Brooklyn FC opened the second half of the 2025/26 Gainbridge Super League season by grinding out a 1–1 draw on the road against Dallas Trinity FC at the Cotton Bowl Stadium, once again leaning on late-game resilience to earn a result.
Facing a Dallas side sitting inside the playoff cutoff, Brooklyn weathered extended pressure, conceded first, but responded in the final minutes through Rebecca Cooke to secure a point. The result marked the first time the two clubs both scored in a meeting this season.
That draw lifts Brooklyn one spot to 7th Place, climbing over Fort Lauderdale United FC. Brooklyn now have 18 points after 16 games, putting them one point behind Spokane Zephyr FC in 6th Place with a game in hand.
Cagey first half
The opening half unfolded as a tactical chess match, with Dallas Trinity pressing high and Brooklyn focused on disrupting rhythm and controlling space in midfield.
Dallas generated the first sustained spell of pressure, working the ball down the left flank through defender Cyera Hintzen and forward Chioma Ubogagu. One of the home side’s best chances came in the eighth minute, when Hintzen’s quick dribble opened space for a curling delivery toward the back post that narrowly missed midfielder Camryn Lancaster’s run.
Brooklyn responded with moments of their own. Striker Rebecca Cooke tested Dallas with her pace, while midfielders Samantha Kroeger and Jessica Garziano provided width from the wing-back positions. A ninth-minute corner and a promising passing sequence involving forward Catherine Zimmerman and midfielder Hope Breslin hinted at growing confidence, but Dallas defender Hannah Davison made a timely intervention to deny a clear look at goal.
Defensively, Brooklyn remained organized. Kelsey Hill anchored the back line, and goalkeeper Kelsey Daugherty handled crosses cleanly as Dallas pushed numbers forward. Despite stretches of possession for the home side, Brooklyn’s high defensive line limited clear chances.
The first half ended scoreless, with neither side able to turn pressure into a breakthrough.
Dallas Strikes First, Forcing Brooklyn to Chase the Match
Brooklyn emerged from halftime aggressively, maintaining a high press and earning early set-piece opportunities. However, it was Dallas who broke the deadlock.
In the 57th minute, Lancaster found space just beyond midfield and drove forward unmarked. With time to measure her run, Lancaster carried the ball into the box and finished low into the left corner, giving Dallas Trinity a 1–0 lead. The goal, assisted by wingback Heather Stainbrook, shifted momentum in the home side’s favor.
Dallas nearly doubled its advantage during an extended spell of possession in the attacking third, but Brooklyn’s defensive structure held firm, forcing rushed decisions and limiting second chances.
Camryn Lancaster gives hosts Dallas Trinity the lead | Courtesy Gainbridge Super League
Brooklyn pushes late, finds a response
Brooklyn Head Coach Tomás Tengarrinha turned to his bench in the 65th minute, introducing Emma Loving and Annie Williams to stabilize the midfield and back line. The changes helped Brooklyn regain control as the match entered its final stretch.
Brooklyn continued to apply pressure, winning corners and free kicks while pinning Dallas deeper. The persistence paid off in the 83rd minute.
Rebecca Cooke equalizes for Brooklyn FC | Courtesy Gainbridge Super League
After sustained pressure on Dallas’s back line, Cooke capitalized on a loose ball inside the box and calmly finished to level the match at 1–1. The goal marked Cooke’s fifth of the season and extended Brooklyn’s trend of late equalizers, with the club now scoring after the 80th minute for the sixth time this campaign. Cooke now has the most goals on the squad, and sits in a three-way tie for 6th Place in the Golden Boot race, well behind league leader Ashlyn Puerta's 11.
Both teams pushed for a winner in stoppage time, but neither could find a decisive moment before the final whistle.
Brooklyn will sit out the next matchday with a bye, returning to action on Saturday, February 14, with a Valentine's Day road game against Ft Lauderdale FC.
