Under the evening lights at Beyond Bancard Field, Fort Lauderdale United FC delivered one of its most impressive performances of the season, snapping Dallas Trinity FC’s three-game winning streak with a 4-1 victory on Saturday night in front of 1,507 fans in Davie.
Dallas entered the match undefeated at 3-0-0, and proud owner of Gainbridge Super League’s best record, while Fort Lauderdale stood at 1-2-0 and fourth in the standings. But from the opening whistle, it was clear the underdogs had come to play.
A FIRST-HALF FLURRY
In just the third minute, Fort Lauderdale midfielder Kelli Van Treeck had her first clear look on goal, testing Dalla’s defense early with a shot from the right wing. Dallas answered three minutes later when defender Cyera Hintzen slipped into space for a chance of her own.
The game quickly grew physical. In the seventh minute, Fort Lauderdale’s midfielder Lily Nabet picked up a yellow card after a hard play.
Despite the early back-and-forth, Van Treeck’s energy set the tone. She remained active on the right side, forcing Dallas defenders to track her runs. By the 16th minute, she buried a shot into the back of the net, giving Fort Lauderdale United FC a 1-0 lead.
Fort Lauderdale kept being more aggressive on both sides of the field. Dallas, meanwhile, looked hesitant in attack, relying on long passes from Defender Amber Wisner down the right wing but failing to create many clear chances.
The breakthrough came again in the 40th minute, though not the way anyone expected. A mistake by Dallas’s back line led to an own goal, putting Fort Lauderdale United up 2-0 at halftime, the first time Dallas had conceded two goals in the season.
STEADY AND SURE IN THE SECOND HALF
Dallas tried to regroup after the break. In the 53rd minute, they created an open shot but couldn’t finish. Then Van Treeck struck again in the 59th minute, scoring her second goal of the night, giving Fort Lauderdale United FC a 3-0 lead.
Dallas finally responded in the 73rd minute, Wisner scored her first goal of the season, cutting the deficit to 3-1 and giving the visitors brief hope. But Fort Lauderdale sealed the win in the 80th minute, when Forward Kiara Locklear, after the Dallas keeper’s initial save, followed up her own shot scoring her third goal of the season in four matches to extend the lead 4-1 giving the team its most complete performance of the season.
The defense stayed organized, the midfield won battles, and the offense took advantage of every mistake.
The win lifted Fort Lauderdale to 2-2-0 and into second place, just behind Dallas, which dropped to 3-0-1 after its first loss of the season.
WHAT’S UP NEXT
Fort Lauderdale United FC will face Brooklyn FC on Sept. 28 at Maimonides Park in Brooklyn, New York. Dallas Trinity FC will look to bounce back against Tampa Bay Sun FC on Sept. 20 at Suncoast Credit Union Field.
The next time local fans can see South Florida’s only professional women’s soccer team on home turf in Davie, is Nov. 1, also against Brooklyn.
