The Houston Dash host the North Carolina Courage at BBVA Stadium on Sunday for the second and final meeting of the regular season. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT and fans can stream the match on Paramount + and international fans can follow the game on Twitch.
Houston returns to BBVA Stadium after back-to-back victories on the road and enters the match three points shy of the third place Courage. Houston earned a massive road victory in Portland on Wednesday with a late goal from captain Rachel Daly. The England international returns to BBVA Stadium after returning from the international break and this is her first match in Houston since she scored in the 1-1 draw with the Chicago Red Stars on Sept. 10.
Daly was not present in the first meeting between both clubs due to the Olympic Games in Tokyo, but Houston earned a 2-1 victory in North Carolina on July 17. Shea Groom and Gabby Seiler led the Dash to three points and their second road victory of the season.
Houston travels to Legends Field on Wednesday for the third and final meeting of the regular season with Kansas City NWSL. Houston will play two of their final three matches on the road as they aim to secure their first playoff berth in team history.
Here are the three key points ahead of Sunday’s game:
- DASH FOCUS ON FINAL FOUR: The Dash enter the final stretch of the season on Sunday and three of their final four games will be against a team currently in the hunt for a post-season berth. Sunday’s opponent enters the match in third place and the Dash hosts the first place Portland Thorns next Sunday for their final match at BBVA Stadium this season. The Dash close the regular season on the road against the Washington Spirit, who enter the weekend one point from a share of the final playoff spot. The playoff picture changes day-by-day as three points separate the eighth place NJ/NY Gotham FC and Houston in fourth. Six teams qualify for the postseason in 2021 and the top two teams earn a bye to the second round of the playoffs.
- DALY EARNS TEAM OF THE MONTH HONORS: Rachel Daly will play a large role in Houston’s postseason push and the team captain was recently honored with NWSL Team of the Month Honors for September. Daly scored in two consecutive games for Houston last month to give the Dash a share of the points in their 1-1 draw with the Orlando Pride on Sept. 5 and again five days later in a 1-1 draw with the Chicago Fire. The England international currently leads the team with seven goals this season. This was Daly’s fourth Team of the Month recognition in her six-year career and first since the 2018 season.
- COURAGE LOOK FOR BUFFER: The Courage snapped a four-game winless streak on Wednesday with a 3-1 victory over Racing Louisville FC at home. The Courage currently clings to third place with a three-point buffer despite losing back-to-back games prior to their victory on Wednesday. The Courage enter with a 3-3-4 (WLD) record away from home this season and this is the final road game prior to a two-match homestand for North Carolina. The Courage will look to build a buffer prior to closing the regular season on the road against the Portland Thorns on Oct. 30.
