The 2021 Houston Dash season was the team's eighth season as an American professional women's soccer team in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).
| 2021 season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Head coach | James Clarkson | ||
| Stadium | PNC Stadium (rebranded from BBVA Stadium in June) | ||
| NWSL | 7th | ||
| NWSL Playoffs | DNQ | ||
| Challenge Cup | 3rd, West | ||
| Copa Tejas Shield | 6th | ||
| Top goalscorer | League: Rachel Daly (9) All: Rachel Daly (10) | ||
| Highest home attendance | 4,792 vs. POR (17 October 2021) | ||
| Lowest home attendance | 1,929 vs. POR (24 July 2021) | ||
| Average home league attendance | 3,386 | ||
| Biggest win | 4-0 vs. LOU (26 September 2021) | ||
| Biggest defeat | 5-1 vs. RGN (7 August 2021) | ||
|
| |||
The 2021 NWSL season returned as a full league season after COVID-19 caused the 2020 NWSL season to be limited to the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup and Fall Series. The NWSL continued to showcase the Challenge Cup in 2021, prior to a full league season starting in late April.[1][2]
Background
editThe Dash retained their 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup-winning coach and general manager, James Clarkson, and much of their roster from the previous season.[3]
In June 2021, real-estate developer Ted Segal reportedly paid $400 million to purchase majority ownership of the Houston Dynamo and Dash, and the leasing rights to BBVA Stadium, from Gabriel Brener, who retained a minority stake.[4][5][6]
Six of the Dash's regular starters participated in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, held in July and August. Three Canadian national team members of the Dash returned from the competition as gold medalists: Allysha Chapman, Nichelle Prince, and Sophie Schmidt.[3]
During the 2021 season, current and former players across the league leveled numerous allegations of abuse and misconduct among several teams' coaches and managers. The resulting investigations led to several coaches and managers being fired or asked to resign. Along with other coaching turnover during the 2021 season, Clarkson was the only male coach who started the season to retain his job at the end of it,[3] though he would be suspended at the start of the 2022 Houston Dash season pending an investigation into allegations of misconduct.[7]
Stadium
editThe Dash continued to play in BBVA Stadium in 2022. In June 2021, the stadium was rebranded as PNC Stadium following PNC Financial Services' acquisition of BBVA USA.[8][9]
Player and staff
editRoster
editAs of November 5, 2021[update].[10][11]
| No. | Name | Nationality | Position(s) | Date of birth (age) | Signed in | Previous club | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | ||||||||
| 1 | Jane Campbell |  |
GK | February 17, 1995 | 2017 | Stanford Cardinals |
18 | 0 |
| 20 | Lindsey Harris | |
GK | November 19, 1993 | 2020 |  Klepp |
5 | 0 |
| 33 | Amanda Dennis | |
GK | May 25, 1998 | 2020 | Penn State Nittany Lions |
1 | 0 |
| Defenders | ||||||||
| 2 | Allysha Chapman |  |
DF | January 25, 1989 | 2018 | North Carolina Courage |
16 | 0 |
| 11 | Megan Oyster | |
DF | September 3, 1992 | 2020 | Reign FC |
21 | 0 |
| 21 | Deneisha Blackwood |  |
DF | March 7, 1997 | 2021 | Orlando Pride |
1 | 0 |
