On Sunday, July 28th, the Houston Dash returned to Shell Energy Stadium to host the six-time LIGA MX Femenil, Tigres UANL, from Monterrey, Mexico. Houston made their debut in the tournament last Saturday against Kansas City. Like the men's team, the Dash is also missing players currently because of participation in France for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. Some, including Michelle Alozie, who, with Nigeria, will play against Brazil and Tarciane. The game on Sunday began with a Dash early in the second minute from Diana Ordóñez. Later, right before the end of the first half, with a goal by Alison Gonzalez, Tigre gained the draw. Dash then took the win dramatically with 83rd-minute goals by Bárbara Olivieri. Both Tiger's coach, Mila Martinez, and Houston Dash's Assistant Coach, Ricky Clarke, spoke postgame to the media on their thoughts on the overall match, game changers, and controversial decisions by the referee.
Tigre's Coach, Mila Martinez, thoughts on the game escaping her side
Martinez initially spoke to the media about her thoughts on how Tigres had the most significant attack chances, and Dash had fewer; they still ended up with the victory.
"Yes, we knew the details would make a difference in the game against these teams. We know we must be precise and accurate in these areas. Today, we did not have that fortune, and well, in the end, the game escaped us. But in the end, these types of encounters help us see the team's level. And with that, I am delighted with our work and the game plan we have carried out. L The truth is that I am thrilled with what has been seen on the field. Most of the stadium was Tigres, and they enjoyed it a lot. It is nice for us to come from Mexico and see a stadium like this, cheering nonstop. I think they are also happy, although we would have been a little happier with the victory."
Martinez also spoke to the media about her thoughts about the controversial referee's call to call off a goal her team scored, which would've changed the game's complexity.
"Let's see, the goal that they called off on us, the truth is that it is a quite complex situation. I think that if it had been VAR, there would've been a little more time reviewing the play because even seeing it, we see that Alisson does not touch the ball, that the ball arrives directly to Cristina, and it is true that she intends to go, but at no time does the linesman raise the flag. When there is already a little pressure from the Houston player, the linesman calls the referee, and then they decide to cancel the goal. In other words, there have been decisions that have not fitted us. We know that everyone makes mistakes. I don't think he did it with that intention, but I believe there have been situations in which the home team has had more favor."
Houston Dash Coach Ricky Clarke speaks of taking games one game at a time
Rick Clarke also initially spoke to the media about how this is a monumental victory for the team and the club and how it might take a little time to sink in.
To be completely honest with you, we talked about taking it one game at a time. We've had some challenging games. We've played Kansas, one of the best teams in the league, twice back-to-back. For us, it's always been about one game at a time, and we spoke about today coming out and building on the things that we've already done, and we knew that if we did that, we would cause them problems. To us, it's always one game at a time at the moment, but, as I said in the huddle at the end, I was incredibly proud of the group. There were moments where the emotional control got the better of us, the game got chippy, and we stuck to the game plan. We stuck to the little details and spoke about them all the time. It's always about the details. So, a massive game to win, but, you know, the credit goes to the players."
Clarke speaks on the subjects of no substitutes, just game changers
Clarke last spoke to the media about his thoughts on how his attacking baseline of the game improved. Goalscorers like Diana Ordóñez and Barbara Olivieri got the two goals they needed, so how much of that boost the confidence coming for this game and the rest of this season?
"Yeah, everyone likes the sound of the ball in the back of the net. The only people who don't like that sound are goalkeepers. So, for us, it's about getting into goal-scoring opportunities. And we've spoken about that. We've got players like Yuki and Andressa coming into the game at the end who found pockets. On her return from being out so long, Cece found great spaces in the pocket. So, for us, we're just really fortunate right now. Last week was an incredibly unique situation with illness and some injuries. We don't have substitutes in our team. We have game changers, and that's what we always talk about, whether you're coming in to close a game or change a game. And I think you see that today from all the subs on the field."
What's next for Houston Dash and Tigre?
Houston Dash will look to brew something positive from this win as they continue action in the NWSL x Liga Mx Femenil Summer Cup against Pachuca on Thursday, August 1st, at 7 p.m. central.
Tigre's will now put this result behind them and look to their next game against KC Current in the NWSL x Liga Mx Femenil Summer Cup. Posted on Thursday, August 1st at 7 p.m. central.
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