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Fresh off a massive three points thanks to a Rachel Daly rocket, the Houston Dash are back in action on Friday night as they host Reign FC on the big stage. The match is set to kick off at 6:00 PM CT and will be broadcast on ESPNEWS.
The 1-0 win over Sky Blue FC on Sunday kicked off a stretch in which Houston play three of four at home and can really make strides toward securing a spot in the playoffs. A win, combined with a Washington loss, would see them jump both the Spirit and Reign into fourth on the table.
They produced several quality chances on the counter early in the previous match and could have led by more if not for a bit of sloppy finishing. The opposition held the advantage in terms of possession and passes completed, but it didn’t equate to anything in the final third as they finished the night without a single attempt on Jane Campbell’s goal.
A reinforcement for the back line arrived during the week, as the club announced on Tuesday they had acquired defender Ally Haran off waivers. The former Reign draft pick most recently suited up for the North Carolina Courage after playing in Iceland, but she parted ways with the squad on July 18.
The visitors currently sit just ahead of the Dash in fifth place with one more point earned, although they have played two fewer matches. They were on a tear from the middle of June to the start of July, winning three and drawing once in four matches, but they’ve seen their form take a dip of late. A pair of shutout losses – 2-0 to North Carolina and 4-0 to Chicago - will certainly have them coming out strong in search of a positive result.
On July 24 Susie Rantz of Ride of the Valkyries wrote a thorough breakdown of the Reign squad and how each player has contributed so far this season. Meanwhile, there is speculation that Reign coach Vlatko Andonovski could potentially be appointed to lead the U.S. women’s national team following the departure of Jill Ellis. The Macedonian-American tactician has been at the helm in the Pacific Northwest since November of 2017.
Friday’s fixture is the third and final meeting between the teams this season, so a win for either side will give them bragging rights in the series until the 2020 campaign.