If the NWSL means anything to the U.S. women's national team,
Crystal Dunn will be in the squad when it takes on Costa Rica in its first post-Women's World Cup
matches Aug. 16 and 19. Dunn, one of the last cuts from the U.S. Women's World Cup team, added three more goals to give her 12 in 14 games as her first-half hat trick -- the first hat trick in
Washington history -- led the Spirit to a 3-1 win over the Houston Dash.
NWSL 2015: Standings |
Schedule In the 28th minute, Dunn scored after
dribbling through two Dash defenders and beating goalkeeper
Erin McLeod, who was injured on the play and had to be subbed. Seven minutes later, Dunn scored with
the outside of her foot on a pass from Canadian
Diana Matheson, and in first-half stoppage time the former North Carolina star completed her hat trick when she
scored on a header off a corner from
Christine Nairn.
The lone goal for the Dash came from
Jessica McDonald
as
Carli Lloyd's string of seven games with at least one goal -- four in the Women's World Cup and three in the NWSL -- ended.
Christen Press and
Beverly Yanez are Dunn's competition for NWSL MVP and the league's top scorer.
Press scored
twice -- off passes from fellow U.S. World Cup teammate
Lori Chalupny -- to give her eight goals in six NWSL goals and at least one goal in all three games
since returning from the Women's World Cup, but for the second game in a row, the Chicago Red Stars saw a win slip away and had to settle for a 2-2 tie with FC Kansas City on Saturday night.
Yanez scored to move into second place behind Dunn in the NWSL scoring race with nine goals and midfielder
Kim Little added a second goal as Seattle Reign FC
extended its league winning streak to three games with a 2-1 victory over the Boston Breakers. The Reign opened up a three-point lead over the Red Stars, who have a game in hand.
TRIVIA. Dunn is four goals away from tying the single-season scoring record held by Scottish international Kim Little, who scored 16 goals for Seattle
in 2014.
The victory tour is for the WWC team. I wouldn't expect any new faces until that's over.