Dash beat Thorns 2-1, hand Portland its first loss in NWSL this year
Ebony Salmon and Joelle Anderson scored second-half goals and the Houston Dash rallied to beat the Portland Thorns 2-1 on Friday night.
It was Portland’s first loss of the season in the National Women’s Soccer League.
Portland (3-1-3) scored first at Houston’s Shell Energy Stadium. Raquel Rodriguez collected a pass from Olivia Moultrie in the box and let it bounce once before slotting her shot into the right corner.
Anderson, a second-half substitute, brought it level for Houston (2-3-2) in the 59th minute, pouncing on a rebound at the back post.
In the 71st minute, Salmon received a pass with her back to the goal and spun around her defender. She took a touch to set up a shot from the top of the 18-yard box, which fell into the right corner of the goal. María Sánchez earned the assist on the play.
Both teams finished with 12 shots.
RACING LOUISVILLE 3, RED STARS 0
Wang Shuang and Parker Goins scored their first NWSL goals in Louisville’s first victory of the season.
Playing at Kentucky’s Lynn Family Stadium, Louisville scored its opening goal in the 35th minute when Savannah DeMelo’s penalty kick bounced off the post and then off the back of goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher’s head.
After Louisville (1-2-4) was fouled again in the box, Wang buried the second penalty to close out the first half. It was the first NWSL goal scored by a Chinese international.
Both teams had shots go off the post in the second half, but Chicago (1-5-1) couldn’t find the back of the net with its 12 shots.
In the 89th minute, Goins won the ball at the top of the 18-yard box, took a touch to her left, and slotted her shot into the far-post corner for her first professional goal.
Naeher made nine saves and now has 500 in her career, the second most in league history.
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