Ethiopian international’s two-goal performances against Dallas Trinity highlighted impact off bench in second half of the campaign
Over the second half of the USL Super League’s inaugural season, if you were looking for an attacking boost off the bench there was no better player to call on than DC Power FC’s Loza Abera.
Facing one of the league’s postseason contenders at Audi Field on May 8, the midseason Ethiopian arrival showed exactly why.
Entering the game as a halftime substitute, Abera played the key role in one of the comebacks of the season as Power FC rallied from a two-goal deficit to take a 3-2 victory against Dallas Trinity FC, scoring the game-winning goal in the fifth minute of stoppage time to claim a remarkable victory.
“We made a few changes, and that made a world of difference,” said Abera’s teammate Susanna Fitch. “We were more disciplined in our defense. You could tell; we tired them out. We were winning second balls, high pressing them more and we were able to keep possession. It was a different game in the second half.”
For her outstanding performance, Abera has been selected as May’s Prinx Impact Sub of the Month, a new series highlighting key substitutions that have changed the course of a game this season.
A longtime standout for Ethiopia at the national team level, Abera was a difference-maker for DC after signing with the club last September. Over the second half of the season, she recorded five goals and two assists, trailing only Gianna Gourley (7 goals, 1 assist) in goal contributions for the club. Since the start of the new year, DC averaged 1.7 goals/90 minutes when Abera was on the field, compared to 0.6 goals/90 when she was absent.
Her two-goal performance against Dallas saw her end the season with four goal contributions as a sub in the spring season, the most of any player in the league since the resumption of play in February.
As DC enters the offseason, it appears to have one of the key pieces for next season primed and ready to go.
***
Just as a high-impact sub can come off the bench to change a game, Prinx Tires has built a reputation as a game-changing, cost-effective solution to premium tire brands. Whether for light trucks, SUVs, commercial trucks, or anything in between, Prinx Tires competes fiercely on quality, performance, and product range—delivering practical performance for the long haul.