Linda Ullmark #30 of Houston Dash celebrates with teammates after scoring the team’s first goal during the NWSL match between Houston Dash and Bay FC at Shell Energy Stadium on July 24, 2026 in Houston.
Alex Slitz/NWSL via Getty Images
Linda Ullmark #30 of Houston Dash controls the ball during the NWSL match between Houston Dash and Bay FC at Shell Energy Stadium on July 24, 2026 in Houston.
Alex Slitz/NWSL via Getty Images
Linda Ullmark #30 of Houston Dash scores the team’s first goal during the NWSL match between Houston Dash and Bay FC at Shell Energy Stadium on July 24, 2026 in Houston.
Alex Slitz/NWSL via Getty Images
Linda Ullmark #30 of Houston Dash celebrates with teammate Sarah Puntigam #17 after scoring the team’s first goal during the NWSL match between Houston Dash and Bay FC at Shell Energy Stadium on July 24, 2026 in Houston.
Alex Slitz/NWSL via Getty Images
For 90 minutes, the Houston Dash and Bay FC traded defensive stands, scoring chances and near misses in a match that seemed destined to end scoreless.
Then Dash midfielder Linda Ullmark delivered the breakthrough.
Ullmark buried the match’s lone goal in the 91st minute, lifting the Dash to a 1-0 victory Friday night at Shell Energy Stadium in Houston’s long-awaited return home after nearly two months away while the venue hosted fan events during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
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“I thought it was a dog fight,” Ullmark said. “And Fabrice mentioned that one point we have to be dogs when we are defending, and I think we definitely were.”
The victory snapped Houston’s winless start to the second half of the NWSL season after the Dash opened the restart 0-2-1 during a three-match road trip.
Houston dictated much of the first half, controlling possession and repeatedly pushing into Bay FC’s defensive third. The Dash generated several quality opportunities but struggled to find the finishing touch that had escaped them since league play resumed.
Bay FC nearly capitalized on Houston’s biggest mistake of the opening half when goalkeeper Jane Campbell misplayed a ball outside the penalty area. The visitors were unable to take advantage, however, sending the attempt wide to preserve the scoreless deadlock.
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The scare did little to change Houston’s approach.
“If you actually look at our first half, I thought we were definitely the better team,” Dash head coach Fabrice Gautrat said. “We’re on the front foot. We just go to start putting our shots on frame.”
The Dash continued to press forward, finishing the opening 45 minutes with a 6-4 edge in shots, but neither side could break through before halftime.
The match became increasingly balanced after the break as Bay FC began creating more sustained pressure of its own. Rather than Houston controlling possession, the two clubs traded attacks, with each side waiting for a defensive lapse that never seemed to come.
Campbell answered every challenge.
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The Dash captain responded with a pair of saves in the opening 10 minutes of the second half, helping stabilize Houston as Bay FC pushed for the opener.
Houston nearly found its breakthrough in the 84th minute when Sarah Puntigam’s effort trickled toward the goal line. The ball came within inches of crossing before Bay FC cleared it away, denying what appeared to be one of the Dash’s final opportunities of regulation.
“It was really important to stay patient and keep fighting and just finish the game out and believe that we could score,” Ullmark said. “Many teams would give up like in those last couple minutes, but we just have a really gritty team.”
With the clock winding down in the 91st minute, Ullmark found space in the box and buried Houston’s long-awaited breakthrough.
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The midfielder consistently threatened throughout the evening, recording five shots, including three on target, before finally finding the decisive finish.
Bay FC made one final push deep into stoppage time, but Campbell came through again, making a crucial save in the closing seconds to preserve Houston’s clean sheet.
Campbell anchored a Dash defense that withstood sustained second-half pressure after facing 17 shots, while Ullmark provided the decisive moment on the other end to cap Houston’s homecoming with a victory.
“I thought Jane was huge,” Gautrat said. “I thought the backline was huge, and sixes, and everyone especially on the defensive side, but just big shout out to Jane.”
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The win improves Houston to 5-4-7 on the season.