Houston Dash drop heart breaker to Chicago Red Stars, 3-2

Rachel Daly (3) scored her fourth goal of the season, in
the 86th minute, for the Houston Dash.
Photo by Darla S Tamulitis, La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2017, All Rights Reserved

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2017 All Rights Reserved

HOUSTON, TEXAS (September 23, 2017) In their final home game of 2017, the Houston Dash (7-13-2, 23 points) fell behind in the first half, but their second half rally was not enough as they fell to the Chicago Red Stars (11-6-6, 39 points) by the score of 3-2 on Saturday evening. The 6,707 fans in the stands at BBVA Compass Stadium saw Houston hold the Red Stars scoreless in the second half, but their two goals were not enough to overcome Chicago's three-goal first half.

The Red Stars jumped on the scoreboard in the 13th minute when forward Jennifer Hoy took a cross from defender Casey Short and scored on her own rebound for the first goal of the game. They added their second goal seven minutes later when Short scored from a short angle after Dash goalkeeper Jane Campbell allowed a corner kick to slip through her hands. Four minutes later,

Chicago's Yuki Nagasato react to
her red card in the 89th minute.
Photo by Darla S Tamulitis
La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2017, All Rights Reserved

Houston cut the Chicago lead to one when defender and team captain Amber Brooks converted a penalty for the goal; her first of the season. The Red Stars got back the two-goal lead in added-time of the first half when forward and captain Christian Press converted a penalty kick. Houston scored their second goal in the 85th minute, from forward Rachel Daly, with an assist from midfielder Kristie Mewis.

In the 89th minute, Chicago midfielder Yuki Nagasato received a red card for a hard take down of Daly. She entered the game three minutes earlier as a substitute for Alyssa Mautz. Nagasato She will not be eligible for the Red Stars next weekend, but wiill be available for the playoffs.

After the game,  Dash interim coach Omar Morales was quoted, "There were times in the game we played really well. There were times in the game we didn't play very well. There is an old Western movie 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.' There was a lot of that."

Houston was still without the services of Kealia Ohai and Carli Lloyd. Ohai is out with a torn ACL in her left knee and Lloyd is suffering from a left ankle strain.

The Dash have two remaining games in 2017; a Wednesday, September 27 match up against the North Carolina Courage at H-E-B Par in Edinburg, Texas. When asked about the Dash playing their next game in Edinburg, Morales responded:

“Yeah I mean it’s a decision that was made and we can’t control it, so we have to go down there and play in Edinburg and make the best of it and make it a home game and make it as much of a home game as we can with inside of the locker room and with the players and make sure that we come out and perform in the way that we performed at certain times tonight. I think if we do that we will get a result.”

Houston will finish the regular season in Kansas City with a 5 p.m. EDT game against FC Kansas City on Saturday, September 23.