The Houston Dash scored four unanswered goals at Red Bull Arena this afternoon to earn their sixth victory of the season. Houston’s 4-2 triumph over NJ/NY Gotham FC was the fourth time this season that the Dash scored four or more goals in a single game.
Gotham struck first, as the team got on a breakaway in the fourth minute after Taylor Smith got open on the right wing. Her low cross into the box was finished by Paige Monaghan to give Gotham a 1-0 lead.
The Dash broke through in the 18th minute off a corner kick. Midfielder Maria Sanchez struck a free kick that found the head of defender Katie Naughton at the near post, her effort directed the ball toward the goal line to force an own goal for the equalizer.
The Dash got out on top in the 36th minute, as midfielder Marisa Viggiano found Sanchez up the left flank. The Mexican international placed a pinpoint cross to midfielder Shea Groom, who headed in the Dash’s second goal of the game to take a 2-1 lead.
Houston doubled its lead in the 70th minute, courtesy of a wonder strike from midfielder Sophie Schmidt. Viggiano laid the ball off to Schmidt just outside of the 18-yard box and Schmidt fired away, curling a goal into the upper corner of the net.
Houston kept the onslaught coming late in the second half after Sanchez won a penalty kick in the 71st minute. Forward Ebony Salmon took the shot from the penalty spot, slotting the ball into the right corner of the goal. Salmon’s goal was her fourth in the last two games, as she is coming off her first career hattrick in the 4-1 victory over the Chicago Red Stars on July 16.
The final goal of the match came in the 82nd minute after Midge Purce spun away from a Dash defender at midfield. The speedy attacker dribbled into the box and beat the Dash shot stopper at the far post for her third goal of the season.
In the 13th minute, Salmon found herself with space in the attacking third. With two defenders back, Salmon took them both on and got a dangerous shot off across the ground that narrowly missed the goal.
The Dash had another dangerous play in the 17th minute as midfielder Allysha Chapman whipped a curling cross into the Gotham 18-yard box that found Groom, but her effort went over the crossbar.
Salmon came close to scoring in the 44th minute, as forward Nichelle Prince found the Englishwoman with a through ball behind the backline. Salmon tried to maneuver her way around the Gotham goalkeeper but took a heavy touch and ran out of room to recover the ball.
The Dash are back in action on August 7 when they travel to the Pacific Northwest to take on OL Reign at 5:00 p.m. at Lumen Field.
