HOUSTON – The Houston Dash's stoppage time goal sent Angel City back to Los Angeles with 2-1 loss at Shell Energy Stadium.
Maiara Niehues' lone goal in the first half was not enough to push past the Dash's offensive attack on Saturday night.
Houston opened scoring early in the first with a goal from rookie Kat Rader. The midfielder missed on her first shot attempt but was able to stay with the ball, getting it over the line and sending a left-footed shot into the net in the 17th minute.
Niehues provided the equalizer, successfully converting a penalty kick with a right-footed shot in the 28th minute.
A perfectly placed penalty kick from Maiara Niehues 😮💨
— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) May 24, 2026
Angel City levels it out in Houston! pic.twitter.com/PxOunwSjqm
"[Maiara] takes PK's after every pratice. She puts them away. I had no doubt she was going to make it. She's great at it, and she's just so composed. It's exaclty who you want to take a PK for your team," said Kennedy Fuller.
It's the Brazilian national's second goal of the season and her second match back following her two-match red card suspension.
The second half saw a strong high press from Houston- a frequent tactic they've used against Angel City before. Although ACFC struggelledd with losses in transition and sloppy passes, the sqaud held strong throughout the 60th minute mark.
Rader created a chance for Houston in the 71st minute, but Angel City’s backline recovered to make the clearance. Two minutes later, ACFC goalkeeper Angelina Anderson made a save to hold a tied score until stoppage time.
🧱 Angelina Anderson with a MASSIVE save to deny Houston 🧱 pic.twitter.com/bR1bSod7Zy
— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) May 24, 2026
In the 90th minute, Houston's Maggie Graham sent a shot sailing into the back of the net, ending Angel City's hopes of leaving Texas with a draw.
Saturday's game was the third match Angel City has played in the past week and the second on-the-road loss of the season. On Wednesday, Angel City put an end to a four-game winless streak with a 2-1 victory against the Kansas City Current before hitting the road down south to Texas.
The Los Angeles side (4-5-1) now sits tenth in the league table. Angel City will face the North Carolina Courage (4-3-3) at BMO Stadium on May 31st.
The NWSL summer break will span from June 1 to June 28, 2026, pausing regular-season play to accommodate the FIFA Men's World Cup. The 2026 NWSL Challenge Cup takes place on Friday, June 26. Angel City's regular-season matches will officially resume on July 3.