Kealia Ohai scores first goal of the season; lifts Dash over the Pride

Houston, TX – Houston tallied their second win of the season as they beat an Orlando team that was falling apart. The Dash scored via Captain K, who scored her first goal of the regular season, only 7 minutes into the match. That early score shocked the Pride, who came into this match with only one point after 5 games played.

The Texas team created more chances to increase their lead, but after conceding the 1-0 goal, Orlando’s defensive was determined to keep them from striking again. While the defense had a good match, their offensive efforts were lacking creativity and understanding, especially in the last third. Marta, who is preparing to participate in the World Cup with her national team, Brazil, was the motor for a limited Pride team that missed forward Alex Morgan (who is already in camp with the USA). Connecting to other players and having long possession was something Orlando was not able to do. That made it easy for Houston to control the timing and speed of the match, especially in midfield.

Houston on the other side, played a smart game. They scored early and that allowed them to keep calm and execute their game plan: using the speed of Ohai and Nichelle Prince on the sides in addition to attacking in the center with Sofia Huerta and Rachel Daly.

Defender Amber Brooks mentioned after the match that they were very pleased with the result. “At the end of the day we got the win, which is the most important thing, but it is important for us to capitalized on the option we have.” She also added, “keeping a clean sheet and not giving penalty kicks is very important for us.”

Houston coach James Clarkson said in the press conference after the match, “We need to use the good momentum we are having to work on things we need to and go and play against Utah with the mentality to get the win.”

The Orlando Pride will now try to get their first win of the season on May 11^th when they host the Portland Thorns. On the same day, Houston will visit the Royals to battle for some points on the road against one of the remaining undefeated teams in the league.