Late Luvanga goal gives Washington Spirit vital 3-2 win at Houston Dash: Match report
The Spirit put on a good performance to win, but a desperate Dash side pushed them to the very end.
The Washington Spirit needed a win and a strong performance Sunday, and got both in a 3-2 victory over a desperate Houston Dash side who were eliminated from playoff contention with the result.
That said, the three points were anything but easy to secure. Tara Rudd and Sofia Cantore — the latter ending a 637-minute run without a goal contribution — gave Washington the lead twice, but Miljana Ivanović equalized twice.
A first NWSL goal from Clara Luvanga finally capped off a dramatic win that will relieve some of the pressure on Washington's shoulders.
The Dash made an aggressive start. Sandy MacIver had to be alert after Kat Rader's low shot took a deflection off of Tara Rudd, requiring a tricky 5th-minute save, while a series of corners in the 8th minute caused multiple worries for Washington.
The Spirit responded with their own sequence of corners, and the third ended in the opening goal. Esme Morgan's delivery deceived Jane Campbell, who missed on an attempted punch. From there, Rudd was left unmarked in a sea of blue jerseys, and simply had to nod the ball into an empty net.
Centerback to centerback connection 🤝 Tara Rudd heads in Esme Morgan's cross to put Washington ahead!
— NWSL (@nwslsoccer.com) October 4, 2026 at 7:22 PM
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Despite the muggy conditions in Houston, the Spirit counter-press dictated most of the rest of the first half. The Dash could barely escape their own end, while Washington piled up possession. That said, bona fide chances for the visitors weren't quite as easy to create as turnovers, though a persistent Ashley Hatch's block on Leah Klenke's clearance nearly resulted in a scrappy 34th-minute goal.
Trinity Rodman saw one attempt glance off a defender and over the bar in the 41st minute, while Lucia Di Guglielmo's quick shot seconds later was tipped wide by an excellent save from Campbell as the Spirit looked to tack on a second goal before the break.
And yet, despite a dominant first half, the Spirit had to shake their heads at a spectacular Dash equalizer in the 44th minute. Mélissa Bethi opted to take a touch rather than fully clear, and paid the price as Ivanović smashed the resulting loose ball into the bottom corner from 20 yards.
Miljana Ivanović with a ROCKET for Houston 🚀 She becomes the first Serbian international to score in the NWSL!
— NWSL (@nwslsoccer.com) October 4, 2026 at 7:55 PM
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Washington went right back to work as the second half got underway, with Rodman feinting inside of Avery Patterson only to rip an angled shot a foot over the crossbar with Campbell beaten.
The Spirit continued to create chances, and Rodman would turn provider to tee Cantore up to reclaim the lead. Bethi helped start things off, keeping a play alive at midfield to spring a 2-v-2 in the Houston half. Rodman waited for the defenders to converge on her before slipping an inch-perfect through ball in for Cantore, who calmly tucked the ball past Campbell for her first goal since August 8.
MORE THIS PLS AND THANK YOU
— Hey Spirits! (@heyspirits.bsky.social) October 4, 2026 at 8:20 PM
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MacIver did very well to tip Sarah Puntigam's long-range shot away, but the resulting corner saw Ivanović equalize again. Hatch was screened as the service arrived, stooping to head the ball, but the ball only went as far as the Serbia forward, who hammered the ball home from eight yards.
Miljana Ivanovič does it again! 🇷🇸 She smashes home the opportunity from the corner to level the game for Houston.
— NWSL (@nwslsoccer.com) October 4, 2026 at 8:29 PM
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Washington's substitutions seemed designed to push aggressively for the win, but as the game opened up, Houston started to grow more dangerous. MacIver did just enough to prevent a cutback from getting to Sophie Schmidt at the back post, while Clarissa Larisey came off the bench to send a free header off the bar in the 80th minute.
Just as it seemed that the Spirit were wobbling, they landed the killer blow. Rodman burst away from markers at midfield to feed Claudia Martínez, who in turn sprung Clara Luvanga for a clinical 84th-minute finish, her first since joining the club.
Clara Luvanga with a late goal to grab the lead for Washington! She becomes the first Tanzanian to score in NWSL history 🇹🇿
— NWSL (@nwslsoccer.com) October 4, 2026 at 8:53 PM
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While Luvanga nearly added a second to put the game on ice, Washington had to come up with a couple of key defensive blocks and another MacIver save to get the result over the line.
Completing a season sweep of Houston, the Spirit (15-4-8) remain in 3rd place in the standings, and keep their NWSL Shield hopes alive for at least one more week. After the international break next week, Washington will host NJ/NY Gotham FC on Saturday, Oct. 17 in a massive late-season test. Kickoff is set for 12:3o p.m. ET.
Box score — NWSL regular season (game 27)
10/4/2026
Houston Dash 2 (Ivanović 44, 59)
Washington Spirit 3 (Rudd 12, Cantore 51, Luvanga 84)
Lineups:
Dash (4231): Jane Campbell; Avery Patterson, Paige Nielsen, Leah Klenke, Lisa Boattin (Messiah Bright 85); Maggie Graham, Sarah Puntigam (Cate Hardin 70); Kiki van Zanten (Khyah Harper 60), Kat Rader, Miljana Ivanović (Clarissa Larisey 70); Kate Faasse (Sophie Schmidt 46)
Spirit (433): Sandy MacIver; Lucia Di Guglielmo, Tara Rudd, Esme Morgan, Gabby Carle; Hal Hershfelt (Monique Ngock 66), Andi Sullivan (C), Mélissa Bethi (Clara Luvanga 66); Sofia Cantore (Rosemonde Kouassi 66), Ashley Hatch (Claudia Martínez 77), Trinity Rodman
Bookings:
Dash - Larisey 86
Spirit - None
Referee: Jaclyn Metz
Weather: Cloudy, very humid, 76°
Attendance: Will add once I get it
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