Spirit rally twice to beat Houston 3-2 and stay in the hunt

HOUSTON, Washington needed a late answer. They got one.

Clara Luvanga put the Spirit ahead for good in the 84th minute, finishing from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner off a Claudia Martinez feed on a fast break. Final score: Washington Spirit 3, Houston Dash 2. The Spirit improve to 15-4-8. Houston drops to 8-6-13.

It wasn't a comfortable win. Washington led twice and twice let Houston claw back level, and the Spirit had to grind out the final stretch to make it stick.

Tara Rudd got things going in the 11th minute, meeting a corner with a header to the bottom left corner from very close range. Esme Morgan delivered the cross. Simple, clinical, and enough to give Washington an early cushion at Shell Energy Stadium.

Houston pulled even just before halftime. Miljana Ivanovic curled a left-footed shot from outside the box into the bottom right corner in the 44th minute. A fine strike, and it sent both sides into the break level.

Sofia Cantore restored the lead six minutes into the second half. Trinity Rodman split the Houston defense with a through ball, Cantore took it into the centre of the box and rolled it right-footed to the bottom right corner. 2-1 Spirit.

Ivanovic again. In the 59th minute she collected from a corner and fired left-footed into the top right corner from the centre of the box. Two goals, two very different finishes. Houston level at 2-2.

That's where it sat until Luvanga settled it.

Rodman was Washington's busiest attacker, putting seven shots on the night. Morgan compiled 81 accurate passes and set up the opener with her corner delivery. On Houston's side, Paige Nielsen handled 18 defensive interventions and completed 36 accurate passes, and Ivanovic accounted for both of the Dash's shots on the night, both of which went in.

Luvanga's finish came from inside the box, right-footed, bottom left corner, off the counter. Six minutes from time. That was the difference.