The Houston Dash earned their fifth win of the season, topping Sky Blue FC 1-0 tonight at BBVA Stadium.
Forward Rachel Daly scored the game-winner for the Dash in the 22nd minute, while goalkeeper Jane Campbell kept her fourth clean sheet of the year thanks to a defense that held Sky Blue without a shot on goal in 90 minutes.
Daly found the back of the net after running on to a long ball from defender Ally Prisock and dribbled into the box, rifling a right-footed ball into the top left corner of the goal. The goal was Daly’s fourth of the season and 23rd with the Dash.
Daly came close to a goal three minutes into the game off of a nifty combination with midfielder Jamia Fields and forward Kealia Ohai. Fields sprinted forward on a breakaway run and crossed a ball to find Ohai on the left side of the field. Ohai sent the ball to Daly, who placed her shot just wide of the near post.
The Dash continued to create chances early in the first half. In the 13th minute, forward Sofia Huerta slid into the box to put away a ball that came off of a rebound, but her touch was a bit too strong, going inches above the crossbar.
Two minutes before Daly’s goal, Sky Blue nearly got on the board first when forward Carli Lloyd dribbled past a Dash defender and into the box before putting her right-footed shot over the crossbar.
Houston maintained control of the match after the goal, continuing to create chances. In the 27th minute, Fields won a ball near midfield and sent it to Huerta, who rushed into the 18 and worked free for a left-footed shot, forcing a save by Sky Blue goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan.
Sky Blue looked to equalize five minutes into the second half when Lloyd picked up a loose ball and shot outside the box. In the 55th minute, Sky Blue defender Caprice Dydasco stole a ball from Fields and hustled to try to assist forward Paige Monaghan, who missed a wide shot.
Midfielder Christine Nairn came close to a goal in the 58th minute. Fields gave Nairn a pass near the box that she touched and shot to the left-post, missing by mere inches. Midfielder Kristie Mewis nearly doubled the lead in the 79th minute but was denied by the woodwork. Nairn whipped in a free kick from 30 yards out and Mewis ran in behind the Sky Blue back line to get on the end of it, but her headed shot ricocheted off the post and out of danger.
Although Sky Blue threw numbers forward in search of the equalizer, the Dash killed off the last few minutes of the game without issue and walked away with all three points.
Next up for the Dash, they will play Reign FC for the third time this season on Friday night at 6 p.m. CDT at BBVA Stadium. Tickets for the match start at $15 and are available at HoustonDashSoccer.com.
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Houston Dash (5-6-4; 19 pts.) 1-0 Sky Blue FC (2-10-2; 8 pts.)
NWSL Regular Season, Week 15
Sunday, June 27, 2019 – BBVA Stadium – Houston, TX
Attendance: 3,510
SCORING SUMMARY:
<strong>Team</strong> |
<strong>1H</strong> |
<strong>2H</strong> |
<strong>FT</strong> |
<p>Houston Dash</p> |
<p>1</p> |
<p>1</p> |
<p>1</p> |
<p>Sky Blue FC</p> |
<p>0</p> |
<p>0</p> |
<p>0</p> |
HOU: Rachel Daly 4 (Ally Prisock 1) 22
LINEUPS:
Houston Dash: Jane Campbell; Haley Hanson, Lindsay Agnew, Ally Prisock, Amber Brooks; Kristie Mewis, Christine Nairn, Jamia Fields (Sophie Schmidt 58); Sofia Huerta (Cece Kizer 89), Kealia Ohai (C) (Kyah Simon 79), Rachel Daly
Unused substitutes: Bianca Henninger, Satara Murray, Allysha Chapman, Ari Calderon
Total shots: 15 (Rachel Daly 5); Shots on goal: 6 (Rachel Daly, Christine Nairn, Sofia Huerta 2); Fouls: 9 (Lindsay Agnew, Christine Nairn, Ally Prisock 2); Offside: 3 (Rachel Daly 2); Corner kicks: 0; Saves: 0
Sky Blue FC: Kailen Sheridan; Erica Skroski, Caprice Dydasco, Gine Lewandowski, Estelle Johnson; Sarah Killion (C), Paige Monaghan, Imani Dorsey; Raquel Rodriguez (Nahomi Kawasumi 71), Elizabeth Eddy (Jennifer Hoy 73), Carli Lloyd
Unused Substitutes: Kenie Wright, Kaylan Marckese Didi Haracic, Julie James, Amandine Pierre-Louis
Total shots: 7 (Carli Lloyd 4); Shots on goal: 0; Fouls: 12 (Sarah Killion 3); Offside: 1 (Carl Lloyd 1); Corner kicks: 3 (Imani Dorsey 3); Saves: 5 (Kailen Sheridan 5)
DISCIPLINE:
SBFC: Imani Dorsey (caution; foul) 68
OFFICIALS:
Referee: Rebecca Pagan
Assistant Referee 1: Maggie Short
Assistant Referee 2: Tiffini Turpin
Fourth Official: Andrea Jedel
Weather: Partly cloudy, 77 degrees
