Dash post another clean sheet in draw with San Diego
(image via Houston Dash)
The Houston Dash played to a scoreless draw against the San Diego Wave at Shell Energy Stadium Saturday night, their third straight clean sheet at home. Former Dash star Maria Sanchez made her first return to Houston following her trade to San Diego earlier this season.
After a goalless draw with Angel City FC last week, head coach Fran Alonso made changes to the lineup, aiming for a better outcome. Andressa Alves replaced Courtney Petersen out wide, providing experience, while Diana Ordonez took over from Michelle Alozie as the main striker.
Both teams battled for possession from the start, with fans notably focused on Sanchez. Every touch, free kick, and corner by the Mexican international was met with boos, reflecting the fans' reaction to her trade on NWSL Trade Deadline Day.
The key moment of the first half occurred in the 8th minute when Ordonez intercepted a clearance attempt by a San Diego defender. Her shot towards the bottom right corner was expertly saved by Kailen Sheridan, keeping the score level at 0-0. Both sides struggled to create clear-cut opportunities, relying heavily on solid defensive performances and goalkeeping.
The pattern continued in the second half, with neither team managing to break the deadlock despite San Diego enjoying more possession and territorial dominance in the Dash's half.
In the dying minutes, Houston surged forward, catching San Diego off guard and creating several close chances from corners that narrowly missed converting.
The match ended in a goalless draw, the Dash's second consecutive draw. Houston picked up a third straight clean sheet and continued to shore up their defensive stability. The defense is playing very well but the Dash have missed out on securing three points against both San Diego Wave and Angel City FC because they couldn’t get a goal of their own. “I felt the changes helped us to bring more energy and I thought that our game plan was going to be better,” Alonso said post game. “So yeah, just a shame that we couldn't score and get the three points.”
Next, the Dash will travel to face rivals Kansas City Current on Friday, June 28, at 7:00 PM, with the game televised on Prime Video.
