A second-half surge was not enough for the Houston Dash this evening as they fell 2-1 to the Chicago Red Stars at BBVA Compass Stadium.
A first-half brace from Sam Kerr was enough to give Chicago three points in Houston tonight. The 2018 NWSL Golden Boot winner struck with her first goal of the game in the eight minute after she got behind the Dash backline onto a ball from forward Michelle Vasconcelos. The Australian international dribbled into the box, past the Dash goalkeeper and finished at the far-right post.
Kerr doubled Chicago’s lead five minutes later after she drilled a ball into the left corner of the goal off a pass from Vanessa DiBernardo. Dash defender Clare Polkinghorne stumbled into her Australian teammate in an attempt to stop Kerr’s run but couldn’t capitalize on the tackle.
Dash forward Sofia Huerta extended Houston’s goal-scoring streak at home to 13 games in the 26th minute when she picked up a loose ball brought down by forward Kayla McCoy, and finished into the far-left post. The goal was Huerta’s second of the season and sixth with the Dash since joining the club midway through the 2018 season in a trade with the Red Stars.
Houston continued to press with a second attempt at the 28th minute when McCoy brought down a ball and darted around a Chicago defender, but she eventually collided with Red Stars goalkeeper Emily Boyd.
McCoy tested her luck for the second time three minutes later when Huerta crossed a ball into the box and she slipped through the Chicago backline, missing the ball by a microscopic margin. McCoy made her NWSL debut this evening and will depart next week to join Jamaica for their first appearance at the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The Dash will travel to Tacoma, Wash. at the end of the month to face Reign FC at 3 p.m. CT on Sunday, June 2 at Cheney Stadium. The match will be streamed live on Yahoo! Sports.
Houston Dash 1-2 Chicago Red Stars
NWSL Regular Season, Week 6
Sunday, May 19, 2019
BBVA Compass Stadium – Houston, Texas
Attendance: 3,690
SCORING SUMMARY:
CHI: Sam Kerr 5 (Michele Vasconcelos 2) 8
CHI: Sam Kerr 6 (Vanessa DiBernardo 1) 13
HOU: Sofia Huerta 2 (unassisted) 26
LINEUPS:
Houston Dash: Jane Campbell; Satara Murray, Clare Polkinghorne, Amber Brooks, Arianna Romero; Haley Hanson, Christine Nairn (Cece Kizer 84), Kristie Mewis; Sofia Huerta, Kayla McCoy (Kyah Simon 54), Kealia Ohai © (Jamia Fields 86)
Unused Substitutes: Bianca Henninger, Ally Prisock, Jazmin Jackmon, Taylor Comeau
Total shots: 9 (Sofia Huerta and Kristie Mewis tied with 3); Shots on goal: 3 (Sofia Huerta 2); Fouls: 9 (Haley Hanson 3); Offside: 1 (McCoy 1) ; Corner kicks: 9 (Sofia Huerta 6); Saves: 2 (Jane Campbell)
Chicago Red Stars: Emily Boyd; Casey Short, Katie Naughton, Sarah Gorden, Arin Wright; Nikki Stanton (Katie Johnson 59), Danielle Colaprico, Vanessa DiBernardo © (Brooke Elby 90+4), Michele Vasconselos (Maria Sanchez 78); Yuki Nagasato, Sam Kerr
Unused substitutes: Alison Jahansouz, Hannah Davison, Jenna Szczesny, Zoey Goralski
Total shots: 13 (Sam Kerr and Michele Vasconcelos tied with 4); Shots on goal: 4 (Sam Kerr 4); Fouls: 4 (Nikki Stanton 2); Offside: 4 (Sam Kerr 3); Corner kicks: 5 (Danielle Colaprico and Maria Sanchez tied with 2); Saves: 2 (Emily Boyd)
DISCIPLINE:
CHI: Nikki Stanton (yellow card; unsporting behavior) 49
HOU: Satara Murray (yellow card; unsporting behavior) 54
OFFICIALS:
Referee: Ekaterina Koroleva
Assistant Referee 1: Jeremy Weed
Assistant Referee 2: Salma Perez
Fourth Official: Christina Hutchinson
Weather: Sunny, 86 degrees
