Dash, Royals to face off on Sunday night

The Houston Dash host the Utah Royals on Sunday night. The game will be the inaugural Salute to Women Veterans night.

Houston won their last game, against the Washington Spirit 1-0, after a rain delay pushed the game to the next morning. The lone game of the game came from the one and only Rachel Daly. The goal puts her at seven goals for the season making her one of the top goal scorers in the league this season.

The Royals failed to win a game in the month of July. Their last game on July 20 was a 0-0 draw against top of the league North Carolina Courage. Their last win in June was a 3-1 victory over Sky Blue. The Royals have struggled on both sides of the ball, but scoring has been an issue for the squad. Katie Stengel leads the team with three goals scored this season.

However, Utah’s recent struggles doesn’t guarantee a victory for the Dash. The Royals defeated them 1-0 back in May thanks to a goal from Erika Tymrak. The Royals dominated possession in the game which forced the Dash to try and rely on the counter attack. In March the two played to a 0-0 draw.

As for the NWSL standings, the Dash currently sit in sixth place. Their recent see-saw battle with winning and losing has preventing them from climbing the standings as they sit on 23 points. The Royals are just below them in seventh place with 22 points. A win for the Royals would help push them up in the standings and past the Dash. A win wouldn’t be enough to catch fifth place where the Red Stars currently sit with 28 points but it would help draw them closer.

Things kick off at BBVA on Sunday night at 7:30 pm CT.