HOUSTON (April 12, 2025) – The Houston Dash returned to league play at Shell Energy Stadium earlier today and fell to Angel City FC 3-1. This is the first of two matches against Angel City with the second game scheduled for Oct. 12 in California.
Angel City took the lead in the eighth minute after the Dash backline cleared a shot from Kennedy Fuller, the ball fell to Macey Hodge for her first goal of the season. Angel City doubled their lead 11 minutes later after Riley Tiernan found the bottom corner of the near post.
Forward Barbara Olivieri scored her first goal of the season in the 61st minute. Forward Messiah Bright played the ball wide to Yazmeen Ryan and the U.S. Women’s National Team forward found Olivieri with a low cross at the far post for Houston’s first goal of the game.
Alyssa Thompson scored Angel City’s third and final goal of the match in the 86th minute.
Defender Christen Westhpal made her Dash debut today and she generated the first corner kick of the match in the fifth minute. The corner kick was controlled by Houston, ultimately falling to forward Diana Ordóñez, but her effort was saved by Angelina Anderson. Ordóñez made her first appearance of the season today after being removed from the season-ending injury list at the end of March.
Ryan was blocked by the Angel City backline in the 42nd minute after she made contact with a cross inside the box. Ryan was one of seven Dash players to return from international duty earlier this week. Houston was without defender Avery Patterson, who suffered an injury during the international break.
Houston’s final opportunity of the first half came off Ryan’s right foot after she found space behind the Angel City backline in stoppage time. The forward dribbled across the box to create space for a shot, but her effort was off target.
Bright entered the match in the second half and nearly pulled a goal back in the 50th minute. Ryan played the ball into space for Bright, but her effort towards the far post was off target.
The Dash travel to Missouri next week to face the Kansas City Current on Saturday, April 19. The team returns to Shell Energy Stadium on Friday, April 25 to host Utah Royals FC. Tickets for the match are available on SeatGeek.
