Rock Bottom Houston Dash’s season of ‘Pure Resilience’ is coming to an end

In March, 26 games ago, the Houston Dash finished the first week of play of the National Women’s Soccer League season in last place after a 5-1 loss to the North Carolina Courage.

After many downs and some ups, the Dash ended their 2024 season Saturday night in the exact same position: rooted to the bottom of the standings. This is also the first time Houston has finished last since its inaugural season in 2014.

Despite a very disappointing year, there was a lot of pride on display as the curtain fell in Texas. Houston ended the year hard with a 3-2 loss to the play-off bound Bay F.C.

“One of the things we asked the players tonight was to play in front of the fans. And I think for 90 minutes you saw a team that worked incredibly hard to put everything out on the field,” said interim head coach Ricky Clarke speaking to the media afterwards. the match.

A closely contested case was settled by an extraordinary performance from Bay striker Rachael Kudananji. In front of their largest home crowd of the season, 8,176 fans, Houston pushed the higher-seeded team until the final moments.

Houston fan favorite Barbara Olivieri, born and raised in the nearby suburb of Katy, scored her fourth goal of the season, capping a career-best year for the 22-year-old. It was also a memorable night for rookie Avery Patterson, who scored her first-ever NWSL goal.

Olivieri, who grew up going to Dash games as a young girl, empathized with the home support, who continued to show up throughout the season despite only two wins in thirteen games at home in the league.

“We know how difficult it is to support a team that is at the bottom of the league
have been through so much, but they have been through it all, and especially tonight,” she said.

After the final whistle, club captain Jane Campbell took the microphone from the stadium announcer and addressed the fans, personally thanking them and defiantly promising a better future in 2025.

The Dash started the season with Fran Alonso as head coach and Alex Singer as general manager. Both were removed from their positions midway through the season as the club struggled to keep pace in the NWSL.

Singer first arrived in August 2022 and was fired in July 2024, with Houston president Jess O’Neill stating that the team simply “wasn’t where we want to be on the field.”

After coaching the first fourteen games of the season, going 3-6-5 and collecting 14 points, Alonso disappeared in late June for an away game against the Kansas City Current. Houston had a three-game winless and scoreless streak.

Initially, the club declared that he had an “illness”, but then the coach’s status was called a “leave of absence”. Two months later, in early October, Alonso and the Dash agreed to part ways. Alonso’s first assistant, Gilberto “Giba” Damiano, also left in May without explanation.

Chaos and organizational dysfunction enveloped the club. Clarke was left to pick up the pieces, and short-term assistant coaches arrived in September after players became concerned about being short-staffed.

A thinly composed squad combined with an injury crisis made matters worse. In September, Houston lost 3-1 to league leaders Orlando Pride with only 17 active players, including three goaltenders.

The 2024 season has taken its toll on the players and interim head coach Clarke. The Englishman, who joined the club as an assistant in 2023, has put on a brave face and has guided the Dash admirably through rough waters over the past 12 games.

“I will remember this year for pure resilience. Every day people showed up and leaned forward. A lot has happened this year, and I think this has been a year that I will remember for resilience. People They have for this club fought, they fought for each other. And that will stay with me wherever we end up,” Clarke said.

While Clarke’s record of two wins and ten defeats in twelve matches does not speak to improvement, the Dash have looked more competitive and practiced in the final chapter of the season. An intensity returned.

Perhaps more importantly, Clarke’s attempts to right the ship and restore pride have been well received by the players.

“For us it’s a lot about resilience, from the staff, the players and every person in the organization. This group has had to step up in some ways, and I think that just shows who we are. That shows who Ricky (Clarke) is, the medical staff, the assistant coaches. Everything shows how willing we are to give our best every time,” said Olivieri.

Rookie goalkeeper Heather Hinz, who made her first-ever start in the NWSL against Bay FC as Campbell suffered a thigh injury, also praised the hard work of those who supported her.

“It’s been a really crazy year, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. I feel like I’ve learned so much, and I feel like the girls here are amazing. Ricky (Clarke) really cares about us. (Goaltending coach Eric (Klenofsky) really helped me. And the older players, like Jane (Campbell),” Hinz said.

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