Houston Dash 0–1 North Carolina Courage, NWSL Matchday 5

Houston Dash v North Carolina Courage

Houston Dash6th 9 pts

0

0–1

Full time

Sat 25 Apr

Expected goals: Houston Dash 1.57, North Carolina Courage 1.41

North Carolina Courage9th 8 pts

A. Sanchez 42′

1

Sat 25 Apr, 8:00 pm EDT Shell Energy Stadium NWSL 2026, Matchday 5

The match story

Ashley Sanchez portrait — Courtesy North Carolina Courage

NWSL News

Ashley Sanchez returns as a scorer, and a link for others

Sanchez’s Courage season has brought more frequent shooting. Her return against Spain also showed the value of moving the ball on.

17 October 2026

Key moments

42′Goal A. Sanchez (North Carolina Courage)0–1
77′Red card A. Schlegel (North Carolina Courage)

Top performers

Houston Dash

K. RaderMHOUshirt 220G3SH
M. BrightHOUshirt 6, came off the bench0G3SH
L. KlenkeDHOUshirt 40G2SH

North Carolina Courage

A. SanchezMNCshirt 21G2SH
M. MatsukuboFNCshirt 340G8SH
R. JacksonMNCshirt 160G3SH

Three per club, chosen from the match record: goals, then shots.

What it means

Houston Dash

6thNo change

In the playoff places, 1 point above North Carolina Courage, with 25 to play.

North Carolina Courage

9th▲5 from 14th

Outside the playoff places, level on points with Gotham FC in the last playoff place, with 25 to play.

Season series

Matchday 5 Sat 25 Apr

Houston Dash0

North Carolina Courage1

Matchday 17 Sun 16 Aug

North Carolina Courage2

Houston Dash3

Houston Dash won one, North Carolina Courage won one; level at 3–3 on aggregate.

Team stats

HOU NC

Expected goals: Houston Dash: 1.57; North Carolina Courage: 1.41
Possession: Houston Dash: 53%; North Carolina Courage: 47%
Shots: Houston Dash: 16; North Carolina Courage: 16
Corners: Houston Dash: 9; North Carolina Courage: 2

NWSL table 2026

Standings →

NWSL table
#	Club	P	GD	Pts
1	San Diego Wave FC	5	+5	12
2	Portland Thorns FC	5	+3	10
3	Seattle Reign FC	5	+3	10
4	Angel City FC	4	+6	9
5	Washington Spirit	6	+5	9
6	Houston Dash	5	+3	9
7	Orlando Pride	6	+2	8
8	Gotham FC	6	+1	8
9	North Carolina Courage	5	0	8

After this result

By the numbers

Houston Dash have 4 points from last 5, in step with their season. 0.8 a match, against 1.1 all season. NWSL average 1.4.

North Carolina Courage have scored 52 goals, the 4th most in the NWSL. 1.7 a match. NWSL average 1.4.

The match on the pitch

Houston Dash: 53% possession; 108 possessions; 14% ended in a shot; 36% reached the box; 5.4 actions each
North Carolina Courage: 47% possession; 105 possessions; 12% ended in a shot; 22% reached the box; 4.9 actions each

Where each team won the ball

Houston Dash

North Carolina Courage

Where each possession began, both teams attacking right. Houston Dash started 21% of their possessions in the final third, North Carolina Courage 6%.

Where the shots came from

Houston DashNorth Carolina Courage

Houston Dash attack right, North Carolina Courage left. A larger ringed dot is a goal. Own goals are not shots.

How each team moved the ball

Houston Dash

North Carolina Courage

Passes between 20 zones, both teams attacking right. Forward moves in the team colour, backward moves dark, sideways moves pale; line weight is the share of the team’s passes.

How long possessions ran

Houston DashNorth Carolina Courage

Share of possessions by number of actions.

Longer possessions shot more

Houston DashNorth Carolina Courage

Of the possessions with each number of actions, the share that produced a shot. A gap marks too few possessions to rate.

Where play slowed down

Houston DashNorth Carolina Courage

Mean seconds between one action and the next in the same possession, by where the action happened.

Every recorded action

Observed match events

Every action recorded in this match, where it happened: what was seen on the pitch, not a simulated path. 1,744 events in the record.

Period Minute 103 Only the 5 minutes up to it

Houston Dash attack right, North Carolina Courage left. Passes are arrows to where they ended, dashed when not completed; a ringed start is a restart. A dot is a shot, a larger ringed dot a goal; a diamond is a take-on, a square a keeper action. Showing the whole match.

Choose an action on the pitch or in the list to see everything recorded about it.

97 events shown.

Events shown, in recorded order
Time	Player	Team
0:21	D. Weatherholt	North Carolina Courage
0:26	K. Van Zanten	Houston Dash
0:29	R. Jackson	North Carolina Courage
0:50	L. Ullmark	Houston Dash
1:41	K. Rader	Houston Dash
1:53	K. Sheridan	North Carolina Courage
2:26	L. Boattin	Houston Dash
2:27	R. Jackson	North Carolina Courage
2:42	M. Matsukubo	North Carolina Courage
4:20	A. Sanchez	North Carolina Courage
4:41	M. Matsukubo	North Carolina Courage
5:02	J. Campbell	Houston Dash
5:15	R. Williams	North Carolina Courage
5:45	L. Ullmark	Houston Dash
6:51	K. Van Zanten	Houston Dash
13:09	E. Ijeh	North Carolina Courage
13:13	J. Campbell	Houston Dash
14:30	E. Ijeh	North Carolina Courage
17:45	L. Ullmark	Houston Dash
19:27	K. Sheridan	North Carolina Courage

Page 1 of 5

Lineups

Houston DashFormation 4-4-2

Houston Dash, 4-4-2, each line from right to left. Goalkeeper: 1 J. Campbell. Line 1: 15 A. Patterson, 14 P. Nielsen, 4 L. Klenke, 27 L. Boattin. Line 2: 30 L. Ullmark, 19 M. Graham, 24 D. Colaprico, 22 K. Rader. Line 3: 23 K. Faasse, 12 K. Van Zanten.

