Match preview: Seattle Reign at Houston Dash

After conceding a three-goal lead on Monday, Seattle Reign have a chance to redeem themselves when they face the Houston Dash on the road this Sunday, August 24. Their match kicks off at 4 p.m. PT and will air on NWSL+ and Paramount+.

Like all games in Houston in August, Sunday's game is going to be a hot and humid affair, which has always made Houston a tough place to get results. It should be in the low- to mid-90s at kickoff. As Reign head coach Laura Harvey noted, Shell Energy Stadium is a "tough environment in regards to the weather."

Harvey often says that the first thing to go when you get hot and tired is your mind. That leads to sloppy balls. It will be really important that the Reign are smart and show their quality on the ball when they have it.

Head-to-Head

• The Reign are 18-6-4 against the Dash, including an 8-4-2 road record.
• The Reign have scored 49 goals against the Dash while conceding 21.
• When these two teams met in May, Houston earned a 1-0 win at Lumen Field.

2025 results

• The Dash sit in 11th place with a 5-8-3 record this season (18 points) and have scored 19 goals while conceding 26. They are undefeated in their last three games and earned a 2-1 road win against Gotham last week.
• The Reign are 7-5-4 on the season and sit in 6th place (25 points). They've scored 24 goals and conceded 20. They lost to Portland on the road before drawing Chicago 3-3 at home on Monday.
• The Reign are 4-2-2 on the road, while Houston is 2-5-2 at home.

Offseason moves

• The Dash were one of the busiest teams during the offseason.
• They added forwards Evelina Duljan and Messiah Bright, while midfielders Yazmeen Ryan and Delanie Sheehan, two regular starters, jumped from Gotham to Houston.
• Rookie midfielder Maggie Graham joined the Dash from Duke, and veteran midfielder Danielle Colaprico also came to Houston in free agency.
• Stalwart central defender Katie Lind also returns to the Dash after missing the 2024 season while on maternity leave.

Dash players to watch

Avery Patterson: Primarily used as a right wingback or right back, the second-year defender has been arguably Houston's most consistent player. She has three goals and one assist, and now has six appearances with the U.S. women's national team. Patterson is strong on both sides of the ball. She wins her tackles and duels, will take on her opponents on the wings, and can cross and shoot.

Yazmeen Ryan: Ryan can play anywhere on the frontline or as an attacking midfielder, as she's a creator, strong dribbler, and a lethal goal-scorer. She can shoot from distance and tight angles, so the Reign will need to close down on her quickly. While she's only scored once and has one assist, Ryan leads her team in chances created (15). Last week, she lined up as a center forward, as she's also a strong hold-up player. She wasn't called upon as often in this role, but Ryan should always be considered one of Houston's more dangerous threats in the box.

Kiki Van Zanten: After a season-ending injury last year, Van Zanten has worked her way into the starting lineup as a left winger. She didn't get on the scoresheet last week but forced an own goal against Gotham with her hustle. Before that, she scored in back-to-back games – including this strike from distance.

What to watch

Becoming more direct: The Dash tried to have more of the ball at the start of the season and struggled to get consistent results. As Reign head coach Laura Harvey points out, while they still average 51% possession, the Dash have become more direct recently when they move into the attack — finding runners over the top and getting in behind defenses. Their speedy, direct wing players, Van Zanten and Duljan, have played a big role in this effective switch.

"I think they've become a little bit more direct than they were at the early part of the season," Harvey said. "And so being mindful of that, being prepared for that, making sure that we take care of the things that we think are going to be really important in the game. So denying space behind them, deciding, picking our moments of when we can press or not press."

Closing out games: In the last two matches, the Reign have scored early and scored multiple goals — and they couldn't close out either game. The Reign lost 4-2 to Portland after going up early and let Chicago come back from a 3-0 deficit to draw at home. The Dash have won their last two games with goals after the 90th minute. The Reign have to ensure they score first and stay in control of the game. Harvey's subs will hopefully play a more positive role in this match.

"They stay in games, right?" Harvey said about Houston's recent positive form. "They've been scoring goals late. So great opposition to have after what we went through on Monday to learn from."

Defending crosses and set pieces: The last time the Reign played Houston, they were beaten on the wings and then couldn't clear Ryan Gareis' pass across the box. Against Portland and Chicago, the Reign struggled at times to clear corner kicks and deal with crosses. While the Dash aren't a team that relies on crosses, they do like to use their width. The Reign will need to keep their shape with players like Patterson, Gareis, Ryan, and Van Zanten who can all whip in crosses.

Injury / Availability Report

Seattle Reign

OUT: Ryanne Brown (SEI – knee), Ana-Maria Crnogorčević (ankle), Hanna Glas (leg), Shae Holmes (ankle), Veronica Latsko (SEI – lower leg), Cassie Miller (D45 – leg)

Houston Dash

OUT: Ramona Bachmann (SEI – knee), Elizabeth Beardsley (hand), Amanda West (SEI – knee)
QUESTIONABLE: Michelle Alozie (thigh)

How to watch

The Reign will face the Houston Dash on Sunday, August 24, at 4 p.m. PT. The match at Shell Energy Stadium will air on Paramount+ and NWSL+.