| 23 | Abby Dahlkemper[12] | |
DF | May 4, 1993 | 2021 | North Carolina Courage |
8 | 0 |
| 25 | Katie Naughton | |
DF | February 15, 1994 | 2020 |  Perth Glory |
24 | 3 |
| 27 | Annika Schmidt | |
DF | May 4, 1993 | 2021 |  Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC |
0 | 0 |
| Midfielders | ||||||||
| 5 | Gabby Seiler | |
MF | September 14, 1994 | 2021 | Portland Thorns FC |
24 | 2 |
| 6 | Shea Groom | |
MF | May 4, 1993 | 2020 | Reign FC |
24 | 3 |
| 9 | Haley Hanson | |
MF | February 22, 1996 | 2018 | Nebraska Cornhuskers |
? | ? |
| 10 | Christine Nairn | |
MF | September 25, 1990 | 2019 | Orlando Pride |
5 | 0 |
| 13 | Sophie Schmidt | |
MF | June 28, 1998 | 2019 |  FFC Frankfurt |
18 | 0 |
| 14 | Brianna Visalli | |
MF | April 17, 1995 | 2020 |  Birmingham City |
16 | 2 |
| 18 | Emily Ogle | |
MF | August 5, 1996 | 2021 | Portland Thorns FC |
8 | 0 |
| 19 | Kristie Mewis | |
MF | February 25, 1991 | 2017 | Chicago Red Stars |
16 | 3 |
| 29 | Andrea Hauksdóttir |  |
MF | January 28, 1996 | 2021 | Breiðablik |
1 | 0 |
| 33 | Makamae Gomera-Stevens | |
MF | March 17, 1999 | 2021 | Washington State Cougars |
13 | 0 |
| 36 | Amber Marshall | |
MF | January 24, 1999 | 2021 | Utah Royals FC Reserves |
0 | 0 |
| Forwards | ||||||||
| 3 | Rachel Daly | |
FW | December 4, 1991 | 2016 | SoCal FC |
15 | 9 |
| 4 | Maegan Rosa | |
FW | February 19, 1992 | 2020 |  Florentina |
4 | 0 |
| 8 | Nichelle Prince | |
FW | February 15, 1995 | 2017 | Ohio State Buckeyes |
16 | 2 |
| 12 | Veronica Latsko | |
FW | December 12, 1995 | 2018 | Virginia Cavaliers |
22 | 3 |
| 16 | Hannah Diaz | |
FW | February 17, 1996 | 2021 |  FC Fleury 91 |
2 | 0 |
| 22 | Jasmyne Spencer | |
FW | August 27, 1990 | 2021 | OL Reign |
18 | 1 |
| 24 | Jamia Fields | |
FW | September 24, 1993 | 2019 | Avaldsnes IL |
8 | 0 |
| 34 | Michaela Abam |  |
FW | June 12, 1997 | 2021 |  Real Betis |
7 | 1 |
| 35 | Michelle Alozie |  |
FW | April 28, 1997 | 2021 | Tennessee Lady Volunteers |
4 | 0 |
Staff
edit- As of June 22, 2021.[13]
| Executive | |
|---|---|
| Majority owner | Ted Segal |
| Minority owners | Gabriel Brener Oscar De La Hoya Ben Guill James Harden |
| President of business operations | John Walker |
| Coaching Staff | |
| Head coach General manager |
James Clarkson
|
| Assistant coach | Twila Kaufman
|
| Goalkeeping coach | Brenton Saylor
|
Competitions
editNWSL Challenge Cup
editThe Dash returned to defend their title after winning the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup.[14] However, the Dash struggled to win matches and failed to advance from the group stage, claiming victory once and drawing three times to finish third behind OL Reign and eventual champions Portland Thorns FC in the West Division.[15]
| April 9, 2021 | Houston Dash | 0–0 | Chicago Red Stars | Houston, TX |
| 7:30 p.m. CDT | Report | Wright  26' |
Stadium: PNC Stadium Attendance: 4,204 Referee: Tori Penso |
| April 16, 2021 | OL Reign | 0–0 | Houston Dash | Tacoma, WA |
| 7:00 p.m. PDT | Groom 25' |
Report | Weatherholt 23' |
Stadium: Cheney Stadium Attendance: 1,263[16] Referee: Katja Koroleva |
| April 26, 2021 | Kansas City NWSL | 3–1 | Houston Dash | Kansas City, KS |
| 7:30 p.m. CDT | Miramontez 29' Corsie 40'Del Fava 54'Vasconcelos  78' |
Report | Mewis 24', 71' Campbell 34'Daly 45+1'Visalli 58' |
