Coming off a huge win on the road against San Diego Wave FC last Saturday in the debut of interim head coach Becki Tweed, Angel City hoped to carry the momentum into Sunday’s match against the Houston Dash.
That however would be a tough task, as the Dash had allowed only 10 goals all seasons, part of that defense attributed to a reputation of a combination of grit and physicality. Sure enough, Angel City found Houston hard to break down. However, Angel City can take satisfaction in not only keeping the Dash out of its back net, but also getting its second shutout of the season and taking points for a second straight match in the 0-0 draw at BMO Stadium.
“A shutout is great,” Angel City midfielder Julie Ertz said. “This is the game that we wanted three points, especially when they went down to 10 players. It’s huge, and shows a lot of resiliency for keeping a shutout. Also, there is a lot of room to grow on the offensive side.”
With both teams having played to a standstill, Angel City gained the momentum in the 54th minute. It started in the 56th minute, as Ertz chipped a ball forward, Sydney Leroux timed her run perfectly to get behind the Houston defense for a run at goal, Dash defender Katie Lind tried to challenge Leroux, but brought her down from behind, and referee Sergii Demianchuk whistled Lind for the foul and initially issued Lind a yellow card. However, Demianchuk soon got the call for Video Review to determine if Lind’s foul was denying a goal-scoring opportunity, as no other defender was in front of Leroux when she mad her run, and that was what Demianchuk determined, switching from a yellow card to a straight red card, forcing Houston to play a player down the remainder of the match.
Energized by the advantage, Angel City went on the offensive. Angel City got its first chance with the player advantage in the 68th minute, as Ertz played Leroux into the penalty area, Leroux beat Caprice Dydasco to the ball, passed to Dani Weatherholt, who charged in and fired a shot, but Sophie Schmidt blocked the shot with her left foot, the ball however stayed inside the penalty area, taking a couple of bounces before Jasmyne Spencer, seeing a sightline, charged in for a goal-scoring chance, but sent the shot over the framework, even as replays appeared to show keeper Jane Campbell getting a piece of the ball. Then in the 77th minute, Ertz sent a long ball into the penalty area for Alyssa Thompson, who made a cutting move before taking the shot, Campbell made the save, but the ball stayed in the box, Thompson recovered the ball, then took a second shot at goal, but Campbell made the save without allowing a potential rebound chance.
“They’re pretty physical, so just winning your battles and then continuing to play and not let that get you. It was difficult for us to get a goal in,” Thompson said
The framework would foil both teams in the match’s final moments. Thompson was at it again in the 78th minute, as she received a ball from Weatherholt and broke for goal. Thompson dribbled inside the penalty area and fired the right footed shot at goal, only for the shot to bounce off the near post. Three minutes later, Houston was foiled by the framework, as Ebony Salmon dribbled into the Angel City penalty area, Salmon aimed for the near post, Salmon’s shot beat Haracic, but did not beat said near post, as the ball bounced off and went harmlessly back into play. The framework would be a factor one last time in stoppage time, as Leroux back-heeled a ball to M.A. Vignolia, who crossed into the six-yard box, Campbell jumped and got her right hand on the ball and parried the ball at the goal mouth, Clarisse Le Bihan swooped in and fired the shot on goal, only to see the ball ricochet off the near post.
“It’s good for us to keep a clean sheet,” Tweed said. “We had opportunities to win the game and sometimes when you play against 10 players, it can become a little slippery, but we’ve prepared for it. We created opportunities to win the game. We just have to be more ruthless in the final third.”
Houston got its first chance in the third minute, as Joelle Anderson crossed into the penalty area, both Michelle Alozie and Angel City keeper Didi Haracic went for the ball and ended up colliding with one another, with Alozie taking the brunt of the collision, as she was slow to get up, though she was able to continue. Angel City got its first chance in the 10th minute, as Thompson received a ball from Savannah McCaskill, dribbled inward, then played Leroux into the penalty area, Leroux one-timed the shot, but it deflected off Lind and went out for a corner kick. Houston did come dangerously close to taking the lead in the 15th minute, as Diana Ordonez stole a ball from Lily Nabet and broke for goal. Ordonez dribbled into the penalty area and despite being swarmed by three Angel City players, managed to get a shot off that just barely missed the far post.
