BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. (Interstat) — Houston Dash W scored three unanswered goals before conceding late and defeated Chicago W 3-1 Friday at SeatGeek Stadium. The result moved Houston to 1-1 in this competition and 1-1 across all competitions. Chicago fell to 0-2 in the competition and 0-2 across all competitions. Houston entered after a loss to Orlando Pride W, while Chicago entered after a loss to Seattle Reign W. The visitors made their early pressure count and held off Chicago’s late push.

Leah Klenke gave Houston the lead in the 4th minute, scoring the opening goal and setting the tone for a first half in which the Dash protected the advantage. Klenke played 90 minutes and was cautioned in the 51st minute. Houston added to its lead in the 54th minute when Maggie Graham scored. Graham also played the full match. The two goals gave Houston a cushion and forced Chicago to respond after halftime. Houston’s midfield and back line limited Chicago’s clearest chances until the closing minutes. Chicago’s back line had to absorb pressure for much of the first hour, and Houston’s goal in the 54th minute changed the match’s shape again.

Clarissa Larisey scored Houston’s third goal in the 79th minute. Larisey played 28 minutes and gave the Dash a three-goal advantage. Lisa Boattin played 90 minutes and recorded an assist, while Kalyssa Van Zanten played 28 minutes and also had an assist. The assists underlined Houston’s ability to create from different areas of the field. Boattin’s assist came on one of Houston’s goals, and Van Zanten’s assist added another layer to the Dash’s attack. Houston’s lead held into stoppage time before Chicago found a response.

Samantha Staab scored Chicago’s goal in the 90+3rd minute. Staab played the full match and gave the home side a late consolation. Emma Egizii played 44 minutes and assisted on the goal. Chicago’s chances came too late to change the result. Houston’s Sarah Puntigam was shown a yellow card in the 77th minute, and Chicago’s Dellarose T. E. was booked in the 87th minute. Klenke’s first-half caution was the first card of the match. The goals and cards shaped a match that Houston controlled for long stretches. Houston’s defense held Chicago scoreless until stoppage time despite the late changes.

Houston made substitutions at the 46th, 62nd, and 71st minutes as it managed the second half. Chicago made changes at the 46th, 68th, 69th, 85th, and 89th minutes, seeking a way back into the match. The substitutions did not produce a Chicago goal until Staab’s late finish. Houston’s earlier goals remained the difference. The substitutions brought fresh legs to a match that Houston led for more than 85 minutes. The Dash’s record in the competition is now 1-1, and their record across all competitions is also 1-1. Chicago’s competition record is 0-2, and its record across all competitions is 0-2.

The most important part of the game came in the opening minutes, when Klenke’s fourth-minute goal put Houston ahead. That goal forced Chicago to play from behind and opened space for Graham and Larisey. Chicago’s best response came in stoppage time, when Staab scored off Egizii’s assist. By then, Houston had done enough. The Dash’s three-goal burst covered the fourth, 54th, and 79th minutes, and Chicago’s reply arrived in the 90+3rd. The sequence reflected Houston’s control over the decisive middle portion of the match. Chicago’s late goal did not alter the outcome, but it ended Houston’s bid for a shutout.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Chicago W 1, Houston Dash W 1. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Chicago W with a 57.7 percent probability to win. Houston Dash W had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -0.5. The total score of 4 went under the over/under line of 2.5.