HOUSTON, Tx.
– The Houston Dash and the Kansas City Current battled to a one-all draw in Houston on Saturday night, with midfielder Lo’eau LaBonta’s early second-half strike cancelled out by forward Michelle Alozie’s 67 th minute equalizer to complete the comeback. The result leaves the Dash in 9 th with 20 points from 17 games played while Kansas City is in 10 th with 19 points from 17 games played.
HOUSTON, Tx.
– The Houston Dash and the Kansas City Current battled to a one-all draw in Houston on Saturday night, with midfielder Lo’eau LaBonta’s early second-half strike cancelled out by forward Michelle Alozie’s 67 th minute equalizer to complete the comeback. The result leaves the Dash in 9 th with 20 points from 17 games played while Kansas City is in 10 th with 19 points from 17 games played. The two teams wasted no time taking chances against the other, with Houston firing first through forward Ebony Salmon. Salmon was able to get a high header on a cross from the left flank, but her effort from the ball in landed high of Kansas City goalkeeper AD Franch’s goal and out of play. Then, the beginning of what was an onslaught of chances for the Current began to pour in, beginning with forward Cece Kizer in the 14 th minute. Kizer had received a pass at the top of the box where she flashed a shot back toward the right side of goal, but she missed just wide. Nine minutes later, Kizer was then on the end of another chance after a set piece combination as teammate Lo’eau LaBonta headed a pass back across the six-yard box. Kizer then re-directed a header toward the far post from her position, but a remarkable save from Houston goalkeeper Jane Campbell kept the effort out in the end. The visiting Current would test Campbell multiple times throughout the rest of the first half as well, with LaBonta stopped in the 26 th minute, defender Elizabeth Ball repelled in the 40 th minute, and forward Michelle Cooper turned away in the 43 rd minute as Campbell continued her goalkeeping masterclass. The pick of the bunch was likely Ball’s chance, as the defender had snuck in behind the defense on a free kick from distance to meet the delivery over the top. Pushing her header to the far bottom corner, Campbell was still somehow able to get a strong enough palm to keep the ball out of the back of the net. At the break, though both sides were able to test the opposition goalkeeper, neither were able to open the scoring and the pair remained scoreless heading into the break. The halftime interval did not kill Kansas City’s momentum, though, and midfielder Lo’eau LaBonta would end up opening the scoring in the 51 st minute to set the visitors ahead at Shell Energy Stadium. The Current had won a corner kick that was initially headed away toward the top of the penalty area where LaBonta was waiting. From a near central position, LaBonta then swung her right foot and caught the outside of the ball to send it swirling toward the left side netting where it nestled in for the night’s opening goal. Houston then began to launch their comeback attempts, with midfielder Sophie Schmidt coming relatively close with a shot from distance in the 63 rd minute. However, in the 67 th minute, forward Michelle Alozie produced a solo goal that could stand as a goal of the year nominee to bring her side level again. Alozie was on the ball on the right side of the field as she drove forward toward the Kansas City box. Shimmying with two defenders in front of her, Alozie paused right at the top of the box and took a page out of LaBonta’s book as she fired an outside-the-foot effort toward the bottom left corner that the goalkeeper Franch had little shot at saving. In the 80 th minute, LaBonta fired another effort toward goal from just outside the box that landed just inches wide of Campbell’s left post, and a late chance for Current forward Mimmi Larsson briefly threatened the Houston goal, but neither side were ultimately able to find that final punch late on and the contest ended at one-all.