Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

As the final whistle blew and the Houston Dash’s historic inaugural game came to an end, the result was not one that anybody wanted. Nothing would have ended the night better than to come out of the first game with a victory, or at the very least a final second game-tying goal. However, the referee called offsides on what would have been a last second goal by Houston Dash midfielder Becky Edwards. Even though many people will argue that the call was an incorrect one, judging from the replay, and trying to remove my homer goggles, it was clear the linesman made the right call.

In the end of the night the result did not change anybody’s feelings towards the historic moment that everybody in attendance was a part of. This was due in large part to the attractive offensive performance that the Houston Dash put on the field. The game everybody witnessed was one full of high intensity. The type of game that involved two teams going back and forth on attack and defense, it was truly a game that showcased both teams. The only tragedy is the fact that we did not tie it up in the last second or win the game, because that would have almost guaranteed another outstanding attendance for our second home game. In light of that, I still expect many fans to attend the second game because the Dash gave the reigning champions a run for their money.

Recap/Analysis

The more than 8,000 people that were in attendance witnessed a Houston Dash team that fought for every loose ball and fought tooth and nail to cover every inch of the field. Houston played a very attack-oriented game that allowed them to control the pace for most of the match. Dash defender Romero covered more ground than almost any play I have seen in recent times. She switched flanks constantly in order to cover open spaces, and took some very dangerous free-kicks. She quickly became a crowd favorite and a player to be on the lookout for the rest of the season.

The game could have gone either way with the upper-hand probably going to Houston, however, the Dash could not convert on any of their chances. By the end of the first half the Dash were outnumbering the Thorns two-to-one in shots taken and corner kicks. These are usually indications on which team is in control. The stark difference was that while Portland had half of their shots on target, Houston had a much lesser percentage.

This usually signals a disconnect between the midfield and the attack third, but a disconnect that can be attributed to the fact that forward Kealia Ohai picked up an injury early in the game. It can be argued that a sub should have been made in the first half, because it was clear that she was struggling to get in position to create chances. However, she has proven herself in the preseason and it could be understood why Coach Waldrum would not want to sub out one of his best forwards.

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