Houston Dash lineup: 11 starters, then 4 substitutes who came on, then the team, with minutes, goals, assists and expected goals for this match
#	Player	Min	G
1	J. Campbell	90	0
15	A. Patterson	90	0
27	L. Boattin, off at 58′	58	0
19	M. Graham	90	0
14	P. Nielsen	90	0
4	L. Klenke	90	0
30	L. Ullmark	90	0
24	D. Colaprico	90	0
12	K. Van Zanten, off at 85′	85	0
23	K. Faasse, off at 58′	58	0
22	K. Rader, off at 90+8′	90	0
Substitutes
6	M. Bright, on at 85′	5	0
10	M. Berkely, on at 58′	32	0
18	C. Hardin, on at 90+8′	1	0
9	C. Larisey, on at 58′	32	0
Team			0

Unused: C. DeLisle, A. Chapman, S. Puntigam, E. Duljan, S. Schmidt

All player stats

Houston Dash lineup: 10 outfield starters, then 9 substitutes, then the team, with every figure for this match
#	Player	Min	G	Sh	CC	Pass %	Tkl	Int
15	A. Patterson	90	0	0	3	82%	2	1
27	L. Boattin, off at 58′	58	0	1	0	65%	0	3
19	M. Graham	90	0	1	1	79%	1	1
14	P. Nielsen	90	0	0	0	90%	3	1
4	L. Klenke	90	0	2	0	76%	0	1
30	L. Ullmark	90	0	2	2	77%	0	0
24	D. Colaprico	90	0	0	3	96%	0	0
12	K. Van Zanten, off at 85′	85	0	1	1	72%	0	0
23	K. Faasse, off at 58′	58	0	1	0	88%	1	0
22	K. Rader, off at 90+8′	90	0	3	2	69%	1	0
Substitutes
40	C. DeLisle	–
2	A. Chapman	–
6	M. Bright, on at 85′	5	0	3	0	50%	0	0
17	S. Puntigam	–
10	M. Berkely, on at 58′	32	0	2	0	75%	0	0
7	E. Duljan	–
18	C. Hardin, on at 90+8′	1	0	0	0	0%	0	0
9	C. Larisey, on at 58′	32	0	0	1	69%	1	0
13	S. Schmidt	–
Team			0	16	13	80%	9	7

Houston Dash goalkeeper
#	Goalkeeper	Min	Saves	SOT faced	Save %	GA	Claims
1	J. Campbell	90	7	8	88%	1	0

North Carolina CourageFormation 3-4-3

North Carolina Courage, 3-4-3, each line from right to left. Goalkeeper: 1 K. Sheridan. Line 1: 18 U. Shiragaki, 25 M. Bell, 17 D. Weatherholt. Line 2: 13 R. Williams, 16 R. Jackson, 20 S. Koyama, 2 A. Sanchez. Line 3: 15 P. Linnehan, 10 E. Ijeh, 34 M. Matsukubo.

North Carolina Courage lineup: 11 starters, then 4 substitutes who came on, then the team, with minutes, goals, assists and expected goals for this match
#	Player	Min	G
1	K. Sheridan	90	0
13	R. Williams	90	0
2	A. Sanchez, off at 62′	62	1
17	D. Weatherholt	90	0
25	M. Bell	90	0
18	U. Shiragaki	90	0
16	R. Jackson	90	0
20	S. Koyama	90	0
10	E. Ijeh, off at 64′	64	0
15	P. Linnehan, off at 64′	64	0
34	M. Matsukubo	90	0
Substitutes
8	C. Okafor, on at 62′, off at 80′	18	0
14	C. Wickenheiser, on at 80′	10	0
33	H. Betfort, on at 64′	26	0
35	A. Schlegel, on at 64′	13	0
Team			1

Unused: S. Schmidt, L. Thompson, F. Rauch, M. White, N. Staude

All player stats

North Carolina Courage lineup: 10 outfield starters, then 9 substitutes, then the team, with every figure for this match
#	Player	Min	G	Sh	CC	Pass %	Tkl	Int
13	R. Williams	90	0	0	1	82%	2	0
2	A. Sanchez, off at 62′	62	1	2	2	63%	2	0
17	D. Weatherholt	90	0	0	1	89%	4	2
25	M. Bell	90	0	0	0	100%	0	1
18	U. Shiragaki	90	0	0	0	89%	5	0
16	R. Jackson	90	0	3	2	89%	1	1
20	S. Koyama	90	0	2	0	81%	3	2
10	E. Ijeh, off at 64′	64	0	1	1	85%	0	0
15	P. Linnehan, off at 64′	64	0	0	0	68%	1	0
34	M. Matsukubo	90	0	8	3	68%	2	1
Substitutes
3	S. Schmidt	–
7	L. Thompson	–
8	C. Okafor, on at 62′, off at 80′	18	0	0	0	67%	0	0
11	F. Rauch	–
14	C. Wickenheiser, on at 80′	10	0	0	0	40%	2	0
33	H. Betfort, on at 64′	26	0	0	0	100%	0	0
35	A. Schlegel, on at 64′	13	0	0	0	50%	1	0
99	M. White	–
12	N. Staude	–
Team			1	16	10	79%	23	7