Young Dash defense thwarted by Racing Louisville
(image via Houston Dash)
The Houston Dash returned to UKG NWSL Challenge Cup play with a midweek trip to take on Racing Louisville. The game looked to be heading to halftime scoreless, until Louisville struck twice in quick succession in route to a 3-0 win.
Uchenna Kanu looked to have given Louisville a lead after just six minutes as she ran onto a through ball and finished. The flag went up for offisde, however, and after a check with VAR the goal was disallowed. The home side kept up their pressure as Jaelin Howell tried a shot from distance and Kanu got free in front of goal but shot over the bar.
Dash goalkeeper Emily Alvarado was given her first start in NWSL and she came up big after 32 minutes to keep Louisville at bay. The ball made its way all the way across the box to Kayla FIscher and she seemed to have an open net to shoot into. Alvarado got all the way back across goal and dove to deny Fischer’s shot.
Louisville continued to pressure the young Houston defense with not only Alvarado making her first start, but rookies Jyllissa Harris and Lindsi Jennings starting on the back line. Kanu once again came close as the beat Alvarado and got to the ball on the end line, but her shot on goal from a tough angle went all the way across goal and off the post. Just minutes later, as the halftime whistle seemed near, Louisville found their goals.
Fischer found herself wide open on the left side of the box as the ball was played over to her by Ary Borges. She lifted a shot over Alvarado to the back post for her first professional goal. That goal was scored with less than 10 seconds left of the four minutes of stoppage time that were indicated. Somehow, there was even more time in the half, enough for Louisville to bag a second.
After five and a half of the four minutes of stoppage time, Louisville drove forward again. Paige Monaghan got to the top of the box and laid the ball off to her right to the onrushing Savannah DeMelo. The reigning NWSL Player of the Month dinked a chip shot with her first touch that beat Alvarado and doubled Racing’s lead. The halftime whistle would finally blow with the Dash now down 2-0.
Dash head coach Sam Laity made three changes at halftime to try and turn things around. Barb Olivieri, Ryan Gareis, and Cameron Tucker all came on to try and spark the offense and also give some starters a break before Saturday’s match. Houston just couldn’t find much of the ball throughout the night, no matter who was on the field. Nothing seemed to click in the midfield and any attack that got to the final third seemed to immediately end with a turnover.
Louisville sealed the three points with their third goal in the 74th minute. Carson Pickett’s free kick was whipped into the box to a wide open Parker Goins. No Dash defender was near her and Goins had a simple header into the net past Alvarado.
With the win, Racing is now a perfect three for three in Challenge Cup play and sits at the top of the Central group with nine points. The Dash now sit in third behind Louisville and Kansas City, who now has six points after a dominating win over Chicago tonight.
Houston returns to Shell Energy Stadium Saturday night for a tough match against OL Reign. That game is scheduled for 7:30 PM.
