The Dash will once again meet up with one of its 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup Central Division opponents. Houston earned its first victory of the calendar year against Racing on March 25 after a 3-2 come-from-behind win where the Dash scored three unanswered goals in the second half. The Dash closed out the 2022 Challenge Cup with a 2-1 win over Racing on April 24 at PNC Stadium in Downtown Houston.
Houston is coming off a 2-0 win over Kansas City on May 8. The Dash took the lead late in the first half after forward Michaela Abam was fouled in the box and Houston was awarded a penalty. Dash forward Rachel Daly converted from The Spot to give Houston the lead into the half. Daly is the only NWSL player to have taken a minimum of three penalty kicks across all competitions, both in regulation or shootout, to have a 100 percent conversion rate. Midfielder Bri Visalli, who game into the game as a substitute for Nichelle Prince in the 74th minute, scored in the sixth minute of stoppage time.
Racing Louisville FC returns home after starting the first two weeks of the regular season on the road. The second-year club from Kentucky is coming off a 2-2 draw with OL Reign in the club’s first trip to the west coast in 2022. A late own goal by OL Reign helped equalize the score in the 60th minute. Forward and NWSL veteran Jessica McDonald scored early in the first half to give Louisville the lead.
Houston’s win over Kansas City on Sunday featured several key defensive performances. Goalkeeper Jane Campbell made five saves in the 2-0 victory and is tied for most save in the league across all competitions. Campbell’s performance against KC marks the most saves in a regular season match sing Sept. 1, 2021, where Campbell had six saves in the 1-0 loss to OL Reign. Defender Katie Naughton led the team in clearances with five and midfielder Sophie Schmidt added four more clearances in the shutout. The Houston defense earned its first shutout across all competitions since Sept. 26, 2021 when the Dash shut out Louisville at Lynn Family Stadium en route to a 4-0 win.
