Houston Dash vs North Carolina Courage Preview: Houston hit the road looking for a win

The Houston Dash are on the road this weekend to play the North Carolina Courage. This game will be the first time that the two clubs have faced each other this season. The two were supposed to meet a few week ago but the game had to be postponed due to Hurricane Harvey.

Last weekend the Dash played their home game against the Seattle Reign in Frisco, TX due to the hurricane. The Dash lost that game 1-0 after Merritt Mathias scored in the 50th minute of the game. While it is still mathematically possible for the Dash to make the playoffs the loss pretty much ended the Dash’s chances of making the playoffs. While the Dash currently sit in eighth place with 23 points it is a very different story for the Courage who have clinched a playoff spot and sit in first place in the NWSL with 42 points.

The two squads are currently 1-2 for shots taken this season. The Courage has 267 shots this season to Houston’s 235 shots. Both teams have 114 shots on goal this season. The Courage have 30 goals this season while the Dash have ten less this season. The major separation between the two comes from the goals allowed this season. The Courage have allowed, league lowest, 18 goals this season while the Dash have allowed 30 goals this season.

After multiple moves during the trade window the Dash are once again playing with a lot of new faces including Kristie Mewis. The team has been playing without Carli Lloyd who has been suffering from a sprained ankle. The Dash are averaging one goal per game and have had a number of different goal scorers this season. Poliana is currently their top goal scorer on the squad with four goals this season.

The Courage roster has several familiar faces for Dash fans including Denise O’Sullivan and Jessica McDonald. The squad has multiple goal scorers that defense will need to shut down. Lynn Williams has scored six goals this season and Sam Mewis and Ashley Hatch are each just one goal behind her with five goals apiece. The Courage are averaging 1.5 goals per game.

The two are set to face off at 6:30 pm CT on Saturday.