washington came inches from equalizing in the 86th minute off a corner kick. After playing a short corner from Campbell’s right side, the Spirit played in a cross that found second-half sub Havana Solaun on the back post. Solaun’s header fell harmlessly just outside the back post for a goal kick. The Dash were able to successfully see out the remainder of regulation plus five minutes of stoppage time to earn their third road win of the season.
The NWSL will take a break for FIFA international fixtures next week, and the Dash will return home to BBVA Compass Stadium on Sunday, August 5 when the host Utah Royals FC for a Salute to Women Veterans. Tickets for that match start at $15, and a portion of each ticket sold will benefit Trauma to Triumph and the WAVE Foundation, which support homeless female veterans. Tickets are available online at HoustonDashSoccer.com, by phone at 713-276-GOAL and at the BBVA Compass Stadium box office.
