Asisat Oshoala scored on a penalty kick in the 76th minute as Bay FC won back-to-back matches for the first time this season, topping host Racing Louisville FC 1-0 on Saturday in hot late-afternoon conditions in Louisville, Ky.
It was the first penalty kick converted for Bay (6-9-0, 18 points), which is an expansion team.
Oshoala registered her third goal of the season, ending her seven-match stretch without scoring. She blasted the penalty kick into the top right corner of the goal, as Louisville goalkeeper Katie Lund guessed in the other direction.
The penalty shot came after Louisville’s Jordan Baggett was called for a foul in the penalty area and shown a yellow card.
Goalkeeper Katelyn Rowland stopped one shot for Bay’s second consecutive clean sheet.
Louisville (3-7-5, 16 points) had a corner kick in extra time, but it didn’t result in a tying goal. Louisville has a four-match winless streak (0-3-1)
Oshoala exited the game with an injury during extra time.
North Carolina 1, Washington 0
Ashley Sanchez’s goal in the 19th minute stood up for the road victory.
The Courage (7-7-1, 22 points) won their second match in a row and have gone three matches without a loss.
Sanchez has three goals this season, notching a goal for the second match in a row. The latest one came on a tough-angled shot from the right side over Spirit goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury.
North Carolina’s Casey Murphy made four saves for the clean sheet.
Washington (10-4-1, 31 points) had a six-match unbeaten streak end despite holding a 20-8 edge in total shot attempts.
Portland 0, Utah 0
The teams failed to produce a goal, extending futility for the host Royals in Sandy, Utah.
NWSL-worst Utah (2-11-3, 9 points) has only seven goals all season. Royals goalkeeper Mandy Haught made four saves.
The Thorns (7-5-4, 25 points), which had tallied 26 goals this season, were blanked for the fourth time this season, with the past two scoreless draws. Goalkeeper Shelby Hogan stopped six shots.
Christine Sinclair of Portland had a chance in extra time with a header in the box, but it was denied by Haught.
Utah is 0-4-2 in its last six home matches.
–Field Level Media
