Dallas Trinity FC took advantage of a short week to put its heaviest defeat in league play in the rearview mirror.
A trip to Charlotte kicked off a span of three games in nine days. Despite having the pick of the chances in the opening stages, Dallas fell to a two-goal deficit by the 23rd minute. All too often, passes in the attacking half were just out of reach—something embodied by how agonizingly close Madison White came to stopping Mia Corbin‘s 54th-minute penalty, which sealed Trinity’s second loss of the spring season.
Ahead of Wednesday’s Cotton Bowl return, Dallas Trinity FC’s long injury list added a notable name with Lexi Missimo listed as questionable. The team’s marquee signing was seen sporting a walking boot and crutches, delivering a blow to DTFC’s chances of redemption. Coach Paulie MacDonald later confirmed that Missimo would be sidelined for around three weeks due to a muscular injury in her left foot.
The opening home game in USL Super League saw Dallas and DC Power produce a frustrating 1-1 draw, where the hosts should have netted multiple goals. The team’s maiden clean sheet came in the nation’s capital a month later. Breaking the deadlock against DC, a side languishing at the bottom of the standings, was imperative for Dallas’ position in a hotly contested playoff race.
A stunning free kick by Chioma Ubogagu was the lone goal in a performance that once again merited far more. Ultimately, securing the result was what mattered most, propelling Dallas into second place—just one point behind Carolina Ascent with a game in hand over Saturday’s victors.
“We need to be more clinical with the chances that we create,” said MacDonald after Wednesday’s win. “I think, also, we need to realize that even though it’s one-zero, they can still get back in the game. I think that we struggled in the latter stages a little bit with the pressure instead of continuing to do what we had done throughout the game.”
That clinical edge will be crucial heading into this weekend’s road match against Lexington SC. Trinity left Kentucky with all three points last November after an incredible comeback from 2-0 down in the final ten minutes. Unfortunately for Coach MacDonald, replicating such heroics on such short notice will be challenging.
“They need to rest and recover physically, but they need to also rest and recover psychologically and mentally,” MacDonald explained of the hectic week. “I think that for us, we had a plan of what we were going to do in terms of having the three games in nine days. So it’s trying to make sure that you look after the key players first and foremost, but you do spend enough time with them on the field and then team meetings—potentially showing more film this week than we would normally.”
The former Arsenal defender has been delicately balancing a young roster where more than half of the players are in their first season as full-time professionals. MacDonald has fielded 28 players with an average age under 24. Fellow former Gunner Ubogagu highlighted the “next-person-up” mentality within both the team and staff.
“I think our staff does a good job,” said Ubogagu. “As a team, we’re just going to say it’s going to take everyone. We’ve had a lot of games in a short amount of time, so we knew we were going to use everyone. So everyone’s just staying ready, doing their job, and when their number’s called, just do it.”
With eight games to play, only two points separate the four playoff places. Maintaining a consistent and healthy squad will be key to consolidating their spot in the postseason and pushing on towards home-advantage.
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