Gotham FC secures the 1-0 win against the Houston Dash

NJ/NY Gotham FC was on the road again after a huge win against the North Carolina Courage over the weekend. They faced off against the Houston Dash on a hot and humid Wednesday. Just like Gotham, Houston has struggled, with just one win in seven games as they sat second to last on the table heading into the game. 

Despite a win against North Carolina, the Bats were not out of the woods yet as they continued to struggle to score with just three in the last five matches entering the Houston fixture. Esther González became ice-cold after scoring two goals during the opening three games. On the bright side, Lynn Williams is just heating up after her first goal of the season against the Courage. 

Gotham knew they could not take this game for granted with Houston’s bad run as they have failed to beat the Dash in their last five matches, losing three times with two draws while scoring just four goals and allowing 10. With Rose Lavelle still not at full strength, the Bats must work hard to get results while climbing up the table.

Thankfully, the team worked hard against the Dash. Gotham FC did not disappoint as they had another one-goal win and a clean sheet with the 1-0 victory over Houston. 

Gotham FC beats the Dash 1-0

Maycee Bell got her first start in the NWSL as she replaced Bruninha in the Starting XI. Crystal Dunn also made a return to the lineup, having started in the midfield for Yazmeen Ryan. Lavelle continued to work back to full match form that kept her on the bench against Houston.  

It was like a copy-and-paste performance from the last match with Gotham strong on the attack while keeping it together in the back. Just like last game, the Bats got on the board early again with a goal from Williams she scored on a rebound. She looks to be back to her old self with her second goal in a row. 

Dunn also had a stellar game in the midfield, maintaining a 71 percent pass accuracy while winning five duels. She also made three accurate crosses. The versatile player has played all over the pitch, which continues to make her a solid depth player while having the speed and skills to play anywhere on the field.  

Juan Carlos Amorós chose not to bring anyone on until the 75th minute when Lavelle was subbed on and played the finals quarter of the game. Gotham continued to show that they can win in close matches, ending the game with a 1-0 win over Houston.

Ann-Katrin Berger only made two saves to give her a second clean sheet in a row. She can thank her backline for that, with Emily Sonnett and Samantha Hiatt brilliant yet again. This result should be enough to give Gotham more confidence for the rest of the season. Even with a laundry list of players injured, the Bats still know how to get it done.  

Gotham FC will stay on the road with a tough matchup against the San Diego Wave on Sunday, who are still without Alex Morgan and Naomi Girma.