Friendly seen as opportunity
A break in the NWSL schedule gave the Dash a chance to make history, and they are embracing it with open arms.
At 6 p.m. Sunday, the Dash will play host to Liga MX Femenil champions Tigres in the first women’s international friendly played at BBVA Stadium.
It will be the second international friendly between the clubs. The Dash traveled to Monterrey, Mexico, to play Tigres in 2019. The rematch is a result of a strong connection the clubs have built with one another.
“We want to create these events,” Dash coach James Clarkson said. “We want to push the envelope. We want to be at the forefront of it and start these international games that are vitally important for the growth of the game, not just in Houston, but within the country and within the region.”
International friendlies have been part of the men’s game for decades, but they are relatively new for the women’s game.
Part of that, Clarkson said, is that the Dash take the game seriously even though the result will not count for anything. He said the Dash will scout Tigres like they would any other opponent and that the players will give maximum effort during preparation and once the game kicks off.
Clarkson said he thoroughly expects a competitive game because of Tigres’ form. Sunday’s opponent is 9-0 in league play and has scored 35 goals while conceding three.
“We’ll go through their strengths, their weaknesses, areas that we think that we can create an advantage,” he said. “It’s really important to be aware of what the threats are. They’ve got good attacking players and score lots of goals. … They’re certainly not coming here to make up the numbers and have it just be an exhibition game. They want to win as much as we do.”
One of those skill players and goal scorers will be familiar to the Dash. Tigres attacker Maria Sanchez spent June in Houston on a loan and appeared in three games for the Dash. In her finale, she scored a goal to help the Dash beat the Orlando Pride 2-1.
Following the friendly, the Dash will get back into league play Sept. 26 with a road game versus Racing Louisville at 2 p.m. It is the first of six remaining regular-season games. Houston (6-7-5, 23 points) is tied with the Washington Spirit for the sixth and final playoff berth.
The Dash desperately needed some time off following their disappointing draw against the Chicago Red Stars on Sept. 10 — the second consecutive game in which Houston dropped points from a winning position.
Clarkson gave the players much of the week off to allow them to clear their heads. They returned Thursday to begin preparation for Sunday’s game against Tigres.
“I'm pretty sure everybody can testify to it that we all needed that break,” forward Michaela Abam said. “We're super grateful for that, not just physically but mentally to unwind and be amongst our loved ones and whatever else we needed to do. But it was nice to get back to work (Thursday).”