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NWSL Houston Dash

Houston Dynamo FC and Houston Dash Return to Shell Energy Stadium, D2 Heads to Austin

July 6, 2023 - National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
Houston Dash News Release


HOUSTON - Both Houston Dynamo FC and the Houston Dash return to Shell Energy Stadium this weekend to face a pair of Midwest foes. Houston Dynamo 2 travels to the state capital to take on Austin FC II for the final time this season.

WHO: Houston Dash vs Chicago Red Stars Houston Dynamo 2 at Austin FC II Houston Dynamo FC vs Sporting Kansas City

WHEN: Friday, July 7 - 7:30 p.m. CT Friday, July 7 -8:00 p.m. CT Saturday, July 8 - 7:30 p.m. CT

STREAM/TV: STREAM: Paramount+

Play-by-play:

JP Dellacamera

Color Commentary: Lianne Sanderson MLS Season Pass on Apple TV

Play-by-play: David Gass MLS Season Pass on Apple TV

English: Dre Cordero and Jamie Watson

Spanish: Raul Guzman and Sonny Guadarrama

RADIO: ENGLISH: ESPN 97.5 FM (Glenn Davis and Bobby Boswell)

SPANISH: TUDN Deportes Houston 93.3 FM (Daniel Mejia and Cesar Procel)

DASH CELEBRATE HISPANIC HERITAGE NIGHT ON FRIDAY

After back-to-back road games in Los Angeles and North Carolina, the Houston Dash return home to Shell Energy Stadium on Friday to host Chicago Red Stars for Hispanic Heritage Night. The match is slated to kick off at 7:30 p.m. CT.

Houston enters the match following a 1-0 loss to North Carolina at WakeMed Soccer Park last Saturday. The Dash enter the match without six players due to international duty as teams from around the globe continue to prepare for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup later this month.

Houston defeated the Red Stars 2-0 in the last meeting between both teams on May 3 in the 2023 UKG NWSL Challenge Cup. Midfielder and Katy native, Bárbara Olivieri, scored her first NWSL goal in the fifth minute to give Houston the early lead. Forward Diana Ordóñez added another goal from the penalty spot in the 72nd minute to extend Houston's lead.

Houston will celebrate Hispanic Heritage night at Shell Energy Stadium tomorrow. Houston has six players with ties to the Hispanic community and that includes the Mexican trio of forward Diana Ordóñez, forward María Sánchez and goalkeeper Emily Alvarado. Additionally, Olivieri has represented Venezuela on the international stage at the youth and senior level. The list also includes Brazilian midfielder Andressa Alves and Jamaican midfielder Havana Solaun, who will be with their respective national teams.

The Dash have signed midfielder Hope Breslin to a National Team Replacement Player (NTRP) contract following the departure of six players who will represent the Dash at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand later this month. Breslin, who joined the Dash earlier this year as a non-roster invitee during Houston's preseason training camp and played eight games with Angel City FC during the 2022 NWSL regular season, will be available for selection ahead of tomorrow's match.

Chicago enters Friday's match following a 1-0 win over San Diego Wave FC at home. Forward Ella Stevens scored the game-winning goal in the first minute of first half stoppage time. The Red Stars currently sit at the bottom of the NWSL standings with a 4-9-1 (WLD) overall record. Through 14 games this season, the Red Stars have allowed 33 goals.

Houston will travel to Kansas City on July 22 to take on the Current for the second game in 2023 UKG NWSL Challenge Cup group play. The Dash return home to Shell Energy Stadium on July 29 to host Racing Louisville FC for the final home match of 2023 UKG NWSL Challenge Cup group play.

DYNAMO RETURN TO SHELL ENERGY STADIUM

Houston Dynamo FC return to Shell Energy Stadium to host Sporting Kansas City for the second time this year. The Club will celebrate its first ever Alumni Weekend and fans will have the opportunity to meet with 16 former Dynamo players throughout the game on Saturday. Alumni include two-time MLS Cup champion Brad Davis, 2018 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup champion AJ DeLaGarza and the all-time leading scorer in club history, Brian Ching.

