The Houston Dash return to league action n Friday after a bye week as they host the reigning NWSL Champion, Portland Thorns FC, for the club's annual Pride night. The club returns to BBVA Compass Stadium with three new players on the roster as the Dash look to build on a three-game unbeaten streak.
Midfielders Sofia Huerta and Taylor Comeau join Houston after a trade with the Chicago Red Stars earlier this week. Huerta has scored 22 goals and tallied 11 assists in 74 appearances for the Red Stars since entering the league as the No. 11 overall selection in the 2015 NWSL College Draft. Comeau has appeared in 55 league games since entering the league as an amateur player for Portland Thorns FC in 2015.
Clare Polkinghorne also joins the Dash after signing as a discovery player earlier this month. The defender joins Houston from the Australian W-League's Brisbane Roar FC where she won two championships during the 2008-09 and 2010-11 seasons. In 2017, the Australian international became the first player in W-League history to play in 100 regular-season games.
Five Dash players represented their national team during the FIFA window earlier this month. Versatile forward Rachel Daly played 90 minutes at left back with England in a 3-1 victory over Russia in a 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup qualifier. Lindsay Agnew, Allysha Chapman and Nichelle Prince joined Canada in Hamilton, Ontario for a friendly against Germany. Chapman and Prince came on as second-half substitutes as Canada fell to Germany 3-2. Goalkeeper Bianca Henninger joined the Mexican Women's National Team for a training camp in Mexico City as they prepare for the 2018 Central American and Carribean Games in July.
