Match Info:
North Carolina Courage vs Houston Dash
Friday, July 5 – 7:30 p.m.
Sahlen’s Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park
Watch: Yahoo Sports- yhoo.it/2XrLIyT
Cary, N.C. (July 3, 2019)- The North Carolina Courage (4W-2L-4D) will take on the Houston Dash for the second time this season on Friday, July 5 at 7:30 p.m. The NC Courage and NCFC are partaking in the Town of Cary’s 2019 Independence Day Celebration with post-game fireworks after the matches on the 4th and the 5thpresented by Segra.
The Courage are coming off of a 2-1 victory against the Washington Spirit that was filled with offensive pressure. Within the first 10 minutes of the game following a one-hour weather delay, multiple players were able to put a total of five shots up.
The game remained tied until a penalty in first-half stoppage time prompted Debinha, who just recently returned from the World Cup, to take a penalty kick. She initially missed but was able to put the ball in the back of the net to take the Courage up 1-0.
Shortly after the start of the second half of the match, rookie Leah Pruitt was able to secure the victory with a shot to the top corner of the net, earning her second goal of the season. Lynn Williams assisted Pruitt, giving her a third assist of the season and tying her for the most assists in the NWSL in 2019.
The Dash are coming into this match off of a 2-1 loss against the Portland Thorns. The only goal of the match for the team was from Kyah Simon’s header in the early minutes of the second half. This was Simon’s first goal of the season and her second goal with the Dash.
The Courage and the Dash have not met since Sunday, April 28 where the Courage won the match 4-1 with goals from Lynn Williams, Crystal Dunn, Leah Pruitt, and Debinha. Rachel Daly had Houston’s goal in the final minutes of the match.
Up Next: The North Carolina Courage will host Reign FC on Saturday, July 13 at 7:00 p.m in Sahlen’s Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park.
Players to Watch:
North Carolina Courage- #12 Leah Pruitt
Pruitt was drafted into the NWSL only a few months ago yet has proven that she has a prominent role on the team. She has played in nine games this season for a total of 440 minutes, with four starts on the season. Pruitt has also scored two goals for the team.
Houston Dash- #7 Kealia Ohai
Ohai, the captain of the Dash, has started all nine games for a total of 752 minutes played. She has one goal and one assist on the season. Last match, Ohai reached 100 NWSL appearances.
