Match Preview: Houston Dash vs. OL Reign
PNC Stadium | Houston, Texas – Saturday, September 24 at 8:30 PM ET
Players to watch:
Houston secured their most recent victory against the Red Stars on Saturday thanks to a singular goal from forward Ebony Salmon, her ninth of the season. Salmon failed to score until July this year, but since that point and her move to Houston, she leads the league. In the last nine games that Houston has contested, Salmon has scored a goal in all five wins. Coincidentally, Salmon had failed to score in all of Houston’s draws or losses in that same stretch outside of once, her goal against San Diego in the club’s 3-1 loss.
On the other side, Reign attacker Megan Rapinoe has been doing it all as of late. After entering the match as a substitute, Rapinoe converted a penalty kick for the game’s lone goal in the Reign’s 1-0 win on Wednesday. Rapinoe is one of two players in NWSL history with two penalty kick goals as a substitute, along with Teresa Noyola who did so twice for the Dash in 2014. Like Salmon, in the last five games OL Reign has played, each game Rapinoe has scored in the team has won (4). Their lone draw, a 2-2 thriller against Chicago on September 10, came thanks to goals from forward Jordyn Huitema and midfielder Rose Lavelle.
Match facts: The Houston Dash host OL Reign in another pivotal weekend clash, with the clash at PNC Stadium the second and final game across the league on Saturday before a four-game slate on Sunday. A win would see Houston go above OL Reign in their hunt for first, but anything less would keep them below OL Reign, who sit one spot above the Dash in third place thanks to their recent success.
Houston’s most recent home match was a 1-1 draw with Angel City on September 11, which extended the club’s home unbeaten run to five straight games, the longest in club history in a single season. The streak surpassed the opening to last year when the Dash won their first four straight home games, tying their team record (4 games in 2018 and 2017). Houston has won just two of their last six games (D3 L1), though, and can not only chase first place but by no means are clear in terms of losing out on the playoffs entirely with a bad result.
OL Reign earned a 1-0 road win against Gotham FC on Wednesday, making them unbeaten in their last five road matches (W4 D1) ahead of the visit to Houston. The 13 points are tied for the most the team has ever had over a span of five away matches in a single season (had multiple spans with 13 points in 2014). The club have also won four of their last five in total (D1), a run that spanned back to the last time they lost a game, a 2-1 loss against Houston at home.
Since 2021, Houston and OL Reign have split the season series 2-2, including that 2-1 win for the Dash in August this season. In the prior 16 league games of the fixture going back to 2014, the Dash had won just once (D2 L13), a 2-1 win at home in May 2018.
