HOUSTON (July 11, 2018) – Orlando Pride (7-6-4, 25 points) dropped a 3-1 decision on the road to the Houston Dash (5-6-5, 20 points) in a weather-delayed match on Wednesday, snapping the team’s six-game road unbeaten streak.
“Tonight was a typical 2018 Orlando Pride performance, if I’m being honest. We’d go through spells of the game where we’d really command the game and step up and then spells where we’d take off the pace and get punished for it,” Orlando Pride Head Coach Tom Sermanni said. “We started the second half off well. I thought for large spells in the second half, once we got back to 2-1, we had numerous spells to get back into the game but we didn’t put them away. It was a high-quality football game intermingled with passages of mistakes, lethargy and a lack of focus. It’s just very frustrating.”
The two teams were able to get just 13 minutes of game time in before inclement weather sent the match into a delay. After waiting nearly two hours, the teams returned to the pitch and didn’t miss a beat.
In the 15th minute, Orlando’s Alex Morgan found herself with a one-on-one opportunity against Dash goalkeeper Jane Campbell, but the forward’s shot was denied by the far post. Two minutes later, Houston’s Rachel Daly found the back of the net, catching the Pride on the counterattack to make it 1-0.
Daly doubled the host team’s lead in the 50th minute, volleying in a punched save from Harris to complete the brace.
The Pride fought back, however, with Sydney Leroux pulling the Pride within one on her sixth goal of the season. After a 55th-minute corner kick, defender Shelina Zadorsky sent a lofting ball into the box that Leroux won in the air, heading it past Campbell to make it 2-1. It was Zadorsky’s second assist of the season.
The Pride continued to press for the equalizer, with Monica rattling a shot off the crossbar and Leroux later seeing a header saved on the goalline by Campbell. The Houston defense was able to stave off the onslaught despite the Pride totaling 19 shots and 65.5 percent possession in the second half.
With Orlando pressing forward for the equalizer, Houston’s Thembi Kgatlana put the game away in the final minute of stoppage time.
The Pride next travel to Utah for the final meeting with the Royals this season, kicking off against the expansion side at 7 p.m. ET on ESPNews.
NWSL Match Report
Match: Houston Dash vs. Orlando Pride
Date: July 11, 2018
Venue: BBVA Compass Stadium
Kickoff: 8:30 p.m. ET
Attendance: 3,308
Weather: Rain
Scoring Summary:
HOU - Rachel Daly (Kealia Ohai) 17’
HOU - Rachel Daly 50’
ORL - Sydney Leroux (Shelina Zadorsky) 55’
HOU - Thembi Kgatlana (Allysha Chapman) 90+5’
Lineups:
Orlando Pride: Ashlyn Harris ©; Poliana (Rachel Hill 70’), Monica, Shelina Zadorsky, Carson Pickett (Chioma Ubogagu 70’); Dani Weatherholt, Alanna Kennedy, Camila (Emily van Egmond 60’); Sydney Leroux, Alex Morgan, Marta
Substitutes Not Used: Haley Kopmeyer; Toni Pressley; Kristen Edmonds, Christine Nairn
Houston Dash: Jane Campbell; Taylor Comeau (Hayley Hanson 83’), Amber Brooks, Janine Van Wyk, Allysha Chapman; Linda Motlhalo, Sofia Huerta, Clare Polkinghorne; Kyah Simon (Thembi Kgatlana 71’), Rachel Daly, Kealia Ohai © (Veronica Latsko 55’)
Substitutes Not Used: Bianca Henninger; Lindsay Agnew; Savannah Jordan, Nichelle Prince
Stats Summary: HOU / ORL
Possession: 35.8% / 64.2%
Shots: 18 / 26
Shots on Goal: 7 / 6
Saves: 5 / 4
Corner Kicks: 4 / 9
Fouls: 2 / 10
Offside: 4 / 1
Misconduct Summary:
ORL - Chioma Ubogagu (Yellow Card) 80’
ORL - Shelina Zadorsky (Yellow Card) 87’
HOU - Hayley Hanson (Yellow Card) 90+1’
ORL - Marta (Red Card) 90+5’
Officials:
Referee: Christina Unkel
Assistant Referee 1: Matthew Osterhouse
Assistant Referee 2: Marco Oregon
Fourth Official: Andrea Jedele
