Dallas Trinity FC’s Second-Half Surge Powers 3-0 Victory Over Fort Lauderdale

It took until the 71st minute for Dallas Trinity FC to get on the board against Fort Lauderdale United FC on Sunday afternoon. Once Dallas found a way to capitalize on its opportunities, the goals started coming.

Seven Castain, Juliet “LJ” Moore and Kalea Eichenberger all scored in the second half to help Dallas defeat Fort Lauderdale 3-0 at the Cotton Bowl in front of 2,116 fans.

With the win, Dallas improved to 4-4-2 on the season with 14 points. The club is looking to secure a playoff spot with four regular-season matches remaining.

Head coach Lee Nguyen was pleased with his team’s performance but emphasized the importance of maintaining urgency as Dallas enters the final stretch of the season.

“This win helps us keep the momentum going. There is no time to be complacent. We know every game is important,” Nguyen said. “I saw a team that was together tonight from minute one to 90. In possession and out of possession, I thought they did really well to put a complete game together, and they were rewarded with three goals and a clean sheet.”

Dallas Breaks Through in the Second Half

Both teams entered Sunday’s match looking for a victory, but neither could find the back of the net in the opening 45 minutes.

Dallas and Fort Lauderdale created opportunities in the first half but struggled to capitalize. Dallas goalkeeper Neeku Purcell made a crucial save in the 20th minute to keep the match scoreless.

Fort Lauderdale midfielder Taylor Smith received a yellow card in the 23rd minute that would eventually play a significant role in the outcome.

The teams entered halftime tied 0-0. Dallas made its first substitution at the break, sending Juliet Moore in for Jamie Shepherd.

The momentum shifted in the 57th minute when Smith received her second yellow card and was sent off, leaving Fort Lauderdale with 10 players for the remainder of the match.

With a one-player advantage, Dallas began applying more pressure in the attacking third, looking for an opportunity to break the deadlock.

That opportunity finally came in the 71st minute when Castain collected a loose ball following a free kick and buried it in the back of the net to give Dallas a 1-0 lead.

Castain’s goal was her fourth of the season and second in her last three matches, tying Jasmine Hamid for the team lead.

Maintaining that scoring consistency will be important for Castain as she continues developing as a professional.

“It’s always great. As a forward, your goal is to always score goals. You want to help the team win games, and we are all doing that right now,” Castain said. “It was great to see other people score goals, too.”

Castain also believes she can compete with the league’s top forwards.

“You have to believe you are the best of the best, and I feel that I am. I’m still finding my groove as a professional,” she added.

Dallas Substitutes Make Their Mark

Dallas needed just four minutes to double its advantage.

In the 75th minute, Moore connected on a pass from defender Sydney Cheesman and headed the ball into the net to make it 2-0.

The goal was Moore’s first official goal with Dallas Trinity FC, while Cheesman recorded her second assist of the season.

Moore’s contribution highlighted the impact of Dallas’ second-half substitutions, but she would not be the only player off the bench to make a difference.

The club’s younger players also stepped up in the closing minutes.

Kaiya Brewer entered for Jasmine Hamid in the 81st minute, making her official professional debut at just 15 years old.

Five minutes later, Brewer helped create another memorable moment.

The young forward found Eichenberger, who scored in the 86th minute to extend Dallas’ lead to 3-0.

The goal was the first of Eichenberger’s professional career, while Brewer recorded her first professional assist.

At 15 years and 330 days old, Brewer became one of the youngest players to record a professional assist in U.S. women’s professional soccer and the Gainbridge Super League, according to the club.

Brewer had already made an impression during the State Fair Clásico friendly against Chivas de Guadalajara Femenil in October, when she scored in her first appearance for Dallas. Sunday’s match marked her official professional debut.

Eichenberger, who entered in the 64th minute, joined Moore as the second Dallas substitute to score.

With two goals from substitutes and an assist from Brewer, Dallas’ bench played a significant role in turning a scoreless match into a convincing victory.

Dallas Keeps Fort Lauderdale Scoreless

While Dallas’ offense took control in the second half, its defense delivered an equally important performance.

Dallas limited Fort Lauderdale to just two shots throughout the match, including one on target. Trinity finished with 26 shots, 10 on target, and controlled approximately 64% of possession.

Purcell recorded one save and earned her second clean sheet of the season.

The goalkeeper credited her teammates for maintaining possession and limiting Fort Lauderdale’s scoring opportunities.

“We’ve been talking a lot about keeping clean sheets in games and not being our own enemy in a way, so not giving balls away that lead to their chances,” Purcell said. “There are a few things we still need to clean up, but I think overall, great job by our defense and keeping the ball really well.”

Dallas also continued its success against Fort Lauderdale, improving to 2-0-0 against the club this season and 5-1-3 in the all-time series.

The victory provided Dallas with three important points in its playoff push, along with another encouraging performance from its younger players.

With four matches remaining in the regular season, Trinity will look to carry that momentum into its next home match.

Dallas returns to the Cotton Bowl on Sunday, Nov. 8, to face Sporting JAX. The match will also serve as Dallas Trinity FC’s Salute to Service Night.