Takeaways: Last-minute Del Fava goal stuns Dash right out of playoffs

HOUSTON, Tex. - Records and hearts broke across the Lone Star State on Sunday evening. For the Houston Dash, the historic 2022 season has finally come to a close. 

With 21,284 at PNC Stadium — the largest-ever crowd for a women's league soccer match in Texas — the Dash were eliminated from the NWSL playoffs by a 99th-minute goal from Kate Del Fava. The strike, deep into injury time, was the penultimate touch of the match, giving the Kansas City Current a 2-1 victory.

"It was football. It was cruel to us today. I'm really proud of these players, of this staff, and of the Houston Dash the club," said interim head coach Juan Carlos Amoros. 

Just a few seconds after Del Fava's goal, Houston players crashed to the floor in disbelief. Like a boxer failing to lay the knockout punch, the Dash dominated the Current across the 90 minutes but couldn't take their chances. Houston outshot Kansas City 20 to six in total shots, and five to two in attempts on target. 

It had been a disastrous start for Houston. With just three minutes on the clock, Kristen Hamilton broke through the Dash backline and made contact with Katie Naughton, who was tracking back. After a curious moment of pause, the referee awarded the penalty to Kansas City. 

With the deadly poise of a lioness stalking her prey, Lo LaBonta hovered over the spot, opened up her body, and brushed the ball into the right-hand side of the goal. Dash goalkeeper Jane Campbell couldn't guess the right direction, and the first chorus of boos rang out around the stadium. 

The goal was not only the Current's first-ever playoff goal but also the fastest NWSL playoff goal of all time, officially scored in the 5th minute of play. Ironically, Del Fava's winner was the latest NWSL goal ever scored in regulation time. An emphatic way to bookend a match. 

A sticky launch doesn't always mean a strenuous voyage, however. All was not lost for the home team. The Dash answered back in just 16 minutes after going behind. Sophie Schmidt volleyed home a sumptuous left-footed strike at AD Franch's near post after Maria Sánchez corner kick had been parried away by the Current goalkeeper. 

"As soon as it left my foot, and I was like, I hit that well. And it just took a little ricochet and in. I was like, ‘oh, this is amazing.’ It's always nice to score but it was just, I think I was just elated... know that Katie [Naughton] definitely appreciates it," Schmidt beamed after the match.  

The goal gave not only the Houston players a bit of extra life but also reinvigorated the ravenous home fans. That energy bled into the Dash players and coming out for the second period of 45 minutes it was all one-way traffic. 

"Huge shout out to Houston fans for coming out big tonight, that was incredible. You just get goosebumps when you walk out of that tunnel and you got your kid walking with you, everyone's screaming got the music going. It was something very special," said Schmidt.

Houston forced multiple eye-catching saves from Franch. Whatever the Texas team tried, they could not find a way past her. The most impressive stop came against Michelle Alozie in the 90th minute. The Dash forward had broken free on through ball and was one-on-one with the Current keeper from six yards out but the angle of her shot could not escape Franch at full-stretch. 

The final blow would be Kansas City's. With extra time looming, LaBonta opened up space and found Loera free in the box. A low pass across the box drew in Ally Prisock and Naughton, and a wide-open Del Fava poked the Current into the NWSL semifinals. 

"Everyone is hurting," Amoros observed. "You know they executed the game plan. We should have scored more goals. That's football. We have to look at this as the overall achievement of the year. This has been the best season of the Houston Dash ... it's a bittersweet flavor." 

"Yeah, it's tough, obviously. It sucks," a candid and emotionally raw Marisa Viggiano said. "I'm so proud of this group. We left it out there for 100-plus minutes. It's tough. But just when you look at the bigger picture, everything we've accomplished this year, it's you know, we have a lot to be proud of ourselves for."

Here are some takeaways from a heartbreaker in Houston:

The ref was reffing

Okay, I'll admit I had second thoughts about opening up by writing about the man in the middle. But Elijio Arreguin had a big decision to make very early in this one and it quickly set the tone. 

At first glance, it's not even clear if the contact from Naughton is in the Dash box. Watching the replay back, there's probably just enough contact in the box for Hamilton to go down and the referee to give the penalty.

But what I think was hard for both the Dash players on the pitch, and the home fans in the stands, to swallow was the amount of time it took for Arreguin to determine the penalty kick was the decision. That pause showed there was some doubt. Despite appearing to have a better view of the incident than his linesperson, he still looked to consult with the assistant referee. 

After the match, The Striker spoke to the referee and he confirmed that the pause in play was to consult with his assistant about where the spot of the foul had taken place. “AR1 provided information regarding the location of the foul," said Arreguin. The referee also explained that he alone had deemed Naughton to have committed "a tripping foul", but the lines person had been consulted over whether it was a penalty of a free-kick. 

Once Arreguin concluded that what Naughton did was a foul, it really changed the complexion of what types of fouls would be called in the game. To his credit, he was mostly consistent. But maybe not consistent with what we've come to experience in the NWSL. 

"We were confident we were gonna get chances, and we didn't want to dwell on that. The manner in which it happened, a PK is always just like moving on, break us down, it was just PK. So yeah, proud of the team how they responded," Schmidt remarked on how the Dash reacted to that moment. 

