In its third year of existence, the 2014 expansion team Houston Dash continued to struggle in consistency. Finishing in right in the middle of the table at fifth in 2015, the Dash were looking to hopefully break into playoffs come 2016. With the likes of Carli Lloyd and Morgan Brian returning as well as the new additions of powerful attacking rookies such as Rachel Daly and Janine Beckie, Houston definitely looked to be powerful on paper. Despite such high hopes, they finished at eighth place in the 2016 NWSL season with a record of 6-10-4 (win-loss-tie), a rather low position for a team who - on paper and towards the end of the season - looked just as threatening as others.
Coming together too little too late
For a rather talented team, the Dash came up short this season. On opening night, the southern team came out and made a statement with their 3-1 victory over the Chicago Red Stars at home. Daly and Beckie, the two international rookies, found the back of the net that night as well as the veteran Lloyd. The game that followed would be a big blow to the Dash. Not only was it a 3-1 loss to the brand new expansion team Orlando Pride, but national team star Carli Lloyd sprained her MCL in the fifth minute of the match. She would see 3-6 weeks on the sidelines, and with the Olympics just around the corner, it was virtually impossible to see her in a Dash jersey for the first half of the season.
Two weeks later, the Dash would see the start of a six-game scoring drought. In every game between May 14 and July 9, Houston would lose every single match with a score of 1-0. It was a time of frustration for the team, who not only were missing Lloyd, but were unable to produce any goals from any of their attacking players. Kealia Ohai, one of the Dash's best goal-scorers since the club’s beginning, still found herself without a goal halfway through the season. Daly and Beckie were unsuccessful in their attempts during this scoring drought, along with forward Chioma Ubogagu, a former Stanford Cardinal and forward for Arsenal Ladies. The Dash saw themselves slipping down the table as they came out of every weekend with no points to their name.
Players began to join their national teams for Olympic preparations, but only weeks out from the league-wide Olympic break Houston’s prayers were answered. On July 16 at BBVA Compass Stadium, they finally found the back of the net not once, but three times - and they were scored on none other than the Portland Thorns, who at the time were top of the table. The Dash shut out the eventual shield-winners in a 3-0 win and suddenly had a chance to crawl their way back up to a playoff position.
Even with all their best efforts, nothing seemed to be enough for the Dash. They went on with a record of 3-3-3 for the remainder of the season, the sliver of playoff hope ending with the same scoreline it started with - a 3-0 loss to the Portland Thorns in Providence Park. In their last match of the season, the Dash hosted the Seattle Reign in a rather exciting match. Unfortunately for Houston, the Reign would make a second half comeback and claim the last three points with a 3-2 win.
Biggest win of the year
Without a doubt, Houston’s biggest win has to be their 3-0 victory over the Portland Thorns. With their ongoing scoreless drought and the Olympic players off with their respective national teams, the core of the Houston Dash truly stepped up and took control. The Dash team that fans saw back on opening night seemed to come back to life during this match, threatening the league’s top team at the time and shutting them out completely.
Goalkeeper Bianca Henninger filled in for Australian international Lydia Williams, keeping her defense organized and making sure nothing found the back of the net for her opponents. The long-time Dash forward Kealia Ohai was finally rewarded with a goal during the match, and from there she was off and running for the remainder of the season; she became one of the top candidates for the 2016 Golden Boot. Things finally opened up for the Dash that night, and it came at the most crucial time, keeping them alive and building momentum to finish off the month and continue on for the rest of the season.
Biggest defeat
Out of the 10 losses Houston saw during the season, the biggest defeat happens to come at the very end. On September 25th, the Dash let the Reign come from behind for a 3-2 victory after going into halftime with the 2-0 lead. Although they’ve never actually won a game against Seattle in franchise history, the southern team had a chance - especially considering the season the Reign had. The Dash fell apart in the second half, too comfortable with the 2-0 as the Reign took control towards the end of the game and scored their three goals in the last 30 minutes of the second half.
Team MVP
For a team with more talent than some people realize, there are a few players who could be seen as this season’s MVP. Kealia Ohai almost goes without saying; she led the team and tied the league with 11 goals to her name this season. The most impressive part is that all of these goals came from July 16 and onward. Being moved to a wider position accentuated Ohai’s talents and made her a crucial part of the Dash attack. Her pace and ability to beat players on the outside made her a nightmare for just about any outside back in charge of marking her.
A player people might overlook for team MVP would be Cami Privett, a player found starting and playing the full 90 as the season went on. Privett, a former UC Irvine Anteater, was found by head coach Randy Waldrum through the Dash’s open tryouts in 2015. Kept on as an amateur player for the 2015 season, Privett signed with the team just before this season. What’s even more impressive about the 23-year-old is that she’s played every position for the Dash, finding herself as the starting center back by the end of the season. When the club needed her the most with seven Olympic players on national duty, Privett was able to fit into any role asked of her and succeeded. She’s solidified herself as a key player for the club as they build for next season.
Player with an off year
An exciting signing for the club, forward Chioma Ubogagu had a rather underwhelming year. Coming off a season with Arsenal Ladies where she scored seven goals in 21 appearances, Ubogagu only scored one goal in her 15 appearances for the Dash. She only started in nine of her 15 appearances, more often than not coming off of the bench for the NWSL club. Ubogagu has plenty to contribute for the Dash attack, but it just wasn’t her season to do so, especially with all the talent the Dash already have up front. Hopefully, we’ll be able to see more of the forward next season.
Improvements for 2017
Moving forward, the Dash - as of now - aren’t looking to lose any players from 2016. Though offseason trades and the 2017 NWSL College Draft will see players come and go from the club, there is already so much to build on. Depth in the backline has improved for the Dash over the years, but adding more wouldn’t hurt - especially when there’s already so much talent in the attack.
Something huge the club needs to work on is maintaing the lead. In multiple games this season, Houston had the lead for the majority of the match, but allowed clubs to either equalize or come away with the win towards the end of the second half. The Dash need to be able to lock down and "park the bus" so to speak, as they gave away important pionts by being complacent and not staying alert on defense.
The second half of the season really showed that the Dash are capable of being in contention for playoffs and just as competitive as any other team, but it all came together too late. Consistency will be key for the Dash next season, as well continuing to find the back of the net in every match.