Dallas Trinity FC bounced back from defeat at Brooklyn to secure the first win for head coach Pauline MacDonald, with a wild 2-1 win at Spokane Zephyr FC.
“It’s a fantastic feeling and to get it on the road makes it even more special,” said DTFC Head Coach Pauline MacDonald. “We knew that this was going to be a really tough place to come and play at. I’m absolutely delighted for the staff and the players. It’s a really big three points for us and good that we were able to show that bouncebackability.”
With center back Jordyn Hardeman one of three DTFC players named to the US U-17 World Cup roster, Washington Spirit loanee Waniya Hudson came in for her first start for the club.
With Sam Meza on the bench and listed as questionable, both of her central midfield partners – Jenny Julia Danielsson and Gracie Brian – started in front of Amber Brooks.
Former Aston Villa striker Lucy Shepherd made her first start at right wing with Cyera Hintzen on the Trinity bench.
Within the first 10 minutes of the game you could see a significant improvement from the previous game. Dallas displayed the ability to maintain possession well and put together good passing sequences. On the defensive side of the ball, DTFC cut into passing lanes and tightly marked the Zephyr players.
The first real chance of the game came in the 16th minute after a throw in from the Dallas left worked back to Sarah Clark. Under no pressure, Clark swung a cross in from around 35 yards that found Natalie Viggiano completely unmarked on the edge of the six yard box. The Zephyr winger couldn’t keep the header down as Madison White watched the ball sail over her goal.
The hosts’ strategy was largely to lean on long balls over the high Trinity defensive line. Dallas, in turn, tried repeated feeds outside of the Spokane right back to advance Chioma Ubogagu and Gaby Guillen.
Dallas took half an hour to get a shot away but crafted a good opportunity for Gracie Brian off the back of strong hold up play by Allie Thornton. The striker chased a long ball from Jenny Julia Danielsson, held the ball firmly on the end line under pressure from Alyssa Bourgeois. Thornton cut back for the run of Brian into the box, but her low strike was well held by Isobel Nino.
Dallas Trinity took the lead six minutes later through Hannah Davison on a persistent attacking phase by the visitors. Chioma Ubogagu swept a free kick in that evaded half a dozen players to hit the bottom of the post. The ball was cleared away, with Dallas recycling play from left to right ending with Amber Brooks playing a through ball to Ubogagu. The London-born forward beat the shepherding attempt of a Zephyr defender to keep the ball in play at the end line, before crossing in for the back post run of Hannah Davison.
With the first half in the books, the Trinity showed that they could soak up the pressure from Spokane, and effectively counter. The first half displayed how well Spokane is on the wing when attacking Dallas.
The early stages of the second half saw Dallas again on the back foot. Maddie White tipped a shot over the bar from McKenzie Weinert in a rare Zephyr incursion in the Dallas box.
Once again, Trinity kept its first attacking play of the half alive to double the lead on 57 minutes. Amber Brooks played an inch-perfect cross-field ball for Lucy Shepherd to run on to down the Dallas right. Allie Thornton did well to get ahead of two defenders but couldn’t beat Nino with her volley. The ball was cleared to the edge of the box where Jenny Julia Danielsson beat Sophie Braun with a neat piece of skill before cutting a cross along the edge of the six yard box. Gracie Brian took advantage of some poor marking to cut between the center backs and head the ball in.
Dallas was nearly the architect of a Spokane comeback on the hour. Amber Brooks looked for Waniya Hudson with a pass back to the box that Viggiano raced to intercept. A first-time effort produced a good reaction save from White.
A pair of substitutions gave Spokane some momentum that led to its first goal in the 73rd minute. With a couple of chances on corners, McKenzie Weinert took the ball down and shot for the corner only to find Brooks on the line. The ball rebounded out to Taylor Aylmer, and the Zephyr captain stabbed home from close range.
Dallas used this as a time for a sub taking off Guillen for Maya Henriksson. Cyera Hintzen made her way into the game in the 81st minute, in place of Lucy Shepherd.
Dallas’ struggles this season have largely come from defensive frailty. There was a clear concerted effort in midfield players tracking back, with Brooks and Ubogagu both cutting out Spokane passes or pouncing on heavy touches in the Dallas area. Washington Sprit-loaned Waniya Hudson impressed in the back line, and brought a level of ball-carrying that seemed to take the load off Amber Brooks in transitioning the ball out of the back line.
Heading into stoppage time, Maddie White made a fantastic save to preserve the lead. Weinert, on the run down the right, squared a pass to Jodi Ulkekul. The former AS Roma winger cut inside a challenge from Hudson before launching a shot from inside the D that White tipped over the bar.
Referee Laura Rodriguez was deservedly the villain at the death as White took down Weinert in the Dallas area. The Zephyr winger chased a long ball that was headed wide of the Trinity area, White raced out and made plenty of contact as Weinert put the ball out of play in what should have been a Spokane penalty. A member of the Zephyr bench was shown a red card amid the protests, but Dallas cleared the danger and ran the ball upfield to finish out the first away win in team history.
After a confidence-building win, Dallas gets ten days off before finishing off their road stand in Washington DC on October 16th.