Stadium: Children's Mercy Park Attendance: 4,669[17] Referee: Alyssa Nichols |
| May 2, 2021 | Houston Dash | 1–1 | Portland Thorns FC | Houston, TX |
| 6:30 p.m. CDT | Groom 45+2' 57' Chapman 90+3' |
Report | Sinclair 77' |
Stadium: PNC Stadium Attendance: 3,162 Referee: Elvis Osmanovic |
Divisional standings
edit| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portland Thorns FC | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | +4 | 10 | Qualification for the Championship |
| 2 | OL Reign | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 7 | |
| 3 | Houston Dash | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 6 | |
| 4 | Chicago Red Stars | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 5 | −2 | 2 | |
| 5 | Kansas City | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 8 | −4 | 1 |
National Women's Soccer League season
editThe Dash rose as high as third in the NWSL table during the season, and with three matches remaining required only one point to clinch a first-ever league playoffs berth. However, the Dash lost all three matches, going scoreless in each, and missed the playoffs for the eighth consecutive season.[3]
Results
edit| May 15, 2021 1 | NJ/NY Gotham FC | 1–0 | Houston Dash | Harrison, NJ |
| 7:00 p.m. EDT | Cudjoe 8' Purce 30'Monaghan 73' |
Report | Hanson 66' Prince 68'Daly 81'Schmidt 90+1' |
Stadium: Red Bull Arena Attendance: 1,924[18] |
| May 23, 2021 2 | Houston Dash | 2–2 | Kansas City Current | Houston, TX |
| 6:00 p.m. CDT | Schmidt 57' Daly 60'Groom 66' |
Report | Rodriguez 13' Ball 53'  69'Listro 87'Leach 61' 90+2' |
Stadium: BBVA Stadium Attendance: 3,034 |
| May 26, 2021 3 | Washington Spirit | 2–1 | Houston Dash | Houston, TX |
| 8:30 p.m. EDT | Sanchez 21' Sullivan 44' 50'Hatch 70' 80' |
Report | Daly 9' Hanson 45'Groom 75'Prince 90+5' |
Stadium: BBVA Stadium Attendance: 2,241 |
| Note: Match was relocated from Segra Field in Leesburg, VA, after NWSL officials deemed the stadium to be noncompliant with league requirements. For competition purposes, the Spirit were considered the home team for this match played in the Dash's home venue.[19] | ||||
| May 29, 2021 4 | Houston Dash | 2–1 | Chicago Red Stars | Houston, TX |
| 6:30 p.m. CDT | Prince 18' 69' Mewis 83' |
Report | Pugh 4' Gautrat 59' |
Stadium: BBVA Stadium Attendance: 3,136[20] |
| June 6, 2021 5 | Kansas City NWSL | 0–1 | Houston Dash | Kansas City, KS |
| 1:00 p.m. CDT | Smith 27' |
Report | Prisock 18' Groom 27'Seiler 40'Mewis 52'Naughton 79'Montefusco 89' |
Stadium: Legends Field Attendance: 4,265 |
| June 20, 2021 6 | Racing Louisville FC | 1–0 | Houston Dash | Louisville, KY |
| 3:00 p.m. EDT | Bonner 10' Salmon 72' |
Report | Latsko 7' |
Stadium: Lynn Family Stadium Attendance: 5,971 |
| June 26, 2021 7 | Houston Dash | 2–1 | Orlando Pride | Houston, TX |
| 7:00 p.m. CDT | Sanchez 18' Latsko 26'Hanson 90+5' |
Report | Jónsdóttir 49' Daugherty Howard 56'Marta 90' |
Stadium: PNC Stadium Attendance: 4,693[21] |
| July 2, 2021 8 | Houston Dash | 2–0 | OL Reign | Houston, TX |
| 7:30 p.m. CDT | Prisock 44' Gomera-Stevens 45+2'Spencer 50'Naughton 57'Alozie 90' |
Report | Celia 17' |
Stadium: PNC Stadium Attendance: 4,337 |
| July 11, 2021 9 | Chicago Red Stars | 2–1 | Houston Dash | Bridgeview, IL |
| Groom 73' (o.g.) Naughton 76' (o.g.) |
