Gotham FC's four-game unbeaten streak came to an end at the hands of the Houston Dash on Sunday evening at Sports Illustrated Stadium thanks to a last-minute strike from Houston forward Michelle Alozie.
Lightning delays, rough pitch conditions, and an own goal certainly didn't help matters. Based on the numbers, Gotham outplayed the Dash, defending where it mattered and striking when given the chance. Yet, those numbers don't fully account for Alozie's last-minute push. A small slice of space was all that she needed to score, a tough pill for Gotham to swallow, given they held a majority possession and outshot the opposition 15 to two.
Gotham did well to maintain possession in a dominant first-half showing, with Gotham forward Esther González scoring her 11th league goal and a defense unwilling to let Houston attempt a single shot. But it wasn't enough.
"That sort of goes to show that anyone can win on any given day," Gotham defender Jess Carter said of the loss. "I think the statistics at the end were probably more in our favor, and it was quality finishing in the end from the Houston player. Naturally, I was disappointed, but it is something we've gotta get over really quick because we've got a game again in three days."
Gotham FC: 1.19 xG, 15 shots, 5 shots on target, 59% possession, 414 passes, 77% pass accuracy, 14 fouls, 6 corners, 0 saves
Houston Dash: .11 xG, 2 shots, 1 shot on target, 41% possession, 311 passes, 69% pass accuracy, 21 fouls, 0 corners, 4 saves
Goals:
• Gotham FC, Esther González, 8'
• Houston Dash, Emily Sonnett (OG), 50'
• Houston Dash, Michelle Alozie, 90+3'
Attendance: 7,519
Gotham's first-half masterclass
González went back to her goalscoring ways with the opening goal for Gotham, netting her 11th NWSL goal this season early in the first half.
A shot off the post from Gotham midfielder Rose Lavelle gave Gabi Portilho just enough space to hold off Houston's Allysha Chapman. A quick pass to González was all that was needed for the Spanish forward to slip one in the back of the net.
Esther González opens the scoring for Gotham FC | Courtesy NWSL
"She’s such a winner," said Gotham head coach Juan Carlos Amorós. "You could see how in the end she gave absolutely everything today. She got hurt right at the start of the second half, but even then she tried to put the team on her shoulders and push us toward a win."
Houston was left floundering for the first 45 minutes as Gotham took control of all aspects of the game. At the halftime whistle, Houston walked off the pitch with zero shots taken and barely any time spent on Gotham's side of the field.
A sideline view of González's goal | Courtesy Gotham FC
A dominant showing from Lavelle gave Gotham quite a few chances to score. The midfielder gave Portilho one of the better setups of the night in the 39th minute, but Portilho sent her shot wide. Another potential assist came minutes later when Lavelle sent a cross to defender Lilly Reale, a header that Houston goalkeeper Jane Campbell saved.
"We were really happy with how things were going at the beginning part of the game," said Gotham defender Sarah Schupansky. "It didn't only look strong, it actually felt very strong. Amongst all of us, we were very satisfied with it."
Bad luck for Gotham
In an unfortunate turn of events, a mishit from Gotham defender Emily Sonnett went a little too hard for Gotham's Ann-Katrin Berger to stop. The own goal put Houston on an even playing field with Gotham for the rest of the second half, shifting the dynamic enough for Houston to push into Gotham's half with more control over the ball.
Storms and lightning delays temporarily ended play shortly after, preventing both teams from stepping onto the field for over two hours. The delay did not appear to deter Gotham's efforts to put themselves back into the match, disrupting Houston's ball mid-transitions and forcing the Dash to defend their end of the field. However, it wasn't enough to counteract a las- minute strike from Houston forward Michelle Alozie.
Houston's Michelle Alozie scores the game-winner at the death | Courtesy NWSL
A last-minute pass from Houston's Sarah Puntigam gave Alozie all the momentum she needed to go for one last attempt at goal. The 28-year-old outran Gotham's backline to slot a ball past AKB with just 30 seconds left in stoppage time.
"Football was a little cruel to us today," Amorós said. "I can’t remember another game we dominated so much, so many chances, so many shots, and with one effort, the opposition managed to score twice. That’s tough to accept."
