NEED TO KNOW:
Houston open three-game road trip on Sunday against Racing Louisville FC
Five players return from international duty and will be available on Sunday
Dash return to BBVA Stadium on Sunday, Oct. 10 to host North Carolina Courage
HOUSTON – The Houston Dash return to league play on Sunday and open a three-game road trip in Kentucky against Racing Louisville FC at 2 p.m. CT. The match will stream live on Paramount + in the U.S. and international fans can follow the game on the NWSL Twitch channel.
The Dash return to league play after defeating Tigres Femenil 5-1 on Sunday in the first women’s international friendly at BBVA Stadium. Houston defeated the reigning LigaMX Femenil champions without six players due to international duty. Houston did not miss a beat as they scored three goals against Tigres in the first half. Houston will look to build on this momentum as they navigate the final six games of the regular season and chase their first playoff berth in franchise history.
The Dash are currently tied with the Washington Spirit for the sixth and final spot in the postseason with 23 points. Houston will look to earn key road points on Sunday and next Saturday in their final matches against teams below them in the league table. Houston will close the season with two matches against the first place Portland Thorns, one match at BBVA Stadium against the North Carolina Courage and close the season on the road against the Spirit.
Racing Louisville looks to snap a six-game winless streak that began with a 1-1 draw with Gotham FC on Aug. 15. Houston extended the streak with a 1-0 victory over Louisville at BBVA Stadium on Aug. 29. Houston’s victory was the second meeting of the regular season between both teams after Louisville defeated Houston 1-0 on June 20. A victory on Sunday would give Houston the standing’s head-to-head tiebreaker over Louisville.
Houston will travel to Kansas City next weekend to face Kansas City NWSL at 7 p.m. CT. This is the third and final meeting between both teams this season. Houston and Kansas City played to a 2-2 draw on May 23 and Katie Naughton led Houston to a 1-0 victory on June 6.
Here are the three key points ahead of Sunday’s game:
DASH ENTER WITH MOMENTUM: Four players found the back of the net on Sunday in Houston’s 5-1 victory over Tigres Femenil. Houston looks to build on Sunday’s victory as the begin a three-game road trip and navigate the final six regular games of the season. Houston is currently tied with the Washington Spirit for the sixth and final playoff spot and the Dash will face four teams currently in the playoff picture to close the season. Houston will look for key points away from home to qualify for the postseason for the first time in franchise history, the Dash close the season with four of their final six games on the road.
FIVE DASH PLAYERS RETURN FROM NATIONAL TEAM DUTY: Five players return from international duty on Sunday. Jane Campbell, Abby Dahlkemper and Kristie Mewis return to Houston after joining the U.S. Women’s National Team for back-to-back victories over Paraguay. Michelle Alozie reached the final of the inaugural Aisha Buhari Cup with Nigeria, who fell to South Africa earlier this week. Andrea Hauksdottir joined Iceland in their opening game of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifier and fell to the Netherlands 2-0 on Tuesday. Dash captain Rachel Daly will return to Houston after Sunday’s game and will join the team for their match in Kansas City on Oct. 2.
LOUISVILLE NAVIGATES WINLESS STRETCH: Racing Louisville is navigating a six-game winless stretch after falling 3-1 to the Orlando Pride on Sept. 11. Louisville’s last victory came at home on Aug. 8 in a 3-1 triumph over Kansas City NWSL. The expansion side is without Danish international Nadia Nadim, who injured her knee earlier this month against the Pride. The offensive responsibilities have fallen to NWSL veteran Savannah McCaskill, England international Ebony Salmon and former Dash forward CeCe Kizer. Salmon currently leads the team with five goals and one assist, Kizer adds three goals and two assists in her first season with Louisville.