Report | Latsko 62' Hanson 88' |
Stadium: SeatGeek Stadium Attendance: 2,520[22] |
| July 17, 2021 10 | North Carolina Courage | 1–2 | Houston Dash | Cary, NC |
| 7:00 p.m. EDT | Hamilton 16' Mathias 57'O'Sullivan 61' |
Report | Groom 9' 29' Seiler 62' 69'Visalli 90+5' |
Stadium: WakeMed Soccer Park Attendance: 5,229 |
| July 24, 2021 11 | Houston Dash | 0–1 | Portland Thorns FC | Houston, TX |
| Ogle 64' |
Report | Smith 1' Salem 54'Hubly 62' |
Stadium: PNC Stadium Attendance: 1,929[23] |
| August 1, 2021 12 | Houston Dash | 1–1 | NJ/NY Gotham FC | Houston, TX |
| 6:00 p.m. CDT | Seiler 51' Groom 90+6' |
Report | Onumonu 27' 89' |
Stadium: PNC Stadium Attendance: 3,517 |
| August 7, 2021 13 | OL Reign | 5–1 | Houston Dash | Tacoma, WA |
| 7:00 p.m. PDT | Balcer 6', 45+1' Huerta 19'Le Sommer 35'Fishlock 42' |
Report | Cook 30' (o.g.) Fields 49'Alozie 84' |
Stadium: Cheney Stadium Attendance: 2,922 |
| August 13, 2021 14 | Houston Dash | 2–2 | Washington Spirit | Houston, TX |
| 8:30 p.m. EDT | Latsko 61' 90+4' Fields 67'Abam 83' |
Report | Nielsen 8' Huster 5' 53' |
Stadium: PNC Stadium Attendance: 3,167 |
| August 29, 2021 15 | Houston Dash | 1–0 | Racing Louisville FC | Houston, TX |
| Daly 49' Naughton 73'Visalli 90+7'Hanson 90+8' |
Report | Baucom 68' Simon 82' |
Stadium: PNC Stadium Attendance: 3,292 |
| September 1, 2021 16 | Houston Dash | 0–1 | OL Reign | Houston, TX |
| Montefusco 46' Spencer 54'Daly 68' |
Report | Balcer 7' King 86' |
Stadium: PNC Stadium Attendance: 2,569[24] |
| September 5, 2021 17 | Orlando Pride | 1–1 | Houston Dash | Orlando, FL |
| Howard 70' Kornieck 79' |
Report | Daly 10' 53' Seiler 68' |
Stadium: Exploria Stadium Attendance: 4,451[25] |
| September 10, 2021 18 | Houston Dash | 1–1 | Chicago Red Stars | Houston, TX |
| 7:30 p.m. CDT | Daly 22' Chapman 76' |
Report | Krueger 64' 77' |
Stadium: PNC Stadium Attendance: 3,155 |
| September 26, 2021 19 | Racing Louisville FC | 0–4 | Houston Dash | Louisville, KY |
| 3:00 p.m. EDT | Matthews 16' |
Report | Visalli 34' Mewis 43'Naughton 72'Prince 83' |
Stadium: Lynn Family Stadium Attendance: 6,374 |
| October 6, 2021 20 | Portland Thorns FC | 2–3 | Houston Dash | Portland, OR |
| 7:00 p.m. PDT | Sauerbrunn 17' Sinclair 30'Horan 56'Smith 57' |
Report | Daly 18', 79' Mewis 23' |
Stadium: Providence Park Attendance: 11,139 |
| October 10, 2021 21 | Houston Dash | 4–1 | North Carolina Courage | Houston, TX |
| 6:00 p.m. CDT | Visalli 6' Montefusco 19'Daly 24', 57'Groom 26' |
Report | McDonald 4' Erceg 66' |
Stadium: PNC Stadium Attendance: 4,155 |
| October 13, 2021 22 | Kansas City NWSL | 3–0 | Houston Dash | Kansas City, KS |
| 7:00 p.m. CDT | Jenkins 18' Ball 36'Pickett 87'LaBonta 90+2' |
Report | Spencer 90+4' |
Stadium: Legends Field Attendance: 3,449 |
| October 17, 2021 23 | Houston Dash | 0–1 | Portland Thorns FC | Houston, TX |
| 6:00 p.m. CDT | Chapman 52' |
Report | Horan 43' Rodriguez 60' |
Stadium: PNC Stadium Attendance: 4,792 |
| October 31, 2021 24 | Washington Spirit | 1–0 | Houston Dash | Washington, D.C. |
| Rodman 76' |
Report | Naughton 63' Groom 72' |
Stadium: Audi Field Attendance: 4,542 |
Standings
edit| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portland Thorns FC | 24 | 13 | 5 | 6 | 33 | 17 | +16 | 44 | NWSL Shield |
| 2 | OL Reign | 24 | 13 | 3 | 8 | 37 | 24 | +13 | 42 | Playoffs – Semi-finals |
