Carli Lloyd rung in the new National Women’s Soccer League season in style, scoring a trademark Lloyd golazo deep into first-half stoppage time to give the Houston Dash a 1-0 lead over the Washington Spirit.
Lloyd cut inside from the left flank and fired a right-footed shot off the underside of the crossbar from 20 yards out that left Spirit goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris helpless.
Lloyd was playing in her first match with the Dash after being traded by the Western New York Flash in the offseason. She only arrived in Houston for the first time this week after spending the majority of March and early April with the U.S. national team.
The NWSL season opened on a somber note as Washington Spirit and U.S. national team defender Ali Krieger was stretchered off the field early in the match after an apparent head injury.
The injury caused for seven minutes of stoppage time in the first half. That’s when Lloyd struck.
