This Sunday, October 8, at 4:00 p.m. Pacific, Angel City is on the road against the Houston Dash. The match will be broadcast in the US on CBS Sports Network and stream internationally at NWSLSoccer.com. An English-language radio broadcast will be available on iHeart.
For more information on broadcasts, click here.
Matchup
This will be Angel City's second meeting this season with the Dash. Their first was a 0–0 draw at home in June.
Chicago are currently in eighth place with a 6–6–8 record (W–L–D). Their last match was a 2–0 win on the road against Gotham that saw a brace by forward Michelle Alozie.
Angel City are in ninth place with a 6–7–7 record. Their last game was a 0–1 loss at home to the Orlando Pride.
Orlando forward Adriana had the lone goal in the game in the 22nd minute. The match was Angel City's first loss in ten games across all competitions.
Scouting Report
Like Angel City, Houston are one of a handful of teams making a late-season push for a playoff spot, and their win last week brought them a crucial step closer to that goal.
The Dash are in an unusual position: they have both the worst offense and the best defense in the league, by a decent margin in both directions, with just 15 goals scored and 15 goals conceded.
That statistic is illustrative of the team's style of play, which ACFC experienced firsthand in the two teams' first meeting this season. In short, Houston is excellent at sitting deep and defending in the box, and is happy to let the opposition out-possess and out-shoot them while they wait for an opportunity in transition or on a set piece.
When LA hosted the Dash, the stat sheet gave a glimpse at that style, with ACFC out-possessing their opponents 55% to 45%—and taking 23 touches in their penalty area to Houston's 14—but the Texas team's game last weekend gave an even clearer look. In that match, possession was in 68%–32% in Gotham's favor, and the hosts out-passed the Dash by 450 to 211.
That style has resulted in Houston not scoring very much, but last weekend, the team's attacking trio of Alozie, Nichelle Prince, and María Sánchez gave a masterclass in making the most of whatever opportunities a game presents.
On the first goal, the attack took advantage of a twice-recycled long throw-in that had Gotham's defense in disarray. Prince—following a well-placed header by midfielder Sophie Schmidt to break the initial pressure—sent a clever one-touch pass through the Gotham defense that Alozie pounced on and put away. The second goal was a textbook transitional attack that saw Sánchez win possession during a New Jersey attack and immediately send a long diagonal pass up for Alozie, who chipped keeper Mandy Haught as she sprinted out of goal to clear the ball.
Playoff Picture
Angel City's loss to Orlando was a blow, but the team isn't out of the playoffs.
A win this weekend would give ACFC 28 points and keep them in contention no matter what; a draw could also be good enough if Orlando and Seattle both lose (they play Louisville and Washington, respectively), which, as the chaotic results of the last few weeks of games have shown, is a very real possibility.
As Interim Head Coach Becki Tweed pointed out in a press call this week, 'Ultimately, this season [could] come down to goal difference or one point. For all teams across the board, it's closer than ever.'
Obviously, Angel City's clearest path forward is a win, and that means the team needs to do what Houston did in their last game and take advantage of every chance.
'We need to make sure that we make the most of our opportunities,' said Tweed. 'When I reflect and look back at Orlando, it's a game that we should have walked away with the three points based on the performance.'
Forward Claire Emslie added, 'This is a real test to see if we can do it when it matters. It's a good pressure to have.'
