Gotham FC vs Houston Dash preview: Looking for three points in the Lone Star State | OneFootball

Coming off of a frustrating 2-0 loss in the home opener to the Orlando Pride, NJ/NY Gotham FC will visit the Houston Dash and a few of their former players. Three members of the 2023 Championship-winning team Yazmeen Ryan, Delanie Sheehan, and Abby Smith all departed for the Dash in the offseason and this will be their first meeting with their former team.

For Houston, even through just two games, new head coach Fabrice Gautrat has this team looking much improved on the 2024 version of the Dash. While a 2-1 season-opening loss to the Washington Spirit was not ideal, they did give a top NWSL team a competitive game. And then a come-from-behind 2-1 win over Chicago Stars FC last week was also a positive change from what 2024's team may have been capable of.

Meanwhile, one point from the opening two games is certainly not an ideal start to Gotham FC's season. Despite the results, head coach Juan Carlos Amorós has said after both games that he was happy with the way they have played. This sentiment was also shared after the loss to Orlando by club captain Tierna Davidson who believes the team is most of the way towards where they want to be and are just missing that final pass or finish. They now go in search of three points against a team that they had a lot of success against last season but the improved Houston side will not roll over at the first sight of pushback like they did last year. And while this Dash team is still not near the level of last week's opponents Orlando, this won't be an easy three points by any means.

While the season is still young, and Gotham FC got off to a similar slow start last season, three points this week is crucial to get their season rolling in the right direction. This will be a difficult test, but is probably so far their best shot of getting a win this year. So, here is a preview of this Friday's match against Houston.

Gotham FC vs Houston Dash preview

Date

Gotham FC will visit the Houston Dash on Friday, March 28.

Time

The game is scheduled to kick off at 8:00 PM ET.

How to watch

The match will be streamed on NWSL+.

Location

The fixture will be played at Shell Energy Stadium in Houston, Texas.

Weather

The weather leading up to the game and possibly during could be awful. There is a slight chance the match could be postponed. There's a strong threat of rain all day and a 30% chance of thunderstorms at kickoff. Temperatures will be in the low 70s with 10 mph winds and humidity at 70%-80% throughout the match.

Injury report

Gotham FC will be without four players: Sofia Cook (thigh), Rose Lavelle (ankle), Midge Purce (knee), and Jéssica Silva (eye).

Players to watch

Fans should watch Ella Stevens on Friday night. In this fixture last season, she started her second game for the club and put many people around the league on notice that Gotham may have gotten a bargain when they signed her in free agency. While her first goal for the club did not come until the next game against San Diego Wave FC, the forward came incredibly close on multiple occasions to bagging that first goal against the Dash. Supporters should expect Stevens to right those wrongs and get that goal against Houston that she just barely missed out on last year.

For Houston, new acquisition Messiah Bright could be primed for a strong season and is the player to watch. After scoring six goals and finishing second in Rookie of the Year voting to Jenna Nighswonger in 2023, the forward was traded from Orlando to Angel City FC in the subsequent offseason. She was then traded again this offseason to Houston after a lackluster 2024. Some hope a reunion with her former TCU teammate Ryan could see her reach the potential she showed in her rookie year.

Unquestionably, this will be another close game for Gotham FC on Friday. This time, they will win by a score of 1-0 thanks to a goal from Stevens. Hopefully, a win here will see the team gain some momentum and climb their way up from 12th in the standings.