Dash vs Chicago Red Stars: Highlights, stats, and quotes
(image via Houston Dash)
The Houston Dash earned their first win of the 2023 UKG NWSL Challenge Cup with a 2-0 win over the Chicago Red Stars Wednesday night at Shell Energy Stadium. Bárbara Olivieri scored her first goal for the club and Diana Ordóñez scored from the spot.
MATCH SUMMARY
Houston Dash 2 – 0 Chicago Red Stars
Wednesday, May 3, 2023
Venue: Shell Energy Stadium - Houston, Texas
Referee: Adorae Monroy
Assistants: Nicholas Seymour, Rhett Hammil
Fourth Official: Sean Caouette
VAR: Guido Gonzales, Jr.
Attendance: 3,696
Weather: 85 degrees, sunny
SCORING SUMMARY
HOU: Bárbara Olivieri (María Sánchez) 5’
HOU: Diana Ordóñez (penalty kick) 72’
DISCIPLINE SUMMARY
CHI: Yuki Nagasato (caution; foul) 33’
HOU: Madelyn Desiano (caution; foul) 68’
HOU: Bárbara Olivieri (caution; foul) 86’
LINEUPS & STATS
Houston Dash: Jane Campbell; Allysha Chapman (Lindsi Jennings 76), Jyllissa Harris Katie Lind, Caprice Dydasco (Madelyn Desiano 66) Sophie Schmidt (C) (Marisa Viggiano 66), Bárbara Olivieri, Sophie Hirst; Michelle Alozie, Diana Ordóñez (Ebony Salmon 76), Maria Sanchez (Courtney Petersen 66)
Unused Substitutes: Emily Alvarado, Savanah Madden, Havana Solaun, Natalie Jacobs
Total shots: 20
Shots on goal: 4
Fouls: 11
Offside: 3
Corner kicks: 6
Saves: 2
Chicago Red Stars: Alyssa Naeher; Bianca St-Georges, Casey Kruger, Tatum Milazzo (Tierna Davidson 46); Jenna Bike, Yuki Nagasato (Ella Stevens 85), Brenna Lovera (Ally Schlegel 76), Arin Wright; Sarah Griffith (Jill Aguilera 55), Julia Bianchi, Sam Fisher (Sandra Starke 55)
Unused substitutes: Emily Boyd, Sophie Jones, Amanda Kowalski, Taylor Malham
Total shots: 9
Shots on goal: 2
Fouls: 14
Offside: 3
Corner kicks: 1
Saves: 2
HOUSTON DASH HEAD COACH SAM LAITY
On the game compared to the last home game:
“The team redeemed itself from the performance we were looking for a long time. I was just thinking, why were we so flat against North Carolina? That was surprising because we hadn't seen that throughout the whole preseason. So, at the time, it's a 30-minute blip on the season so far that didn't define who we are. But really, it will be defined by how we react to that. I felt that with a couple of changes tonight, we reacted pretty well. Good intensity, we played with urgency. Towards the end of the first half, we started to slow things down a little bit too much, but I think was a good reaction. A good reaction from the team, an important one.”
On Wednesday matches:
“It’s been very difficult. I saw Chicago tonight, they rotate their team quite a bit. We were in the same position two weeks ago against Kansas City. We made eight changes to our starting team because we had to prepare for a massive game in Washington. It’s not great, especially so early in the season where we're playing three games a week, you know, two weeks into the season. Puts a lot of pressure on the clubs and puts a lot of pressure on the players who really haven't got into a rhythm yet. Not a fitness level yet to be sustaining three games a week. A different challenge, so I've learned a lot as a head coach in this period, about some processes that maybe we do differently. I think we did a good job of rotating players in this period and except for the first 30 minutes against North Carolina. I feel that the rotations have benefited us short term and long term.”
On how the team is preparing for the Texas heat:
“I hear that every day and people say it's hot, but it's going to be nothing. We need to use that to our advantage in the coming weeks. We want this place to be a cauldron, it needs to be very, very challenging for teams to come here. It needs to be very, very difficult. We need to be one step ahead of them before they step foot on the field, and we can use the weather to our advantage if we if we can play with intensity and urgency. Don't slow the game down too much.”
On the first goal of the game:
“Barbara [Olivieri] is a creative player and a flair player. She has a lot to learn, especially on the defensive side of the game, but she has got talent. She can change games with a little drop of the shoulder and a through ball, a shot or a cross. She's a player that we've looked at and thought that she can contribute on the attacking end off the field and she proved that today. We see it all the time in training. She was a set back by a little injury she had about a month or so ago. She's a she's a bright prospect. Still plenty of work to be done, especially at this level on a regular basis but very happy with where she's at. I think the goal represented some rare qualities and I think when you've got a player like [Maria] Sanchez on the field that can deliver balls like that, that's something that we've talked about this week. We've got to find other ways for us to be dangerous and dynamic. With the service that we have from Sanchez, Caprice [Dydasco] and even [Madelyn] Desiano, we can be a big threat and that could be another layer to our game where teams can be caught under pressure.”
On how the players reacted after slowing down a bit in the first half:
“The second half, we get the second goal and the game changes a little bit. It takes a little bit of steam out then it opens them up a little bit more. We've had players that started the first game today at this level. You know, we ran out of gas a little bit at times, but I thought we did an okay job of managing again. It's not going to be perfect. It might not be perfect in the season, but it'll be closer to perfect than it is right now.”
HOUSTON DASH MIDFIELDER BÁRBARA OLIVIERI
On scoring her first career NWSL goal:
“I’m pretty sure it was a deflection off one of our players. I don’t remember clearly. I just remember getting that clean touch and seeing the ball go in the back of the net. It felt so good because we were attacking. We were there. Getting that first goal for our confidence, especially after the last game and that whole situation, was kind of like okay, we are in it. This is what we came here to do and felt really nice. So, having family there too was great to see.”
On the mood in the locker room after the win:
“After the last game we were just hungry to play this game back home. We were getting a little bit of a revenge game to fix our errors that had last time and come in strong, come in confident and we did that. We were basically in their half the whole time.”
On the second half:
“Yeah, I mean our backline and Jane [Campbell] kept a clean sheet and incredible saves. The backline was super organized and aggressive. So much credit to everyone on the field. These three points in a Challenge Cup game are huge for confidence here at home. Going into the travel schedule with our heads held up and going in with the same energy on Saturday.”
On the sentimental value of scoring at home:
“Yeah, it was definitely surreal. Coming here for the first exhibition match and then the feeling of seeing the ball go in the back of the net was great. So, yeah, definitely crazy, really exciting.”
On her connection with forward María Sánchez on and off the pitch:
“I mean, it’s huge. We all have a really good connection building. That family vibe. I mean that’s the biggest thing, knowing who you are playing with, and that chemistry is super important. Obviously, it really does help with the flow of the game.”
