Dash once again hold on to 0-0 draw with 10 players
(image via Houston Dash)
The Houston Dash continued their unbeaten streak Sunday night with a 0-0 draw away at BMO Stadium against Angel City FC. This was the second game in a row that the Dash went down to ten players and managed to hold on to a clean sheet.
Head Coach Sam Laity only made one change in the lineup with Natalie Jacobs, suspended for receiving a red card last time out, replaced by Ally Prisock. This would be the last game to see the Dash players before they go for the Women’s World Cup. Forwards Michelle Alozie (Nigeria), Nichelle Prince (Canada), midfielders Sophie Schmidt (Canada), Havana Solaun (Jamaica), and defender Allysha Chapman (Canada) have been named to their country’s squads for next month's tournament.
The first half seemed to be a tough and hard-fought battle for both teams. The most memorable moment was Diana Ordóñez’s effort on goal with three defenders on her, but her shot was wide of the post. Alozie was a threat for Angel City FC, as she kept getting free on the wings and past her defenders. The match also took a physical toll on Alozie as she was on the receiving end of multiple hard challenges and was the most fouled player on the field for the Dash.
The first half ended at 0-0 with the Dash having seven shots, with zero on target. Houston did not have the majority of the possession, finishing with 45% for the first 45 minutes.
The second half seemed much of the same until the 57th minute. Dash defender Katie Lind fouled Angel City forward Sydney Leroux and received a yellow card. VAR informed the referee to review the call. Lind was deemed to have denied Leroux a goal scoring opportunity as the last defender back in the play. The referee upgraded the yellow card to red, leaving Houston with ten players for the rest of the match.
The Dash were able to hold strong defensively once again for the remainder of the game. Substitute Ebony Salmon even came close to stealing all three points when her shot in the 80th minute hit the post. Angel City then hit the post on their end in stoppage time before the final whistle would blow.
It felt like the draw was deserving for both teams. The Dash were organized defensively while Angel City provided nothing in the attack to take advantage of being a player up.
Houston’s next match will see them travel away again, this time to face North Carolina Courage at WakeMed Soccer Park. That match is set for this Saturday, July 1st, and it will be streamed on Paramount + with a 6:30 PM kickoff.
