kennedy fuller

Kennedy Fuller and Maiara Niehues scored and Angel City staved off elimination from postseason contention with a 2-0 victory over the Houston Dash on Sunday at BMO Stadium.

Angel City (7-11-6), which would have been eliminated with a loss or a draw, ended a five-game winless streak with the victory.

Dash goalkeeper Abby Smith pushed away a cross from Hina Sugita, but Fuller scored her fourth goal of the season off a rebound in the 53rd minute to break a scoreless stalemate.

Niehues scored an insurance goal in the 86th minute, charging forward and taking advantage with Smith well out of her goal.

It appeared the Dash might be awarded a penalty after a handball was called on the field in stoppage time, but the decision was overturned after video review.

Houston (7-10-6), which finished last in the league last season, had lost just two of the previous 10 matches. The Dash were not yet eliminated.

Because of Sunday’s result, the Orlando Pride clinched a playoff berth.

Rose Lavelle scored her first goal of the season and Gotham FC defeated Angel City 3-1 on Sunday.

Kennedy Fuller put Angel City in front 1-0 less than two minutes into the match. The Angel City midfielder stuck the ball on the edge of the box on the half-volley.

Gotham coach Juan Carlos Amoros made two significant substitutions at the break: Midge Purce replaced Josephine Hasbo and Lavelle came on for Sarah Schupansky.

Gabi Portilho scored the equalizer in the 47th minute. The Brazilian tucked away a short pass from Purce. Then, Lavelle made it 2-1 by pouncing on a goalkeeping mistake in the 51st minute.

Jaelin Howell capped the scoring in the 68th minute.

Gotham (7-6-6) moved up to sixth place in the NWSL standings, and opened a four-point gap ahead of 10th place Angel City (6-8-5).

Mary Alice Vignola scored the equalizer in the 80th minute and Angel City salvaged a 2-2 draw with the Chicago Stars at BMO Stadium on Saturday night.

Angel City (4-4-3) took a 1-0 lead into halftime on Kennedy Fuller’s goal from inside the box in the 29th minute.

Chicago (1-8-2) made it 1-1 just before the hour mark when an attempted cross from substitute Nadia Gomes took a wild deflection and looped over the head of goalkeeper Angelina Anderson.

The Stars went up 2-1 up when Ally Schlegel scored from 25 yards out in the 66th minute. Anderson got one hand to the shot but could only tip the ball onto the crossbar and into the back of the net.

Vignola rocketed in a rebound from close range to make it 2-2.

The tie was Alex Straus’ first game as Angel City coach. Straus, who has never previously coached in the NWSL, arrived from Bayern Munich last week.