Sanchez stoppage time equalizer earns Dash 1-1 draw with Spirit
(image via Houston Dash)
The Houston Dash returned to NWSL regular season play Saturday night at Shell Energy Stadium. Houston left it late with Maria Sánchez scoring in second half stoppage time to salvage a 1-1 draw against the Washington Spirit at Shell Energy Stadium. The game also saw the return of Nichelle Prince to the field after her long term injury.
With international players returned from the World Cup, head coach Sam Laity put out a very balanced lineup. Interestingly, Michelle Alozie got the start at right full back, where she was playing at the World Cup for Nigera. Sophie Schmidt and Sarah Puntigam played together in the midfield for the first time with the Dash captain back from her time with Canada.
The game was very even early on with no huge chances for either team. In the 30th minute, Camryn Biegalski broke down the right flank for for the Spirit. She ran past Dash defender Caprice Dydasco and sent the ball into the box. It found its way to Paige Metayer, who skied the shot over the bar.
On the other end, the Dash took a quick set piece with the ball landing at the feet of Puntigam. She quickly slid the ball into Cameron Tucker, who got her shot deflected in the 39th minute. The Dash had another chance from the corner but Joelle Anderson who shot it wide of the left post.
At the half, the Dash dominated the stat with the most chances and shots on goal. They led the possession and passing in the half, but needed more chances and to be more clinical in the second half to win secure a win.
In the second half, the Dash seemed to be in control of the game, but weren’t making many good chances on goal. In the 58th minute, Nichelle Prince made her return fom a ruptured Achilles’ tendon, with a big ovation from the crowd of 4,822. "It was exciting,” Prince said in the post game press conference. “The team came out and played really well. I think that we're at that point of the season where we know we have to get points. The team battled for a full 90 minutes and it was exciting to get back into my first game. It was really exciting just to get that first game back and at home in front of the fans. It was super special.”
Washington would take advantage of a loss of concentration from the Dash to find their breakthrough. Ouleymata Sarr, in her NWSL debut, took a turnover from the Dash and gave a quick through ball to Ashley Sanchez, who had just come onto the field seconds earlier. The American international smashed a shot past Jane Campbell to make it 1-0 for the Spirit in the 63rd minute.
The Dash took a while to respond to get back into the game. In the 84th minute, Ebony Salmon took off on the right wing past Spirit defenders and curved a shot on goal but Spirit goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury made a huge save.
As all seemed grim for the Dash, Houston found it’s late equalizer. Salmon got free again on the right wing and laced a cross in for Maria Sánchez. The Mexican international beat her defender to the ball and redirected it into the net in the 90th plus one to level the score. "We've been talking about the importance of the near post run,” Sánchez said post game. “I talked to Ebony (Salmon) after the game. She said she just hit it really hard for a cross. Thankfully. I don't even know how I scored that. I just put my leg out and hope for the best. I looked up and it was in the goal. I'm just very happy that we were able to get that tonight."
Houston would push for a late winner in the dying minutes but the game would end in a 1-1 draw.
"I'm very proud of the team,” Laity said after the match. “What I asked from the team before the game was to put in a performance individually that they could be proud of as an individual and put a performance that their teammates could be proud of. They hit the mark on that, no doubt about it. I'm delighted with the determination. We bounced forward pretty quick. We didn't react to going a goal down in a negative manner. We were in the ascendancy for a long time before they scored. We had 10 players on the field when they scored off the throw in. Sarah Puntingam was out with an injury. That will be something we've got to look at fixing in terms of game management. Very proud of the team. Looking at the statistics, looking at the chances we had, that's the game that we should be walking away with three points. It sets us up really nicely for next week against Kansas City. I thought there were some really good individual performances. The team put in a solid performance with one chance in the first half, they had the chance in the second half. Where they scored comes from nothing, apart from that, I don't really remember Jane (Campbell) having to do anything. I'm proud of the group.”
The Dash will be at home once again next weekend to face off against the Kansas City Current. That match is set for August 26th with kickoff at 7:30 PM on Paramount +.
