Angel City and Dash settle for the scoreless draw after controversial ending
Angel City and the Houston Dash played to a scoreless draw when video review determined that Messiah Bright did not score in the final moments of stoppage time on Saturday night in the National Women’s Soccer League.
It appeared the ball may have crossed the goal line when it went through Dash goalkeeper Jane Campbell’s legs but the review did not confirm that Angel City scored.
Angel City (3-6-3) is now winless in five straight matches. The Dash are 3-6-4.
“I’m gonna say no comment, because I think I’ll get myself into trouble,” Angel City coach Becki Tweed said. “I have my feelings and my thoughts and I’m sure you could see them on the sideline, and I’m just gonna keep them to myself.”
The NWSL does not have goal-line technology.
Campbell, who had her 35th clean sheet, stopped Claire Emslie’s penalty kick in the 55th minute. Campbell is the league’s current saves leader with 64 and she has eight career regular-season penalty saves.
Campbell leaped to stop Alyssa Thompson’s hard shot in the 28th minute at Houston’s Shell Energy Stadium. Campbell also swatted away M.A. Vignola’s on-target header in the 88th minute.
PRIDE 0, COURAGE 0
The Orlando Pride remained one of two unbeaten teams this season with a scoreless draw on the road against the North Carolina Courage.
Haley Hopkins had a good chance for North Carolina (5-7-1) from the center of the box in the 26th minute but Pride goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse made the save. Minutes later, Moorhouse stopped another shot from Ashley Sanchez.
Moorhouse, who has five clean sheets for the 8-0-5 Pride this season, finished with five saves. Courage goalkeeper Casey Murphy also made five saves for her fifth shutout.
The game was delayed by about a half hour because of field maintenance at Cary’s WakeMed Soccer Park.
WAVE 1, SPIRIT 1
Croix Bethune scored late in stoppage time and the Washington Spirit pulled into a 1-1 draw with the visiting San Diego Wave.
The 19,897 fans at Audi Field were a club record as the Spirit (9-3-1) extended their unbeaten streak to five matches.
Jaedyn Shaw scored her third goal of the season in the 20th minute for the Wave (3-4-5), who have four draws in their last five games.
Maria Sanchez crossed the ball in front of the goal and Shaw stumbled but ultimately poked it past Spirit goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury to put the Wave up 1-0.
The Wave held on until rookie Bethune’s goal in the 96th minute. Bethune has five goals this season, ranking her second on the Spirit behind Ouleymata Sarr with six.
Casey Krueger sent the ball to the goal and Abby Dahlkemper tried to head it away but it fell at Bethune’s feet.
The Spirit have scored 27 goals this season, second only to the league-leading Kansas City Current with 33.
GOTHAM FC 2, RACING LOUISVILLE 0
Yazmeen Ryan and Ella Stevens scored goals and Gotham FC extended its unbeaten streak to eight games with a 2-0 road victory over Racing Louisville.
Ryan scored her first goal of the season from the top of the box in the 21st minute, evading a swarm of defenders at Lynn Family Stadium. Louisville goalkeeper Katie Lund dove but couldn’t reach the ball.
Gotham (7-2-3) made it 2-0 when Stevens scored her fifth goal of the season from close range in the 53rd minute.
Lousiville (3-3-6) had won three in a row.
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