The Juan Carlos Amoros era will get underway this weekend when the Houston Dash welcomes the Chicago Red Stars to the Bayou City on Saturday night.
The Spaniard will take charge of an NWSL match for the first time in his career and take the reins from former acting head coach and now first assistant Sarah Lowdon.
It’s hard to think of a trickier debut match for Amoros. Chicago is currently on the longest active unbeaten streak in the NWSL, having gone nine matches without defeat and has only lost one match all season. That was a 2-1 loss to the league-leading San Diego Wave in matchweek two.
Here’s everything you need to know:
KICKOFF TIME: 7:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, July 16 at PNC Stadium in Houston, Texas
HOW TO WATCH: Watch on Twitch (for free) everywhere in the world.
RECORDS: HD: 4W-4L-3D (15 points, sixth in NWSL; CRS: 5W-1L-5D (20 points, second in NWSL)
LAST TIME OUT: The Dash delivered its least thrilling display of the 2022 season so far and fell 1-0 on the road to the Orlando Pride. Meanwhile, the Red Stars pulled off an unthinkable comeback against the North Carolina Courage. 2-0 down going into the 91st minute, Chicago finished the match on level pegging at 2-2.
PROJECTED LINEUPS
Houston Dash (3-4-1-2, right to left): Ella Dederick; Ally Prisock, Katie Naughton, Haley Hanson; Elizabeth Eddy; Emily Ogle, Marisa Viggiano, Ryan Gareis; Bri Visalli; Ebony Salmon, Shea Groom
Chicago Red Stars (3-4-3): Emily Boyd; Amanda Kowalski, Tatumn Milazzo, Zoe Morse; Sarah Luebbert, Yuki Nagasato, Dani Colaprico, Rachel Hill; Vanessa DiBernado, Ella Stevens; Sam Fisher
Injury report
Dash: OUT Rachel Daly, Michaela Abam, Michelle Alozie, Sophie Schmidt, Allysha Chapman, Nichelle Prince (all international duty), Annika Schmidt (SEI - knee), Kelcie Hedge (SEI - knee), Maka Gomera-Stevens (SEI - knee), Jane Campbell (COVID Protocol), Julia Ashley (COVID Protocol).
Red Stars: OUT Mal Pugh, Alyssa Naeher, Bianca St. Georges, Chelsie Dewber, (all international duty), Sarah Woldmoe, Casey Kreuger, Kelia Watt (all maternity leave), Morgan Gautrat (calf), Kayla Sharples (knee). Tierna Davidson (SEI - knee).
PLAYERS TO WATCH
HD: Ebony Salmon, forward — We’re still trying to wrap our heads around the ways that Salmon will be implemented into the Houston attack. Could this weekend be the moment she gets her first Dash goal?
For 45 minutes against the Kansas City Current, it looked like the Dash’s record signing was on the same page as her teammates. Clever balls on the ground and in the air whizzed into the space behind the Current’s backline and Salmon read the trajectory with aplomb to create chances. With a touch more finesse, she would’ve had a debut goal.
Since then, in the proceeding 135 minutes of soccer, the Dash and Salmon have fallen flat. Suddenly the attack felt dulled, out of touch. With Maria Sanchez expected to be back from the CONCACAFW, maybe this weekend is when we see the right supply for the Dash forward.
CRS: Tatumn Milazzo, defender — As a rookie, Milazzo was a useful rotation option in a stingy Chicago defense that went all the way to the NWSL Championship Final. Like any first-time pro, she had errors in her game. But for the most part, she exhibited the presence and persistence needed to be a defender in this league.
A year later, Milazzo has improved her overall game. Now playing in a three-center back system, her passing range and confidence on the ball have grown tremendously. Positionally, she has the freedom to go after duels while also not disturbing the Red Stars’ shape too much. Milazzo currently ranks in the top 10 in the NWSL for interceptions (23), successful tackles (22), and clearances (50).
✨ Made by Milazzo, slotted home by Sarah ✨#MKOT | #AllTheAction pic.twitter.com/Gkyx4EDo3A
— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 2, 2022
KEY MATCHUP: Marisa Viggiano vs. Dani Colaprico
Expect the Dash to lose the possession battle. The Red Stars rank fourth in the league for average possession with 51% while the Dash sit last in that statistic with 44%.
A major part of Chicago’s ball control will come from central midfielder Dani Colaprico. She leads the Red Stars midfield for total passes (457) and pass completion percentage (83%). With Mal Pugh away with the U.S. national team, Colaprico also leads the team for chances created with nine and assists with two.
Trying to disrupt Colaprico’s rhythm and then counter with her own attacks will be Marisa Viggiano. With Sophie Schmidt away, the Dash midfielder has become even more integral to creating ball movement in the middle of the pitch for Houston. Keep an eye on how Viggiano drops deep to receive the ball from her backline and also how she tries to rush Colaprico off the ball when Houston is out of possession.
FOR THE WIN: Get more vertical
It sounds easy. When you have the ball, move it forward. But that’s exactly what the Dash struggled to do against Orlando. Against the Pride, too often there weren’t enough options being made by the forwards, or the backline was under too much pressure to gamble on sending the ball up the pitch. The Dash defense was its own worst enemy.
The difference that Ryan Gareis made in the second half was obvious for everyone to see. The left-footed winger was quick to send everything forward in the wide areas. And if there was a sight of goal, then she had a crack.
When the Dash has been at its best this season, it has switched the ball quickly with the players like Sanchez and Salmon getting involved and bursting forward from the halfway line. Against the Red Stars, that urgency and simplicity could be vital to get all three points.
