Shell Energy Stadium | Houston, Texas – Sunday, March 26 at 7:00 PM ET
Players to watch:
After the forward agreed to move from North Carolina to Texas in the offseason, the Houston Dash are undoubtedly thrilled to add forward Diana Ordóez to their already extensive roster. Ordóez’s stats speak for themselves: he tied the NWSL record for most goals scored by a rookie (11) and led the Courage in scoring. Ebony Salmon, a forward who was acquired by Houston in June 2022 and has led the league in scoring with nine goals (tied with Debinha), will likely play up top alongside Ordóez. She is second in the league with 22 shots on target since the trade, trailing only Portland’s Sophia Smith (29).
Additionally, Racing Louisville has assembled an impressive roster in preparation for the 2023 season. Among the most significant defensive additions are former North Carolina Courage defenders Abby Erceg and Carson Picketta. Jessica McDonald, Emina Ekic, and Nadia Nadim—the team’s leading scorer last year—are all more than capable of thrilling fans this year, and goalkeeper Katie Lund, who set the single-season NWSL record for most saves (112), is also back. McDonald has appeared in every NWSL season and holds the record for most assists with 30. Along with Erika Tymrak, she is one of only two NWSL players to have at least one assist in every NWSL season. With 84 goals contributed, she ranks second all-time behind Sam Kerr (101).
Match Facts: In the past two seasons, Racing Louisville and Houston have played a number of interesting matches. Sunday’s season opener for Racing Louisville and Houston is set to feature two teams with high expectations facing off in the third of four league games on the same day. In 2023, Houston will welcome back all 11 Dash players who started their playoff match and made their first playoff appearance. In the meantime, Louisville, which will have to stop former Racing forward Ebony Salmon on one end, will try to improve its away record in a battle for the first three points.
Houston’s season ended in a way that fans would have liked, but the Dash will have another competitive year if they return to the playoffs and keep or recruit names. Although Salmon is back and Ordóez is a part of the team, other multi-goal scorers who will wear the orange again in 2023 include Nichelle Prince, Mara Sánchez, and Michelle Alozie. Additionally, midfielders Marisa Viggiano, Shea Lucky man, and Sophie Schmidt are returning too, supported by the marking of Barbara Olivieri from Liga MX Femenil club Monterrey last year.
Racing Louisville has a similar outlook when it comes to putting together a successful attack, having a strong midfield, and bringing in Erceg and Pickett, two outstanding defensive players, to help the club strengthen its defense. However, Racing’s road record will be one of the first obstacles to overcome. The team has won just three of its 23 regular season road matches (D8 L12), the fewest of any team’s first two seasons in NWSL history. Despite this, Louisville was successful in defeating Angel City in the team’s final road game of 2022, and the team will now attempt to win consecutive road games for the first time in its history.
