HOUSTON (April 11, 2024) – The Houston Dash return to league play at 7 p.m. CT on Friday, April 12 when they host the Washington Spirit at Shell Energy Stadium. The team will also celebrate the 10th anniversary of their inaugural match with pregame festivities, in-game recognition and postgame activations.
Houston secured its first regular season victory before the FIFA break with a 3-2 victory on the road against Bay FC. Midfielder Havana Solaun scored the game-winning goal in the final moments of stoppage time to secure the first three points of the season.
Friday’s festivities include a pregame birthday bash for children born in April plus on-field recognitions for Dash alums Brittany Bock and Kealia Watt. Dash goalkeeper Jane Campbell will also be recognized to commemorate 150 career starts across all competitions with the Dash. Campbell is the first goalkeeper in the league to reach that milestone with one team.
WHO: |
NWSL Regular Season Match 4 Houston Dash vs Washington Spirit
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WHEN: |
Friday, April 12 – 7:00 p.m. CT |
WHERE: | Shell Energy Stadium Houston, Texas |
STREAM/TV: |
Prime Video (English) Announcers: Lori Lindsey and Mike Watts Sideline Analyst: Kealia Watt
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The Dash will have eight players return from national team duty on Friday. Forward Michelle Alozie and the Nigeria Women’s National Team will head to the 2024 Paris Olympics this summer after defeating South Africa 1-0 on aggregate in the second round of the Confederation of African Football Women’s Olympic Qualifying tournament. This marks the first time in 16 years that the Super Falcons have qualified for the Olympics.
Defender Sarah Puntigam and Austria split their UEFA Women’s European Qualifying matches with Germany and Poland, with Puntigam scoring in the 3-1 win over Poland. Midfielder Elin Rubensson and Sweden forced a 1-1 draw with England at Wembley and fell to France.
Midfielder Barbara Olivieri and Venezuela swept Panama in a pair of friendlies. Goalkeeper Savannah Madden and Peru played in a pair of friendlies against the Costa Rican Women’s National Team. Costa Rica earned a 5-1 victory in the first match.
Goalkeeper Jane Campbell and the United States defeated Canada to win the 2024 SheBelieves Cup in Columbus, Ohio. This is the seventh SheBelieves Cup title for the U.S. Women’s National Team and the third tournament championship medal for Campbell. This tournament win marks the second time this year that the shotstopper from Kennesaw, Georgia earned a medal after the USWNT was crowned the inaugural W Gold Cup Champion in February.
Forwards María Sánchez and Diana Ordóñez fell 1-0 to Colombia in the opening match of the second year of the MexTourW and lost to Australia on Tuesday evening. Ramona Bachmann, Houston’s newest international addition, joined Switzerland for a 3-1 victory over Turkey. Bachmann wore the captain's arm in the 4-0 victory over Azerbaijan to close the international window.
Houston is unbeaten in their last four games against Washington. The 2023 series was split with draws in both matches. Houston’s last victory against the Spirit came on Oct. 1, 2022. That victory secured a berth in the postseason for the Dash. Washington currently holds a narrow lead in the all-time series with an overall record of 10-7-8 (WLD) against the Dash.
The Dash will be back on the road next week as they travel to the Pacific Northwest to take on the Portland Thorns on Saturday, April 20. The match will be live on NWSL+ and kicks off at 9:00 p.m. CT.
