Dashing their way to glory: Houston鈥檚 path to the NWSL Challenge Cup crown
HOUSTON (BVM) 鈥� After a successful inaugural season, the NWSL was looking to expand. By selling refundable deposits to fans and with the help from the MLS鈥� Houston Dynamo, the city was well on its way to securing an NWSL expansion team.
Reaction to has been so strong, we'll be sending out link for season tix deposit soon. Results from this will help us decide.
— Chris Canetti (@ChrisCanetti)
On Dec. 11, 2013, the city of Houston won the bid for an expansion team. The following season, the Dash made their league debut and finished last in the league with a record of 5-16-3 and 18 total points.
In 2015, the Dash would find themselves in a race for a playoff spot. With a record of 6-8-6 and 24 total points, the squad finished just six points behind the Washington Spirit for the last playoff spot. Since the 2016 season, the Dash have a total record of 29-46-17 and 104 total points.
Although the records may not be appealing to most, the city of Houston and the fans have continued to support their team. Over six seasons, the average attendance for a Dash game was 4,808. With a capacity of 7,000, the Dash continue to fill roughly 70% of BBVA Compass Stadium.聽
Not only do the Dash remain popular in Houston,
With the COVID-19 outbreak, the 2020 NWSL season was put on hold. For almost two months, teams were eagerly awaiting a startup plan. Finally, on May 27, the NWSL announced it would be playing a 25-game tournament in Utah called the Challenge Cup. From June 27-July 26, the whole league would participate in this tournament.
Starting qualification play on June 30, the Houston Dash had 200-to-1 odds to win the tournament. The Dash started play with a draw against Utah Royals FC. Following a win against OL Reign, Houston would drop two games to Sky Blue FC and the Washington Spirit.聽
Once the qualification rounds were completed, the knockout stage ensued. Here, the Dash were awarded the No. 4 seed as qualification play ended. In the quarterfinals, the Dash would face off against the No. 5-seeded Utah Royals. Following a full 90 minutes, plus stoppage time, with no goals, both squads would face off in a penalty shootout.聽
Here, goalkeeper Jane Campbell, who has a rich history of stopping penalty shots, would flourish. After stopping a crucial shot in the third round, Campbell strengthened Houston’s chances of moving on to the semifinals. In the final round of the shootout, Campbell solidified those chances as she stopped yet another shot.
In the semifinal round, the Dash would face No. 8-seeded Portland Thorns FC. Portland, who has the second-most championships in NWSL history, would look to capture the Challenge Cup title. Around the 68:30 mark, captain Rachel Daly put the dash in front. Houston was able to maintain its 1-0 advantage until the final whistle and moved on to the NWSL Challenge Cup Final.
In the championship match, the Dash were the underdog facing the Chicago Red Stars and former captain Kealia Watt, who had been traded to Chicago in January, and 2019 U.S. Female Soccer Player of Year Julie Ertz.聽
Three minutes into the match, Houston鈥檚 Kristie Mewis was tackled in the penalty box and Sophie Schmidt was given the assignment of taking the penalty shot. Schmidt capitalized on the free shot to give the Dash a 1-0 lead early. As the match raged on, each team had a chance to score and could not put the ball in the back of the net. When the first minute of stoppage time rolled around, Shea Groom scored Houston鈥檚 second goal and the championship was within grasp.
When the final whistle blew, Houston rushed the field, and the celebration commenced.聽
鈥�I said that we may not have the strongest squad, but we want to be the best team,鈥� second-year head coach James Clarkson . 鈥�I think collectively over these four weeks, I think we’ve proved that we’ve got the best team spirit, the best camaraderie and we’re the best team.鈥�
CHALLENGE CUP CHAMPIONS 馃弳
— Houston Dash (@HoustonDash)
Whether or not the Challenge Cup is the only contest in 2020, the Houston Dash are champions.聽
鈥淭hese are exciting times, and hopefully we continue them, grow the fan base and really make Houston a destination that people want to come and play,鈥� Clarkson said.
Whether or not the Challenge Cup is the only contest in 2020, the Houston Dash are champions.聽
鈥淭hese are exciting times, and hopefully we continue them, grow the fan base and really make Houston a destination that people want to come and play,鈥� Clarkson said.