| 3 | Washington Spirit (C) | 24 | 11 | 6 | 7 | 29 | 26 | +3 | 39 | Playoffs – First round |
| 4 | Chicago Red Stars | 24 | 11 | 5 | 8 | 28 | 28 | 0 | 38 | |
| 5 | NJ/NY Gotham FC | 24 | 8 | 11 | 5 | 29 | 21 | +8 | 35 | |
| 6 | North Carolina Courage | 24 | 9 | 6 | 9 | 28 | 23 | +5 | 33 | |
| 7 | Houston Dash | 24 | 9 | 5 | 10 | 31 | 31 | 0 | 32 | |
| 8 | Orlando Pride | 24 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 27 | 32 | −5 | 28 | |
| 9 | Racing Louisville FC | 24 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 21 | 40 | −19 | 22 | |
| 10 | Kansas City | 24 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 15 | 36 | −21 | 16 |
International Champions Cup
editBy virtue of being the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup champions, the Women's International Champions Cup invited the Dash to the 2021 friendly exhibition tournament, staged on 18–21 August 2021 in Portland, Oregon. The Dash were joined by 2020 NWSL Fall Series winners Portland Thorns FC, 2019-20 UEFA Women's Champions League and 2019–20 Division 1 Féminine winners Olympique Lyon, and 2019–20 Primera División Femenina winners FC Barcelona Femení.[26] The Dash drew against the Thorns in regulation of the semi-final match, but lost in a penalty shootout.[27] The Dash also fell in the third-place match against FC Barcelona, despite rallying to a 2–1 lead in the second half.[28]
Results
edit| August 18, 2021 Semi-final | Portland Thorns FC | 2–2 (3–1 p) | Houston Dash | Portland, OR |
| 20:06 PDT | Report |
|
Stadium: Providence Park Referee: Adorae Monroy | |
| Penalties | ||||
|
||||
| August 21, 2021 Third place play-off | Barcelona | 3–2 | Houston Dash | Portland, OR |
| 16:36 PDT |
|
Report | Stadium: Providence Park Referee: Samantha Martinez |
Bracket
edit| Semi-finals | Final | |||||
| August 18 – Portland | ||||||
| Lyon | 3 | |||||
| August 21 – Portland | ||||||
| Barcelona | 2 | |||||
| Lyon | 0 | |||||
| August 18 – Portland | ||||||
| Portland Thorns FC | 1 | |||||
| Portland Thorns FC (p) | 2 (3) | |||||
| Houston Dash | 2 (1) | |||||
| Third place play-off | ||||||
| August 21 – Portland | ||||||
| Barcelona | 3 | |||||
| Houston Dash | 2 | |||||
References
edit- ^ "NWSL Announces Innovative 2021 Competition Framework" (Press release). National Women's Soccer League. November 18, 2020. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
- ^ Molinaro, John (May 13, 2021). "2021 NWSL season preview: Everything you need to know". Sportsnet. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
- ^ a b c d Roepken, Corey (December 24, 2021). "Dash year in review: Great expectations but a disappointing finish". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
- ^ Young, Matt (June 22, 2021). "Meet Ted Segal, the man who paid a reported $400 million for Dynamo, Dash". chron.com. Houston Chronicle. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
- ^ Carlisle, Jeff (May 19, 2021). "Sources: Houston Dynamo, Dash near $400 million sale to Ted Segal". ESPN. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
- ^ Stejskal, Sam (June 24, 2021). "Q&A: New Houston Dash, Dynamo owner Ted Segal on why he bought in and his goals for both teams". The Athletic. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
