USL Super League | Thursday, March 12, 2026 | 6:00 p.m. CT Audi Field | Washington, D.C. Broadcast: WFAA+, Peacock, TUDN Radio
Dallas Trinity FC heads to Washington on Thursday with eleven matches left and nowhere to hide. The Golden Girls sit third in the Gainbridge Super League standings at 8-6-3 with 27 points, and the playoff picture is tightening in both directions. Sporting JAX leads at 34 points, and Lexington holds second at 30. Carolina Ascent is three points back of Dallas in fourth and has played fewer matches. Nothing is settled, and Thursday’s trip to Audi Field is not a match anyone can afford to drop points in.
DC Power FC (5-5-7, 22 points) is outside the playoff positions but has been building. They are unbeaten in their last three spring matches, with wins at Jacksonville and Brooklyn and a draw at Tampa Bay. Saturday’s 2-0 win over Brooklyn was their cleanest result of the spring — forward Alyssa Walker converted from the penalty spot in the 32nd minute, Loza Abera added a second before the hour, and goalkeeper Sara Wojdelko kept a clean sheet in her professional debut. The Rowdy Audi crowd has yet to see its team lose this spring, and head coach Omid Namazi will be counting on that energy Thursday night.
Dallas comes in on three days’ rest after Sunday’s 1-0 win at Lexington, and Nathan Thackeray should have more to work with than he did then. Lauren Flynn‘s suspension is served and Sealey Strawn is expected back from her U-19 USWNT camp in Portugal. A fuller roster matters on a short week when Thackeray will need to manage minutes without sacrificing quality.
Players to Watch — Dallas Trinity FC
Heather Stainbrook — The Washington Spirit loanee has got off to a hot start in Dallas and is finding her footing at exactly the right moment. Her 93rd-minute tap-in at Lexington on Sunday was her second goal in four matches and the latest game-winner in club history. Stainbrook operates best when the game opens up, and space appears in behind, and if Dallas can get in behind DC’s back line on the counter, she will be there. There’s the added factor of playing in Spirit’s home stadium, too; she’s going to want to have a big performance in DC.
Sealey Strawn — Now that USWNT camp is wrapped up, Strawn changes what Thackeray can do late in matches. She has three goals in limited minutes this season, all coming off the bench, and opponents have not found a clean answer for her yet. On a short turnaround where Dallas may need a spark in the final twenty minutes, having Strawn ready is a significant advantage.
Bethany Bos — The forward made her first start on Sunday and gave Thackeray something different in the first half before coming off in the 66th. What she offers is directness — she runs at defenders and forces decisions. DC’s back line has been tested by pace this spring, and Bos, given room on the flanks, is capable of making them pay.
Players to Watch — DC Power FC
Gianna Gourley — The leading scorer on the DC roster with eight goals, Gourley has been the focal point of Namazi’s attack all season. She works intelligently in the final third, finds pockets between the lines, and finishes with composure. Dallas’s center backs held Catherine Barry, one of the league’s most dangerous forwards, scoreless on Sunday. Gourley presents a similar test.
Loza Abera — Three goals in the spring and a habit of arriving at the right moment. Abera scored DC’s second goal against Brooklyn with a low shot from outside the box and has been the kind of player who can change a match off the bench or from the start. If Dallas allows DC to settle into their rhythm, Abera is the player most likely to punish them.
Emily Colton — The midfielder has been one of the more quietly consistent players in the league since the winter break. Against Brooklyn, she won a team-high nine duels and completed 90 minutes. Colton controls tempo, disrupts transitions, and wins the ball in areas where Dallas likes to build. If Trinity is going to move the ball cleanly through the middle, they will have to go through her to do it.
The standings will look different by Thursday night. A Dallas win pushes them within three points of Lexington heading into the March 18 Cotton Bowl rematch and puts real pressure on the rest of the top four. A slip, and Carolina closes the gap further. Dallas needs to get it done on the road again to stay in contention.
Dallas supporters will be gathered at White Rock Brewing Co. for the official watch party.
PROJECTED DALLAS TRINITY FC LINEUP (4-2-3-1): Tyler McCamey; Cyera Hintzen, Lauren Flynn, Amber Wisner (C), Samar Guidry; Wayny Balata, Heather Stainbrook; Chioma Ubogagu, Lexi Missimo, Camryn Lancaster; Bethany Bos