Sky Blue FC picked up a critical win on the road as goalie Brittany Cameron posted her third shutout of the season to stop the Houston Dash and star midfielder Carli Lloyd.
The game was back-and-forth early as both teams had some opportunities to put the first point on the board. Houston almost put one in the net in the 27th minute off of a shot by forward Melissa Henderson, but the shot was sent away by a great diving save by Cameron to keep the game scoreless.
The first goal came 38th minute of the game on a great possession by Sky Blue. The ball movement was stellar as Sky Blue picked apart the Houston defense with their passing before finally ending the possession when midfielder Cami Levin chipped the ball in front of the net and forward Nadia Nadim hit it with a diving header that beat goalie Erin McLeod.
“We were able to catch a couple of breaks tonight, and we capitalized on them,” Sky Blue FC Technical Director & Head Coach Jim Gabarra said. “The whole team had a really good performance. We were able to avoid some potential letdowns in the first half and started the second half with a high level of intensity that we needed to come away with the win.”
The game remained tight throughout the start of the second half. It wasn’t until the 72nd minute that Sky Blue was able to put an insurance goal on the board. Forward Sam Kerr took it into the penalty area herself, putting a shot on that would get blocked by a defender and bounce right back to her own feet. She was able to get another shot off of the rebound and beat McLeod on her second attempt to put Sky Blue up 2 – 0.
Houston turned up the pressure after the second goal, but Sky Blue was able to park the bus and shut down all of the attack that the Dash could muster.
“It was almost like a half-court basketball game in the second half,” Gabarra said. “They came out and pressed a little higher, which made our back four a bit hesitant to come out. Seeing that our defenders were having to play in a more defensively defined role, our attacking players stepped up and evened our play on the other side of the field.”
After starting their season 1-6-4, and going through a 10-game winless streak, Sky Blue has since gone 3-1-1 as they try and recover from their early season offensive woes and make a push for the playoffs.
The Houston Dash, in spite of the loss, still hold the fourth and final playoff spot with a record of 5-6-5 on the season, while Sky Blue sits in eighth at 4-7-5 on a very tight board that has Sky Blue just three points back of the Dash.
“This team has been consistent with their attitudes and team spirit,” Gabarra concluded. “When our World Cup players returned, it was an additional boost for our team chemistry. It is a credit to every player on this team that they have hung in there and fought through a lot of adversity. I am proud of the way this team has maintained their positive spirit, and we look to carry that momentum into the remaining four games of the regular season. Our goal has always been reaching the playoffs, and that is where our focus remains.”
Sky Blue looks to keep up the momentum as they continue their road trip against the Chicago Red Stars, on just a few days rest, when they play on Wednesday, August 12. They then get a week off before returning home to Yurcak Field in Piscataway, NJ on Saturday, August 22 to take on the Portland Thorns.