- ^ "Houston Dash suspend head coach, general manager James Clarkson amid harassment investigation". ESPN.com. Reuters. April 27, 2022. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
- ^ "PNC Completes Acquisition of BBVA USA" (Press release). PNC Financial Services. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
- ^ Mathews, Chris (December 21, 2021). "PNC eyes more growth in Houston in 2022 following conversion of BBVA USA". Houston Business Journal. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
- ^ "Club – Players". Houston Dynamo. Archived from the original on November 5, 2021. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
- ^ "Statistics". National Women's Soccer League. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
- ^ Hruby, Emma (September 2, 2021). "Abby Dahlkemper makes first Houston Dash start". Just Women's Sports. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
- ^ "Team Staff". Houston Dynamo. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
- ^ Herrera, Sandra (July 20, 2020). "Houston Dash win 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup over Chicago Red Stars for franchise's first trophy". CBS Sports. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
- ^ Coffman, Lauren (May 15, 2021). "Three Things We've Learnt from Houston Dash Challenge Cup Run". Her Football Hub. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
- ^ "OL Reign vs. Houston - Football Match Summary - April 16, 2021". ESPN. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
- ^ "Kansas City Current vs. Houston - Football Match Summary - April 26, 2021". ESPN. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
- ^ "NJ/NY Gotham FC vs. Houston - Football Match Summary - May 15, 2021". ESPN. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
- ^ Liss-Roy, Anna; Haynes, Darren (May 24, 2021). "Fans upset after Washington Spirit moves home opener to Houston". WUSA 9. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
- ^ "Houston vs. Chicago Red Stars - Football Match Summary - May 29, 2021". ESPN. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
- ^ "Houston vs. Orlando Pride - Football Match Summary - June 26, 2021". ESPN. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
- ^ "Chicago Red Stars vs. Houston - Football Match Summary - July 11, 2021". ESPN. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
- ^ "Houston vs. Portland Thorns FC - Football Match Summary - July 24, 2021". ESPN. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
- ^ "Houston vs. OL Reign - Football Match Summary - September 1, 2021". ESPN. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
- ^ "Orlando Pride vs. Houston Dash - Football Match Summary - September 5, 2021". ESPN. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
- ^ Roepken, Corey (August 17, 2021). "Dash get ready to take on the world's best". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
- ^ Brown, Tim (August 18, 2022). "Thorns win penalty kick shootout over Houston Dash in Women's International Champions Cup play: Video highlights, live updates recap". The Oregonian. Retrieved August 3, 2022.
- ^ Lloyd-Hughes, Theo (August 21, 2021). "Houston Dash put up a fight but fall 3-2 to Barcelona in third place match at WICC". The Striker. Retrieved August 3, 2022.