Angel City sneak toward playoffs with shutout of Dash

Kennedy Fuller and Maiara Niehues scored second-half goals as Angel City FC kept alive its slim NWSL playoff hopes with a 2-0 victory over the Houston Dash on Sunday afternoon in Los Angeles.

Angelina Anderson made three saves for her second clean sheet in 20 starts for Angel City (7-11-6, 27 points), which snapped a five-match winless streak dating back to a 2-1 victory over Bay City on Sept. 1.

The win moved Angel City into a tie for 10th place with the Dash, six points behind eighth-place Racing Louisville (9-9-6, 33 points) for the final playoff spot with just two games remaining.

Abby Smith finished with seven saves for Houston (7-11-6, 27 points).

Angel City dominated the first half finishing with a 13-4 edge in shot attempts and a 4-0 advantage in shots on goal. Smith batted away the best scoring chance, a header by Riley Tiernan from the left side of the six-yard box in the second minute.

Fuller made it 1-0 in the 53rd minute when she put in a right-footed rebound of a Hina Sugita shot into the bottom left corner of the net. It was the third goal of the season for the 18-year-old midfielder.

Houston nearly tied it in the 64th minute but defender Paige Nielsen's header from the edge of the six-yard box on a corner kick caromed straight down off the crossbar to Anderson.

Niehues extended the lead to 2-0 in the 86th minute on a 2-on-1 break, taking a highlight-reel, no-look back-heel pass at midfield and then scooting around Smith, who had left her line at the top of the box, and putting in a right-footed shot into an empty net for her second goal.