Esther Gonzalez scored in the third minute of stoppage time and NJ/NY Gotham FC pulled out a 2-1 win over the visiting Houston Dash on Sunday in Harrison, N.J.
The match had been tied since the 17th minute. Mandy Freeman sent a pass deep into the attacking area that fellow substitute Lynn Williams corralled at the end line. She passed it into the box to Esther, who pivoted and split two defenders with her shot, scoring her third goal of the season and her first since April.
Gotham FC (11-4-4, 37 points) bounced back from a loss to Orlando last weekend. The Dash (3-11-5, 14 points) lost their fifth straight match and remain winless in league play since late May.
Gotham FC struck first in the 10th minute. Houston had a goal kick that Gotham players controlled with a few headers. The ball came to Esther, whose one-touch through ball clearing allowed Yazmeen Ryan to break away and score.
Seven minutes later, Avery Patterson’s wide cross into the box found Diana Ordonez for a header goal for Houston, her fifth tally of the season.
Courage 4, Wave 1
Alex Morgan said one last goodbye to professional soccer, but visiting North Carolina spoiled her retirement match by defeating San Diego.
Morgan, who announced her decision to retire Thursday, played 15 minutes before subbing out for the final time. The women’s soccer superstar had a chance at one last goal courtesy of a penalty kick, but Courage keeper Casey Murphy denied the attempt. Morgan hugged her teammates, took off her cleats at midfield and exited to a standing ovation.
Haley Hopkins, Feli Rauch, Bianca St-Georges and Meredith Speck found the back of the net for the Courage (10-8-1, 31 points), who have won five of their past six league matches.
Kennedy Wesley scored for the Wave (3-9-7, 16 points), who lost goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan to a red card in the 60th minute after a VAR review that determined she impeded a North Carolina player from an obvious goal-scoring opportunity.
Pride 1, Red Stars 0
Marta’s clever goal in the 37th minute was all Orlando needed to defeat Chicago in Bridgeview, Ill., and remain unbeaten.
With the Pride (14-0-5, 47 points) on the attack, the ball came to Marta just outside the 18-yard line. She feigned a pass to a teammate streaking into the box and kept it for herself, firing a left-footed shot to the far corner of the net, her sixth goal of the season.
Anna Moorhouse made two saves for Orlando. Alyssa Naeher finished with just one save for Chicago (7-10-2, 23 points), which could not find an equalizer despite getting some good pressure in the dying minutes. The Red Stars’ Mallory Swanson had a chip shot saved during second-half stoppage time.
–Field Level Media
