The Houston Dash came back to win the OL Reign 2-1. After a dominant first half from OL Reign, the Dash comes back to get their first win on the road in Seattle. With the win, Juan Carlos Amorós becomes the first coach in NWSL History to win their first three games in charge.
After a great impact of new Interim Head Coach Juan Carlos Amorós, this will be their first true test on the road against OL Reign, who had been a top defensive team in the league.
“We watch every game but for me, they have a clear style, they know what they do,” said Juan Carlos Amorós before the game. “What I really worry about is how our team needs to perform and how our team needs to behave in every situation of the game.” This proves to be key in this game.
The Dash let OL Reign have most of the ball in the first half. Houston had few chances in the first half that really didn’t test the Reign defensively. This proved to be costly for the Dash.
With a quick counterattack from Reign, it gave midfielder Kim Little a quick pass to forward Megan Rapinoe, who took a well-placed left shot into the bottom right corner. It passed Jane Campbell and it put OL Reign up 1-0 in the 16th minute.
It would be a hard first half for the Dash. Recklessly giving up fouls left and right and free kicks for the Reign. Two yellow cards were given to defenders Ally Priscock and Allysha Chapman. Not much action came from the team which lead to halftime 1-0 for the OL Reign.
At the start of the second half, Coach Amorós wanted to prove a point. He subbed out defender Natalie Jacobs for Haley Hanson. This turn the tables for the game. This allowed the Dash to take control of the ball and get back in the game.
The constant pressure from the Dash resulted in Dash forward Maria Sanchez having her shot blocked inside the penalty box from midfielder Quinn’s arm to reward the Dash with the win. Forward Ebony Salmon took the shot and converted it into the bottom left corner. This puts the Dash leveled at 1-1 in the 53rd minute and makes Ebony’s fifth goal for the season.
In a quick turn of events from a free kick, the ball gave to midfielder Shea Groom who had enough space to send a through ball to forward Ebony Salmon. She ran passed her defender and blasted the shot into the top right corner. This is her 6th goal for the Dash and making the leading goalscorer for the season, just in 5 games.
In the 63rd minute, OL Reign would sub in veteran USWNT forward Tobin Heath to make a difference in the game.
The Dash improved defensively and also goalkeeper Jane Campbell was on her game as well, having 5 great saves in this game. Proved to be too much for the Reign to unlock the Dash’s defense. The game finished at 2-1 to the Dash.
This was a win for many Houston fans, but also for all NWSL viewers, as it was a statement win for the Dash. This puts the Dash in third place, only one point away from first place.
With eight matches to go and five of them being at home, this gives them the confidence to make a solid push for the playoffs but also finish the league in first place.
The Dash will be at home at PNC Stadium to face off Racing Louisville on August 12th at 7:30 PM CST on Paramount+.