NWSL roundup: Surging Wave build withstand Dash’s rally

Kenza Dali, Adriana Leon and Maria Sanchez scored goals as the San Diego Wave held on for a 3-2 victory over the host Houston Dash on Friday night.

The Wave (7-3-2, 23 points) led 3-0 early in the second half before the Dash got back into the game on tallies from Barbara Olivieri and Yazmeen Ryan.

San Diego is 6-1-1 over its last eight matches.

Olivieri ignited the comeback bid by Houston (3-7-2, 11 points) with a long goal in the 61st minute. The right-footed blast from well outside the box hit the left goalpost and the ball caromed into the net. Seven minutes later, the Dash struck again as Ryan sent a left-footer into the upper left portion of the net.

Dali got San Diego started in the 17th minute as she sent a right-footed shot into the left corner. In the 36th minute, a Houston misplay gave Hanna Lundkvist the ball and she sent a pass over to Leon, who knocked in a right-footer. Sanchez scored on a header off a cross from Delphine Cascarino in the 51st minute.

The Wave dominated play with a 12-0 edge in corner kicks. Goalie Abby Smith recorded seven saves but the Houston winless streak (0-3-1) stretched to four. San Diego’s Kailen Sheridan made one stop.

Gotham FC 3, Utah Royals 0

Esther Gonzalez recorded her fourth brace of the season and Gotham FC snapped a three-game losing streak with the easy win over the Royals at Sandy, Utah.

Jaclin Howell also scored for Gotham (4-5-3, 15 points), who halted a four-game winless stretch (0-3-1). Ann-Katrin Berger had three saves while notching the shutout.

Gonzalez scored on a glancing header in the ninth minute to give Gotham the early lead. She added a penalty kick in the 58th minute to make it 3-0. She leads the NWSL with nine goals.

Howell scored after a long run in the first minute of first-half stoppage time. She booted a right-footed shot into the left corner of the net.

Gotham closed out the match with just nine players after Jess Carter (76th minute) and Howell (sixth minute of second-half stoppage time) received red cards.

Mandy McGlynn had one save for Utah (1-9-2, 5 points), which is 0-6-1 over its past seven matches.

Orlando Pride 1, Bay FC 0

Barbra Banda scored in the 58th minute as Orlando picked up its third straight win by holding off the hosts at San Jose, Calif.

Anna Moorhouse made five saves and defender Kylie Nadaner saved the shutout with a stop of her own for the Pride (8-3-1, 25 points). Bay FC (4-5-3, 15 points) had a three-game unbeaten stretch (2-0-1) halted.

Banda was loose in the left side of the box and took a right-footed shot that hit a Bay FC defender en route to finding the back of the net. Banda is second in the NWSL with eight goals.

Bay FC came up empty on its best three chances. Moorhouse used her hand to deflect Taylor Huff’s shot over the net in the 10th minute. Then in the 57th minute, Bay FC’s Caprice Dydasco hit the crossbar with a fierce long shot. Later, Moorhouse dropped a corner kick at the feet of Penelope Hocking, but the latter’s point-blank shot in the 78th minute was stymied by Nadaner, who was stationed in front of the open net.

Bay FC had a 20-7 edge in shots. Goalie Emmie Allen made three stops.

–Field Level Media