Match Forecast: Reign FC Travels to Houston to Take on the Dash
After a match at home, Seattle Reign FC is back on the road, this time traveling to Houston, Texas to take on the Dash. This is the first of two meetings between the teams this season and the first meeting between the clubs since June 2023.
WHEN AND WHERE: Seattle Reign FC kickoff is at 5:30 p.m. PT at Shell Energy Stadium in Houston, Texas.
WHERE TO WATCH: Fans can tune in to NWSL+, KING5+ or KONG to watch the match, or locally at Rough & Tumble Pub in Ballard, Doyle’s Public House in Tacoma and more.
2024 NWSL REGULAR SEASON RECORDS AND STANDINGS (W-L-D): Seattle Reign FC: 5-10-5 (20 points, 11th place), Houston Dash: 3-12-5 (14 points, 14th place)
Key Points Ahead of the Match:
1. LAST MEETING – Seattle Reign FC and Houston Dash last met in the summer of the 2023, battling to a scoreless draw at Shell Energy Stadium. The match marked just the second scoreless game between the two teams in league history. Prior to that meeting, the Reign downed the Dash 2-0 at Lumen Field thanks to second half goals from forwards Veronica Latsko and Jordyn Huitema. The club is currently unbeaten in its last three matches against the Dash.
“We know it's a really important game for us that's coming up, so we're ready to prepare to give it our all and we want to get away with three points," said Seattle Reign FC defender Hanna Glas, who recently made her club debut.
2. SCOUTING HOUSTON – The Dash are currently in 14th place in the NWSL standings with 14 points on the season. Most recently, Houston fell 3-0 to the Washington Spirit. The Texas-based side first conceded a penalty kick, which Ashely Hatch stepped up to convert, before allowing another goal from Hatch and a goal from Trinity Rodman.
Houston currently has eight players out for the match – Ramona Bachman (thigh), Belle Briede (concussion), Natalie Jacobs (concussion), Katie Lind (maternity leave), Havana Solaun (knee), Tarciane (shoulder) Kiki Van Zanten (SEI - foot) and Amanda West (D45 - Three players are questionable for the match – Madison Ayson (foot), Paige Nielsen (calf) and Sophie Schmidt (lower leg).
“I think, in the Gotham game, we struggled to get pressure on the ball. So, I believe that that's always an indicator for us of how we can set the tone in a game. So, I think just getting ourselves on the front foot and making sure that we can really set the tone on both sides of the ball. Houston's a tough place to do that because of the heat. But we have a good roster here, so whoever starts the game, even if they can't finish it, we know we've got legs on the bench that can come on and take on that responsibility," said Seattle Reign FC Head Coach Laura Harvey.
“We felt like defensively, we were in a bit of bad positions and also offensively, our decision-making in the last third and the quality in the last third has to be a lot better. So, we talked about that, looked at what we're going to do better and then hopefully, we can show it against Houston,” said Glas.
3. PICKING UP POINTS – In the final six matches of the season, it’s crucial for the Reign to pick up every point possible. Each NWSL side brings a different test for the Reign, and it will be critical to remain focused on bringing high quality play both in the attack and on defense. Though Houston is traditionally a tough place to play, the team is up to the challenge.
"The reality is, the next five games are the most important ones, beginning with tomorrow, because of who we're playing and what that means. So yeah, Houston's been somewhere that's always difficult to come - the weather conditions are always a challenge, but we're excited. And yeah, we've trained and it was pretty good. So yeah, looking forward to [the match],” said Harvey.
MultiCare Availability Report:
OUT
Ryanne Brown (SEI – knee)
Jess Fishlock (leg)
Olivia Van der Jagt (excused absence)
QUESTIONABLE
Jordyn Huitema (Illness)
INTERNATIONAL
Emeri Adames (USA)
Jordyn Bugg (USA)