Michelle Alozie delivers stoppage-time heroics for Houston Dash

Michelle Alozie’s last minute goal proved to be the game changer as she came off the bench to secure a  2-1 victory for Houston Dash over NJ/NY Gotham FC in Sunday’s National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) encounter at Sports Illustrated Stadium.

Star Girl secures the WIN @alozieee 🤩 pic.twitter.com/uHno1DuL6l

— Houston Dash (@HoustonDash) August 18, 2025

Alozie was on the bench for the match and ended up coming on to score the winner. The match was a tense affair that was even delayed for over two hours due to thunderstorms.

Gotham FC, playing on their home turf, seized the early momentum when striker Esther González Rodriguez found the back of the net in the 9th minute, putting the Dash on the back foot.

However, the second half saw a resilient Houston Dash team fight their way back into the game. The turning point came in the 51st minute when Gotham’s defender Emily Sonnett, in a moment of misfortune, scored an own goal, leveling the score and injecting new life and determination into the Dash.

The equaliser injected new life into the Dash, setting the stage for a tense finish. Alozie was introduced as a substitute for Allysha Chapman in the 84th minute.

The substitution paid off spectacularly in the 93rd minute. As the game entered its final moments, Alozie received the ball in a dangerous area and, with her trademark forward drive, unleashed a powerful, thunderous shot. The ball rocketed past the outstretched Gotham FC defense and sailed over goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger into the top-left corner of the net, a stunning strike that sent the Dash bench and fans into a frenzy.

It was Alozie’s first goal for the Houston Dash since she returned from winning the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) with Nigeria. At the tournament, Alozie scored a massive goal for Nigeria in the semifinal win against the Banyana Banyana of South Africa.