Dash open season with scoreless draw against Racing Louisville FC

The Houston Dash did not get a desired result, but a number of positives came out of the team’s opening game of the 2023 NWSL season.

The Dash and Racing Louisville FC played to a 0-0 stalemate on Sunday at Shell Energy Stadium. It was Sam Laity’s first game as Houston head coach.

Neither team was sharp enough to score. But solid defense from both sides factored.

Jane Campbell dazzled in goal for Houston, closing the door on Louisville with five saves. Her counterpart Katie Lund was effective as well, stopping six shots. Lund holds the NWSL record for most saves (112) in a season.

Houston did a good job defending crosses and corners.

The Dash were outshot by the visitors 17-14, but the Dash had more shots on target 6-5.

Houston’s best opportunity to score came in the 69th minute. A header from Diana Ordóñez was stopped by Lund, and a follow shot from Cameron Tucker was denied.

Ordóñez was making her Dash debut. Last season, Ordóñez set the National Women’s Soccer League rookie record for goals with 11 for North Carolina. Working alongside on the attack on Sunday was Ebony Salmon, who since being traded from Racing Louisville in June 2022 has co-led the league with nine goals.

All 11 Houston players who started last year’s 2-1 playoff loss to Kansas City are with the team in 2023.

For one minute in the first half Houston was down a player when Courtney Petersen briefly went out with a lower-body injury.

In a scoreless first half, Houston’s Salmon, Ryan Gareis and Caprice Dydasco had attempts that were close.

Racing Louisville finished in ninth place the past two seasons in the NWSL.

After losing its first meeting to Louisville in 2021, Houston is unbeaten in the past seven matches in the series (four wins), including the Challenge Cup. The two regular-season games last season between the clubs ended in draws, including a 0-0 score in Houston in which the Dash had 10 shots on goal to Louisville’s zero.

Racing Louisville has only three wins in 24 all-time road matches in the regular season that includes 12 losses, nine draws. It is the fewest road victories of any organization’s first two seasons in the NWSL.

Houston is back at Shell Energy Stadium on April 19 to play Kansas City.