The Houston Dash will look to cap off their home schedule with a victory in front of their home crowd as they host Rose Lavelle and the Washington Spirit tonight at 8 p.m. CDT at BBVA Stadium for Fan Appreciation Night presented by BBVA. The match will be nationally-televised on ESPN2, putting the Dash on national TV for the third time as part of an exclusive multimedia agreement between NWSL and ESPN.
It’s an important game for us – this could really impact where we finish in the standings,” explained Head Coach James Clarkson. “It’s our last home game of the season and we want to give back to the fans who’ve been fantastic this year. We want to finish strong at home.”
<strong>WHO:</strong> |
<p>Houston Dash (7-11-4; 25 pts.) vs. Washington Spirit (7-8-5; 26 pts.) </p> |
<strong>WHEN:</strong> |
<p>Wednesday, September 25 – 8:00 p.m. CDT </p> |
<strong>WHERE:</strong> |
<p>BBVA Stadium – 2200 Texas Ave, Houston, TX 77003</p> |
<strong>TELEVISION:</strong> |
<p>ESPN2</p> |
Here are three key points ahead of tonight’s game:
- OUT WITH A BANG – The team will look to close the season at BBVA Stadium on a high note and close out the year with back-to-back wins at home. Houston currently stands six points out of the playoffs, but will not be able to claim a spot in the top-four with only two league games left. However, the team will continue to fight to earn the remaining six points with two victories to stay as high as possible in the standings. “We’re happy that we gave our home fans a win last time and it’s important to us that we do that again,” says Dash defender and co-captain Amber Brooks. “We’re going to build off of that performance. It had to end in a result for us – we’re definitely not going to settle for anything less than a win on Wednesday.”
- WINNING WASHINGTON SERIES – In the all-time Dash versus Spirit series, both teams have won seven games against the other, only having drawn twice in their 16 encounters. Houston has been unbeaten against Washington in their last six games dating back to the 2017 NWSL season. Their first encounter this season ended in a highly competitive scoreless draw on June 22 in which Houston trailed Washington in both possession and shots but put together a strong defensive performance. One month later, Dash visited Spirit for the second time and walked away with a thrilling 2-1 victory on July 20. Houston midfielder Kristie Mewis scored her second goal of the season with an assist from midfielder Sofia Huertaand forward Rachel Daly. After Washington tied Houston in the beginning of the second half, Brooks shocked the Spirit with a game-winning goal from a header in the 72nd minute. The pinnacle of the game occurred in the last minute, when Dash goalkeeper Jane Campbell denied a penalty by Spirit forward Mallory Pugh. Tonight at BBVA Stadium, Houston will look to earn their second victory against the Spirit this season.
- HOUSTON STRONG – During the season, Clarkson has repeatedly emphasized the grit that the team has shown on the field. Houston has endured a season full of competitive performances that aren’t reflected in their record due to unlucky outcomes throughout. Out of the team’s 10 losses, eight were decided by one goal. Behind their two leading scorers, Huerta and Daly, the team will look to finish strong by collecting the points needed to remain around the top five contenders of the league.
