Houston Dash Vs Chicago Red Stars: Week 12 Preview
After their last loss, no game is a given for the Chicago Red Stars. Now they go south to face the Houston Dash. Here is a full Week 12 preview.
With last week’s loss to Sky Blue FC, it is hard to have any confidence in a sure Chicago Red Stars win. That being said, their next opponent is the Houston Dash, another team near the bottom end of the table. Could this help spark something or will we see a similar performance as we saw with Sky Blue?
This last game saw another massive blow to the Chicago Red Stars with an injury to Michele Vasconcelos. It was announced that she ruptured her ACL, making her the third Red Star to tear their ACL (joining Alyssa Mautz and Alison Jahansouz).
It’s notable that both Mautz and Vasconcelos are wide players, meaning Chicago is going to have trouble with wide play going forward this season due to a lack of personnel. In terms of returning players, I don’t think that the USWNT players will be back and ready to play until next week, but we’ve seen these players rushed back in before if necessary.
The Houston Dash aren’t as poor as their points tally would suggest, but they are certainly beatable. It is hard to really get a real read on them because, up until two weeks ago, they only had two losses. But they’re right in the middle of a two-game losing streak.
What they do have going for them is that the offense seems to have heated up a bit. Despite a loss, they scored twice in their last outing. They also have plenty of talent in the squad. I can’t tell if Rachel Daly will be ready to join them yet, but even if she’s not back, they still have Kyah Simon and Sam Mewis who are looking better in each game.
For the Chicago Red Stars, this game is do-or-die. It’s the team’s last chance to prove that they can get the work done without their USWNT players. This is a team that was seen as one of the deepest and well-built in the league and it’s incredibly frustrating to see them falter. There is a big Julie Ertz-shaped hole in the midfield and this is the last chance for someone to show that they can fill it before she’s back.
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That’s why this might be the game to turn the team around. It is not an automatic win for the Chicago Red Stars. They’ve slipped too far down the standings to be handed such illustrious treatment. But it is winnable. Securing the three points here would boost the team throughout the rest of the season, which will be an uphill climb back up the standings if they are to make it back into the playoffs.
Projected XI:
Chicago Red Stars (4-3-3): Emily Boyd; Arin Wright, Sarah Gorden, Katie Naughton, Casey Short; Danielle Colaprico, Nikki Stanton, Vanessa DiBernardo; Yuki Nagasato, Sam Kerr, Savannah McCaskill
Houston Dash (4-2-3-1): Jane Campbell; Allysha Chapman, Amber Brooks, Clare Pilkinghorne, Satara Murray; Haley Hanson, Christine Nairn; Kealia Ohai, Sam Mewis, Sophia Huerta; Kyah Simon
Next. Chicago Red Stars Vs Sky Blue FC: 3 things we learned. dark
How To Watch:
Saturday, July 6th, 7:00 PM CDT; At SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, IL, on NBC Sportsnet Chicago, and online with the Yahoo Sports App