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NWSL
Chicago Red Stars limp into Houston on the back of a coaching sacking and the league's worst record, while the Dash look to capitalise at home.
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Chicago Red Stars arrive in Houston as the NWSL's worst team by a distance. Dead last with just 13 points from 19 matches, a goal difference of -25, and a miserable 4-14-1 record - this is a side in freefall. The recent sacking of head coach Martin Sjögren and assistant Anders Jacobson tells you everything about how badly the season has gone. Interim boss Karina Báez inherits a squad that has lost four of its last five games and managed to score just nine goals all season - fewer than 0.5 per game.
The Dash won't scare anyone from their 12th-place perch on 20 points, but their recent run hints at stabilisation. A draw with Kansas City, a win over Bay FC, and two further draws suggest a team that has tightened up defensively at home, where they boast three clean sheets from 10 games and average 1.4 goals scored. Their five-match form of DLWDD is hardly electrifying, but it represents a marked improvement on earlier struggles.
Chicago's away record is brutal: one win, zero draws, nine losses from 10 road trips, scoring just two goals - an average of 0.2 per match. They've failed to score in eight of those 10 away fixtures. Houston, by contrast, have won four of their 10 home games and kept three clean sheets. The mismatch in attacking output is stark.
The Dash have won the last two meetings against Chicago, including a 1-0 victory at this same venue in September 2025 and a 2-1 away win in March 2025. Chicago did claim both fixtures in 2024, but the momentum has clearly shifted Houston's way in this rivalry.
Managerial upheaval rarely produces instant results. Báez steps up from her assistant role with Liga MX Femenil experience on her CV, but galvanising a group this low on confidence mid-season is an enormous ask. Lorne Donaldson's return as interim director of coaching adds experience behind the scenes, yet the on-pitch problems run deep.
Houston hold home advantage, superior recent form, and a clear head-to-head edge. Chicago's woeful away record and goal-shy attack suggest they'll struggle to break down even a modest Dash defence. The Dash look well placed to extend their unbeaten run, though a tight, low-scoring affair feels most likely given both sides' limited firepower. A coaching bounce for Chicago can never be entirely ruled out, but the data points firmly in Houston's direction.
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Copyright 2026 VIASPORT
Eva Hernández, Editor-in-Chief
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