Dash stung by Thorns, lose 4-1 in Portland
(image via Houston Dash)
The Houston Dash lost on the road against the Portland Thorns 4-1. Two early goals put Houston in a hole until Diana Ordonez pulled one back shortly after halftime. Portland scored twice late to seal the win, their first of the season.
After a tough loss last week and major roster changes at the transfer deadline, head coach Fran Alonso made needed adjustments in the starting eleven. Michelle Alozie earned her spot on the team to replace the departed Maria Sanchez. Sophie Hirst got her first start for the season in the midfield and Barbara Olivieri was back on the forward line to give Andressa a rest.
Within a few minutes, Portland took advantage of the Dash’s poor defensive start. Sophia Smith ran through the defensive line and took a one-on-one shot against Jane Campbell. Campbell made the save but the rebound landed to Christine Sinclair who slotted it in, giving the Thorns a 1-0 lead in the 6th minute.
It wasn’t the last time that the Dash made a defensive error. While the Dash were playing out of the back, Sarah Punitgam didn’t clear the ball quick enough and Smith took the ball away from her. She took her chance to double the lead in the 27th minute and made no mistake, making it 2-0.
The Dash's only clear chance in the first half was from Elin Rubensson who curled a shot toward the top right corner. Thorns goalkeeper Shelby Hogan retreated and tipped it over the bar to make sure it didn’t go in. The first half ended with Portland leading 2-0.
At the start of the second half, the Dash made a quick response to get back in the game. A clever one-two play from Avery Patterson and Alozie made space for the ball to bed crossed into the box. It reached Amanda West who headed it back into the box. Diana Ordonez was there to volley the ball into the goal with her left foot and cut the deficit to 2-1 in the 49th minute.
With the game separated by one goal, both teams tried to get the goal that would make a difference. For the Dash, their best effort came in the 85th minute when Ordonez caught Hogan off guard and tried to place the ball into the net but her attempt went wide.
For the Thorns, it was quite the opposite. Smith ran down the wing on the left and squared the ball to second half sub Olivia Moultrie who curled it past Jane Campbell, making it 3-1. Lastly, Janine Backie got one-on-one with Campbell and scored in stoppage time to seal the game, making it 4-1.
The Dash showed a lot of grit and attacking improvement in this game. Defensively they still need to improve, especially in how to avoid defensive errors. Hopefully, the new signings can improve in that department in time for the next game.
The Dash will be on the road again next week to face expansion team Utah Royals FC on Saturday, April 27. The game is set for 6:30 PM and it will be streaming on NWSL +.
