Dallas and Houston don’t need a reason to compete, but Saturday night, they’ve got one anyway
It may be listed on the calendar as a friendly, but when Dallas and Houston meet, it’s usually anything but. The cities’ respective MLS clubs have been at war over an 18th-century howitzer cannon for nearly two decades now, and women’s soccer is just the latest front.
Saturday night at the Cotton Bowl, the two cities add another chapter when the Houston Dash make the trip up I-45 for the inaugural I-45 Texas Showdown against Dallas Trinity. Kickoff is 6 p.m. CT. Trinity arrives needing the home crowd after dropping their first match in seven last Saturday, a 2-0 loss in Charlotte that tightened the playoff race to a single point over fifth place. The Dash comes in wrapping up NWSL preseason, their regular season opening on March 14.
The Backdrop
Dallas and Houston have been measuring themselves against each other for as long as the cities have existed, and soccer is just one of those measuring sticks. It runs deeper than any single sport. Saturday night, it plays out on a women’s soccer pitch at one of the most iconic stadiums in the state, which feels about right.
The two clubs met earlier this season in a 1-1 draw at Houston Sports Park in a closed match during Trinity’s preseason. That one was on Houston’s turf. This time, it’s in Dallas.
The Connections
The personal threads running through this matchup are worth knowing before kickoff. Head coach Nathan Thackeray spent four years (2012-16) as goalkeeper coach at the Houston Dynamo Academy, and his wife is from the Houston area.. Three players on Trinity’s current roster also have professional history with the Dash. Amber Wisner, now Trinity’s captain, was a cornerstone of the Houston backline for years — she won the club’s 2017 MVP award and made her 100th NWSL career appearance in their colors. Chioma Ubogagu played for the Dash in 2016, earning NWSL Player of the Week honors after a goal and an assist in a win over Kansas City. Gracie Brian spent time there on a short-term loan. None of them needs extra motivation on a typical matchday. Saturday gives them something a little different to play for.
What to Watch — Trinity
With Thackeray expected to rotate heavily, this friendly is a genuine opportunity to see players outside the regular starting XI get an extended run against quality opposition. Lexi Missimo and Sealey Strawn are both away on national team duty — Missimo with the U-23 USWNT, Strawn with the U-19 side in Portugal — which opens the door further. Maya McCutcheon, Caroline Kelly, and academy midfielder Caroline Swann are names to watch for. Goalkeeper Sam Estrada should feature prominently, as well as Trinity’s newest arrival, Bethany Bos. A half or more against an NWSL side tells a coaching staff things that league minutes don’t always surface.
What to Watch — Houston
The Dash arrive fresh off the Coachella Valley Invitational, where they drew Portland Thorns 1-1 last Saturday to close out their preseason camp. Fabrice Gautrat’s side opens the NWSL regular season on March 14, so minutes and rhythm are the priority here, not the result.
The roster they’re bringing has real quality. Yazmeen Ryan won the NWSL Golden Boot last season. Sarah Puntigam is one of the more experienced midfielders in the league. Among the new faces, forward Kat Rader arrives from Duke as one of the most productive goal-scorers in recent college soccer, and Houston native Leah Klenke — who delivered the cross that set up the Dash’s goal against Portland — is a player making a case for regular minutes before the season starts. Trinity’s back line will have its hands full regardless of which half these players appear in.
(Photo by: Calvin Mattheis/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK, Courtesy: Field Level Media)
The Stakes
The result won’t move the Gainbridge Super League table, but Trinity is a team that just dropped its first loss in seven and needs to rediscover its rhythm before the playoff race tightens further. A strong performance at home against NWSL competition in front of the Cotton Bowl crowd is worth something heading into the back half of the season. Houston gets a real test before opening night. Both sides have reasons to take this seriously.
The match streams on Victory+ and TUDNXtra and airs locally on Univision. Gates open at 5 p.m. A pre-match panel of female executives and business leaders presented by Texas Woman’s University runs from 4:30-5:30 p.m., and Hear Sport will provide live match commentary for blind and visually impaired supporters. More than 20 vendors will be active in the Fan Zone, including The Pegasus Collection’s vintage car display.
MATCH INFO: Dallas Trinity FC vs. Houston Dash | Saturday, Feb. 28 | 6 p.m. CT | Cotton Bowl Stadium | Stream: Victory+, TUDNXtra | Broadcast: Univision