The Houston Dash travel East on Saturday to face the North Carolina Courage for the first time this season at WakeMed Soccer Park. Kickoff for Saturday’s match is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. CT, and fans can stream the action live on Paramount+ and international fans can stream the match live on Twitch.
The Dash look to earn their fifth victory of the regular season on Saturday. The Dash currently hold a 4-1-4 record are 1-0-1 against the Courage in their last two meetings in 2020. Houston will be back at home next weekend when they host Portland Thorns FC on Saturday, July 24 at BBVA Stadium.
Here are the three key points ahead of Saturday’s game:
- SHEA GROOM HITS 100: Dash midfielder Shea Groom will be available to play in Saturday’s match and could hit her 100th regular-season appearance since making her professional debut in April 2015 with FC Kansas City. The 2020 Challenge Cup Championship MVP joined the Dash in January last year and was a key piece to Houston’s most successful year, winning the Challenge Cup title and finishing as runners-up in the 2020 Fall Series. Groom contributed six goals and two assists in 2020. This year, the Texas A&M alum has scored two goals and tallied an assist and has shared the captain’s armband with defender Katie Naughton this season. Groom is set to be the 31st NWSL player to hit 100 regular-season appearances.
- HOUSTON LOOKS TO BOUNCE BACK: The Dash earned two consecutive victories prior to last Sunday’s 2-1 loss in Illinois. The Dash earned back-to-back victories against the Orlando Pride and OL Reign at home, extending their unbeaten run at BBVA Stadium to nine games. Out of the five away games this season, the Dash have only won once against Kansas City on June 6. Clarkson and the Dash will look to revamp themselves and earn the second victory on the road.
- CONSECUTIVE VICTORY VS. NCC: The Courage joined the NWSL in 2017 and Houston’s first victory against the two-time NWSL Champion came on October 4th at BBVA Stadium after midfielders Shea Groom, Kristie Mewis, Sophie Schmidt and forward Veronica Latsko each scored a goal to claim a 4-1 victory. The loss was the largest the Courage suffered that year. During the opening match of the Fall Series in September, a 10-player Dash lost to North Carolina at WakeMed Soccer Park in a seven-goal shootout that finished 4-3 in favor of the Courage. This Saturday, the Dash will look to earn their second ever victory against the Courage and first ever in Cary, North Carolina.
