Houston Dash lost 1-0 its first match of the NWSL regular season. They were defeated by the NC Courage 1-0 in a short match at Shell Energy Stadium.
In a match that lasted only 52 minutes due to severe weather in the Houston area, the Courage, that was winning the match when the match was stopped, took the three points to North Carolina. The match was cancelled because the NWSL has a rule that states that a match will be cancelled if it is delayed over three hours and the first half of the game was played in its totality. This is the third time tis has happened and the third time in NWSL history that a match does not see the full 90 minutes of action.
The first 45 minutes were very entertaining. Both teams created chances to score. However, the visitors look hungry and determined to get points in their visit to the Space City. Tyler Lussi, who was the best player of the match and the most dangerous player for the Courage, scored the only goal of the night at the 33rd minute.
Prior to their goal, North Caroline also saw a goal that was disallowed due to an offside position.
Houston had some chances to score the equalizer. Dash captain Sophie Schmidt, who played her 100th NWSL match, had the best opportunity to get a goal for the home team. She shot from outside the box, and the ball hit the crossbar in a dramatic way, and with that, the chance to get a tie during the first half vanished for the home team.
The next NWSL regular season match for the Orange will be on May 6th when they visit OL Reign. On the other hand side, the Courage will host the Portland Thorns in another week of the 2023 season.