CARY, N.C. (AP) - Debinha scored twice, including the winner in the 86th minute, and the North Carolina Courage downed the Houston Dash 4-3 in a National Women’s Soccer League fall series match Saturday.
Abby Dahlkemper converted a penalty kick in the 18th minute to give the Courage the early lead, but the Dash answered in the 25th when Veronica Latsko scored off Shea Groom’s pass.
Kristie Mewis scored in the 37th minute to pull the Dash back in front.
Debinha’s strike from distance for North Carolina in the 52nd minute tied it again at 2. The Dash were hurt a minute later when Allysha Chapman was handed her second yellow card of the match and sent off.
After Sophie Schmidt scored in the 70th to give Houston back the lead, Lynn Williams timed her run well and scored in the 83rd minute to tie it again for the Courage. Three minutes later, Debinha scored her second goal for the victory.
The two teams were each playing their opening game of the NWSL’s fall series in local markets.
North Carolina, the two-time defending regular-season champion, is playing without U.S. national team players Crystal Dunn and Jessica McDonald, who opted out of the tournament.
The Dash won the recent NWSL Challenge Cup tournament in Utah. But captain Rachel Daly is on loan to West Ham United for the fall series.
The game was originally scheduled for Friday night, but it was moved to the national CBS broadcast window Saturday after the game between the Portland Thorns and OL Reign was postponed because of poor air quality caused by the wildfires in Oregon.
The Thorns’ game against the Reign at Providence Park was rescheduled for Tuesday night.
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