Portland Thorns Dominate Houston Dash in 4-1 Rout
(image via Ricky Vega)
The Houston Dash fell to the Portland Thorns Friday night in a 4-1 defeat that saw Houston down 3-0 at halftime. On the positive side for the Dash, Kiki Van Zanten make her long-awaited debut after recovering from a season-ending injury last year.
Head coach Fabrice Gautrat opted to stick with the same lineup that found success in Seattle, leaving Jane Campbell on the bench in favor of Abby Smith. With Yazmeen Ryan sidelined due to an eye injury, Barbara Olivieri was called up to the starting eleven as the only change.
Houston began the match with a compact defensive setup, absorbing Portland's pressure deep within their own 18-yard box. While possession was fairly even, Portland looked more dangerous with the ball, growing in confidence as the first half progressed.
The Dash's defensive resolve cracked in the 26th minute when Marie-Yasmine Alidou whipped in a cross toward Pietra Tordin. Despite pressure from the defense, Tordin controlled the ball calmly and slotted it past Smith into the bottom right corner for her first NWSL goal.
Portland didn’t take their foot off the gas. Just three minutes later, Payton Linnehan doubled the Thorns' lead, notching her first goal of the NWSL season. Sam Coffey, who dictated much of the first half's tempo, orchestrated the build-up, keeping Portland firmly on the front foot.
The Dash's problems compounded right before halftime when Westphal's challenge on Reyna Reyes resulted in a penalty after a VAR review. Coffey stepped up and converted confidently in the 8th minute of first half stoppage time, sending Portland into the break with a commanding 3-0 lead.
Portland’s momentum continued into the second half. A perfectly weighted through ball from Reyes found Caiya Hanks in stride. Hanks shook off her defender with a slick move, curling a shot into the top corner to extend the Thorns' lead to 4-0.
Houston managed to pull one back in the 75th minute when Michelle Alozie's deflected shot found the back of the net, though it was ruled an own goal by Portland's Samantha Hilatt. That would be the last significant threat posed by the Dash for the remainder of the match.
The heavy loss raises questions for the Dash moving forward. Without Yazmeen Ryan, the team struggled to hold possession in the final third, and neither Barbara Olivieri nor Maggie Graham managed to create consistent outlets. Additionally, Gautrat may need to consider if it’s time for Campbell to return between the posts.
Houston looks to bounce back as they continue their homestand against Bay FC on Saturday, May 24, at 4:00 PM CST. The match will be streamed live on NWSL+ and Paramount+.