Saturday's festivities include a pregame recognition ceremony for former Dynamo captain Oscar Boniek Garcia, who retired from professional soccer earlier this year. Garcia spent a decade patrolling the midfield for the Dynamo and finished with 13 goals and 39 assists across 235 MLS matches. The midfielder led the team to the 2012 MLS Cup final, the 2013 Eastern Conference final and the Western Conference final in 2017. The midfielder won the 2018 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and returned to his native Honduras at the end of the 2021 season. Garcia's finished his professional career by winning the Clausura 2023 title, his sixth club title, earlier this year with Club Olimpia.

Houston looks to bounce back after closing a two-game road trip with a loss against Seattle Sounders FC on July 1. The Dynamo held firm but went down to 10 players in the second half and conceded the lone goal of the match later in the second half.

The all-time series in the regular season is tied with 13 victories for each team and 14 draws. Houston snapped a three-game losing streak in the series on Sept. 10, 2022, the last regular season match between both sides, with a 0-0 draw. Houston enters with an 8-5-7 edge in the all-time series at home.

Kansas City enters the match with four victories in their last eight games and a 4-2-2 record in that stretch. A considerable turnaround after entering with one victory in their last eight games for the match against the Dynamo in May. Since then, Alan Pulido has earned Player of the Month honors after scoring six goals and adding an assist in June.

Houston will close the two-game homestand on Wednesday when they host Minnesota United FC at 7:30 p.m. CT. For tickets and additional information, visit HoustonDynamoFC.com.

DYNAMO DOS CLOSES OUT TWO-GAME ROAD STRETCH IN AUSTIN

Houston Dynamo 2 will head to the state capital for the second time this season on Friday to face in-state rival Austin FC II. Houston enters the match in search of crucial points following a 1-0 loss to Tacoma Defiance last Sunday.

Houston and Austin have split the season series at one win apiece. Most recently, at SaberCats Stadium on May 28,2023 Dynamo Dos defeated Austin 2-0. Midfielders Diego Gonzalez and Charles Auguste scored in the second half to give the home side the lead and ultimately three points. Goalkeeper Andrew Pannenberg made four saves in the match to preserve the shutout and earn his second clean sheet of the season.

Gonzalez has been a key player for the Houston Dynamo 2 team this season, playing all but one match this year. The second-year player has emerged as the leading goal scorer for Dynamo 2. Gonzalez has been with the Houston Dynamo since he was 13 years old when he joined the Houston Dynamo Academy. Gonzalez captained the Houston Dynamo Academy U-20 squad for the majority of 2022 while starting seven games in 19 appearances for Dynamo 2 in 2022.

Austin enters Friday's match after a scoreless draw in regulation against Real Monarchs. Austin FC II was able to secure the extra point after beating Real Monarchs in the penalty shootout. Austin is led by midfielders Valentin Noël and David Rodríguez who have each scored five goals this season.

Dynamo Dos returns home to SaberCats Stadium on Sunday, July 16 to host in-state rival North Texas SC for the first time this season.

Here are three key points ahead of the three fixtures: ‚ ‚ ‚

DYNAMO RETURN TO SHELL ENERGY STADIUM: Houston enters the match with a 7-1-1 record at home this season and the team has earned two additional victories at Shell Energy Stadium in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. One of those victories came against Sporting Kansas City in the Round of 32. Forward Thor Ulfarsson scored the lone goal of the match in the 12th minute and Houston tallied their seventh clean sheet of the year. The team will look for their eighth victory of the season at home and an opportunity to finish the weekend in a top five spot in the Western Conference.

DASH vs CHICAGO: The Dash have won four straight matches across all competitions against Chicago, most recently with a victory at home in May in the UKG NWSL Challenge Cup, in which the Dash scored two unanswered goals enroute to a clean sheet. Houston opened its road slate on April 1, 2023, in Bridgeview with a 2-1 win. Last year, the Dash swept Red Stars in both matches during the 2022 regular season.

FACING A FOE FOR THE FINAL TIME: Dynamo Dos opened the 2023 MLS NEXT Pro regular season against Austin FC II on March 24, 2023, in Austin. The match resulted in a 2-1 loss for Dynamo Dos. Nearly two months later in Houston, the script was flipped with Dynamo beating Austin after putting two goals of their own in the back of the net. Dynamo Dos has had a strong road record this campaign, scoring 13 goals and earning four wins this season.

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