Dash stun Tigres in Summer Cup
(image via Houston Dash)
The Houston Dash secured a 2-1 victory over Tigres Femenil on Sunday night in Summer Cup play. Goalkeeper Heather Hinz made her professional debut and was the star of the match, keeping the Mexican side at bay.
In their second group match of Summer Cup, acting head coach Ricky Clarke made several changes to his starting eleven due to players returning from illness and injury. Paige Nielsen rejoined the lineup, Sarah Puntigam came back from international duty to slot into the midfield, and Cece Kizer, who had been sidelined with a long-term injury, was back in the lineup.
Tigres looked to come out and dominate the game early on, but they left plenty of space for the Dash to exploit. The Dash quickly capitalized on this with a swift series of passes: Kizer to Avery Patterson, Patterson to Puntigam, and then Puntigam to Yuki Nagasato, who set up Diana Ordonez in the box. Ordonez finished with a precise shot past the Tigres goalkeeper to give the Dash an early lead in the 2nd minute.
The remainder of the first half saw Tigres asserting control. Although Tigres had an equalizer ruled out in the 8th minute due to an offside call, they continued to press for a goal. Great saves from debutant goalkeeper Hinz kept the Dash in the game.
However, in first half stoppage time, a free kick from Tigres created chaos in the box, and Alison Gonzalez managed to deflect a shot past Hinz to level the score at 1-1 in the third minute of first half stoppage time.
The second half saw both teams pushing for a winning goal, but it was the Dash who emerged with greater control and clearer chances. Despite numerous opportunities, it looked like the Dash might struggle to regain the lead. However, fresh legs brought on late in the second half provided the extra boost the team needed.
In a decisive moment, a quick counterattack saw Hinz clear the ball from the Dash box. It reached Andressa, who delivered a precise pass to Barbara Olivieri. Olivieri calmly chipped the ball over the Tigres goalkeeper in the 82nd minute to secure a 2-1 win for the Dash.
This victory was a significant boost for the Dash, who have faced a challenging summer. Despite missing key players while competing in the Summer Cup, defeating a strong Tigres team is a notable achievement to build on. The Dash still have a chance to advance to the next stage but will need favorable results in the remaining matches.
“It was a really good game for the crowd, a very entertaining game,” Clarke said after the match. “Credit to Tigres, who came here and made it incredibly difficult for us. They defended in a way that was different from what we thought they would do. After our goal, around 10 or 15 minutes into the game it made it difficult for us. We’ve had a challenging week and the team kept working. It’s a team performance, but sometimes individuals have to step up and score goals or create moments – or saves or blocked shots, and you saw that tonight. Out of possession, we worked incredibly hard. We won the field tilt in the second half. We worked all week on the no. 10 running in behind the fullback and the centerback, and Barb (Olivieri) had a great finish. I’m very proud of the team.”
The Dash will face Pachuca in their final group match on Thursday, August 1st, at 7:00 PM at Shell Energy Stadium. The game will be streamed on Paramount+ and the Paramount Golazo Network.