By halftime, the Dash had committed seven fouls, and the Current had 10. By full-time, it the tally of infractions had reached 18 and 15 respectively. During the regular season, the teams averaged 11.1 and 10.3 fouls committed per game. In addition to the more attentive refereeing, one could also argue it's the intensity of playoff soccer that created this environment.

In the 87th minute, substitute Elizabeth Eddy picked up a yellow card for her first foul, an ill-timed lunge. Moments later Alozie was also sent in the book for a sweep across Kristen Edmonds's legs that missed the ball. In the 90th minute, Sanchez was booked for a high foot.

They were all cautious but fair fouls in their own right, just not ones you'd expect from your average NWSL referee. 

No press, but some width

This was the second match in a row that we've seen a team come to Houston and try to neutralize the aggressive high-pressing soccer that we know Amoros likes his team to play. But unlike against the OL Reign three weeks ago, the Dash were much more proactive at responding to how the Current set up. 

And this shouldn't have come as a surprise either. We always knew this was going to be a duel that pitted two teams that like to exploit transitional moments and counter. It was propositioned as a game of cat and mouse. Two teams baiting the other out to commit players forward on the ball, and then break fast when the sequence broke down. 

What the Dash did well today was stretch the play, stretch it quick, and make the pitch as wide as possible. Against Seattle, Houston often had possession and didn't know where to go with it or how to unlock the Reign's block. 

"It probably could have gone another way and the second half. I think we were all over them. I think we had so many chances...but they didn't want to go into the net, so we'll have to look at those and, and try to sort it out for next season because this is just the beginning," said Amoros.

Against Kansas City, we saw Sanchez and Alozie have brilliant games. At times it felt unlawful, as if Houston had snuck an extra player on the pitch. The wingers were blowing past the Current fullbacks, and then crossing or cutting in, at will. 

La Bombi in particular was tremendously unlucky not to come away with a goal. Franch, a contender for goalkeeper of the year, was in inspired form. The only time Sanchez did get manage to blast the ball beyond the Current shot-stopper, the post was there to keep her off the scoresheet. 

The Dash's play was brave and aggressive. You could argue maybe they rushed a few chances, or weren't patient in their build up play. But on the flip side, they didn't - for the vast majority of the match - give the Current opportunity to capitalize on any turnovers. Houston finished with nine interceptions on the day, Kansas City had just seven. 

"I thought we had a lot of opportunities," Schmidt said. "Kudos to our attacking players, they broke their lines, they got in one-on-ones, two-on-ones and did a great job. [They] had some great saves as well. At halftime...the message was just to keep doing what we're doing. Chances are going to come, we're gonna keep creating, and don't be afraid to shoot, get shots off."

Despite having the majority of possession, Houston's pass accuracy (62%) was almost identical to Kansas City's (61%). But despite the low accuracy, the effectiveness of the Dash's wingers was pleasing to see. Even if they were ultimately unable to get the ball to Ebony Salmon in the middle of the Current box. 

To Kansas City defenders' Elizabeth Ball and Kristen Edmonds' credit, Salmon finished the match with just two shots, one on target and an xG of 0.07. Both of those shots were from outside the box. Take a glance at the Dash's average position touch map, and you'll notice how advanced Sanchez and Alozie were able to get on the pitch. While the Englishwoman was marked out of the match in a deeper area. 

Individually and collectively the wide duo created more chances and took more shots than anyone else on the day. Sanchez finished the match with five chances created and two attempts on goal, with an xG of 0.18. Alozie had three chances created, four shots, and one notable big chance missed, with an xG of 0.47. 

Salmon off, Alozie stopped

With Houston on top and chasing a winning goal, it was surprising to see Salmon become the first player to be substituted by Amoros in the 76th minute. On in her place came defender Elizabeth Eddy. 

"We needed a bit more on the forward line. Liz [Eddy] was coming with fresh legs on the right-hand side. Nothing more than that. A tactical technical decision," said Amoros about the sub.

The change wasn't like for like and saw Alozie get moved more centrally to fit the mold of Salmon's center forward position. Eddy, normally a fullback or wingback, was stationed high on the right-hand side of the attack. Where Alozie had been previously. 

It's easy to criticize this adjustment after the fact. We can all make perfect coaching decisions after the final whistle has gone.

And yet, if Salmon is the player who is handed Alozie's chance in the 90th minute, then maybe the scoreline is flipped and this match ends 2-1 to the Dash. 

Look, Alozie had an effective night. There was good logic to her pace and smart run choices being able to get in behind the Current backline. But being able to get in that position is half the battle, finishing the chance is the other half. Having Salmon on the bench, for that clutch moment was perhaps the difference. As hard as that might be to swallow.

"Alozie as a number nine can create a lot of trouble and she did. It's just that we didn't score a goal. If Alozie scores that goal on the one-on-one, then everyone's talking about how good it was to put Alozie up top. It's just the decisions you have to take as a coach, you know, that's why our job is so exciting," smiled Amoros with a wave of sorrow.

Making just one substitution on the night, one wonders whether bringing on Ryan Gareis or Valerie Gauvin would've helped Houston take its chances. After an extraordinarily successful start to life as Dash head coach, perhaps this will be a moment where Amoros is remembered for making the wrong call. Or maybe, sometimes, it's just not your day. Fate has other ideas.