First win of Fall Series makes a statement
The Dash still have an edge.
They’re looking to show that their Challenge Cup title was more quality than serendipity — to show that they have the talent to score without captain Rachel Daly while she competes on loan in England.
In their first match with fans at BBVA Stadium this year, the Dash dominated the Orlando Pride 3-1 as they looked to sharpen that edge on Saturday.
“I think once you get a little bit of success, you want more, and I think that’s our mentality right now,” forward Nichelle Prince said. “I think a lot of people came out of the Challenge Cup and thought, ‘Well did the Dash really deserve that? Was it lucky?’ I think we’re trying to change that mentality, change that narrative and really show that we’re a team to beat.”
Houston (1-1-0, 3 points) sought to take control early, but Pride (0-1-1, 1 point) goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris denied the Dash.
She saved midfielder Shea Groom’s 13th minute chance, which Kristie Mewis created through her attack inside the box. She saved a Prince shot two minutes later, after Prince cut into the area and tested her from distance.
But Houston muddied her clean sheet in the 27th minute when midfielder Sophie Schmidt slid into a pass to Prince from midfield. The pass sent Prince on the attack as she burst through the Pride backline. She raced to the ball and popped a first-touch shot well over Harris’ head before a pair of defenders could close on her.
The Dash dominated the first half in nearly every facet of the game and held advantages in possession and corners taken. They produced 11 shots (five on target) to three for Orlando.
But Orlando’s one shot on goal proved enough to equalize and rob Houston of its first half momentum.
Three minutes into firsthalf stoppage time, Pride midfielder Chelsee Washington forced Houston’s backline out of position when her through ball caught a defender flatfooted. It allowed midfielder Marisa Viggiano to dribble into the area and angle a shot that hit the far post and bolted into the back of the net.
“It changed my team talk at halftime,” coach James Clarkson said of the equalizer. “We’d fallen asleep in the transitional part, and we just didn’t defend it well enough.”
Almost 10 minutes into the second half, Viggiano cost her team a goal when she was shown a yellow card after she dragged Groom to the ground in the penalty area. Schmidt slotted the penalty shot into the nearside of the net in 55th minute.
With the lead in hand, the Dash continued to burden Orlando’s defense in front of the 759 attendees who were limited to the west side of the stadium.
Houston nearly extended its advantage in the 71st minute when Mewis eluded Harris on the far side of the area but she couldn’t locate the inside of the net from a difficult angle. A minute later, Groom solidified the win when she flung a rebound into the net as Pride defenders beckoned for an offside flag which wasn’t raised.
Houston outshot Orlando 27-6. The win is its first of the NWSL Fall Series and its first without Daly in the lineup since 2016. That was also the last season the Dash scored three goals in back-to-back matches.
“It’s huge,” Clarkson said of the team’s performances without Daly. “I think it was really, really important psychologically for us to get that result tonight because we can win without Rachel, and the team is much more than Rachel.”