Late stumble turns comeback into draw
The Dash’s second-half comeback took an abrupt turn when the winless Orlando Pride scored a 71stminute goal to even the score and secure a 2-2 draw in National Women's Soccer League action Saturday night at the newly renamed BBVA Stadium.
“I’m pretty disappointed. I didn’t think we played particularly well in the first half but second half we really came out and took it to them,” Dash coach James Clarkson said. “We’ve cost ourselves two points tonight so it’s really frustrating.”
Compounding that frustration is a painfully apparent no-call that could have given the Dash (3-2-2, 12 points) a late advantage.
In the 88th minute, Orlando goalkeeper Haley Kopmeyer ventured toward the penalty arc to try to diffuse a Dash attack. When Dash forward Ariana Calderon unleashed a shot from outside the box, Kopmeyer crossed out of it to defend the shot with her hands, instantly drawing roars from a crowd of 3,776 who expected a handball call to follow.
But the game continued. “It’s obviously frustrating when it’s such a blatant, obvious handball outside of the box, but we can’t do anything about it now. We just have to move forward,” Dash midfielder Kristie Mewis said. “It’s on us; we should’ve put more goals away.”
The Dash gave up their first goal early when rookie defender Ally Prisock was called for a handball as she tried to use her chest to gain control of a loose ball in the 12th minute.
From the edge of the area, midfielder Joanna Boyles stepped up to take the free kick and coolly slotted it past keeper Jane Campbell before running across the field to hug her teammates on the bench.
The Dash attacked Orlando (0-7-2, 2 points) with a renewed energy to start the second half.
Forward Kealia Ohai darted into the box just a minute into the period but her shot floated just wide. A minute later, in what would become a familiar scene in the next 15 minutes, Ohai broke loose on the attack and found Sofia Huerta.
Ohai’s pass skipped past Kopmeyer and an Orlando defender guarding the goal line, then found Huerta waiting on the other end to poke the ball in to draw even.
“During the last two weeks we’ve just been practicing crossing the ball and tap-ins,” Huerta said. “That’s something that Kealia and I have really had to work and understand each other with and I just knew she was going to get the ball across.”
In the 67th minute, defender Amber Brooks gave the Dash another opportunity when she headed the ball up into air in the box. But as midfielder Kristie Mewis tried to position herself to head the ball into the net, Kopmeyer corralled the challenge.
Seconds later, Mewis slotted a long shot past Kopmeyer from the edge of the area to put the Dash ahead.
But Orlando tied the game in the 71st minute when Boyles assisted Danica Evans for a left-footed shot at close range.
The Dash had won their three last encounters against Orlando entering the game. After taking an early lead atop the league polls, the Dash are now 1-1-2 since their international players began departing for the World Cup last month.
“I think that game was a must-win for us, and we kind of let ourselves down a bit there,” Mewis said. “We’re going to have to pick up those points somewhere else, but yeah we’re pretty disappointed. We shouldn’t have tied that game.”