HOUSTON (Nov. 1, 2025) - The Houston Dash close the 2025 NWSL regular season on the road against Portland Thorns FC on Sunday, Nov. 2 at Providence Park. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. CT and fans can stream the match live on NWSL+.
The Dash enter the season finale following a 1-0 win over the Kansas City Current on Oct. 18 at Shell Energy Stadium. That result extended Houston’s unbeaten run at home to five matches and ended the Current’s 17-match unbeaten streak. The match-winner came from forward Ryan Gareis, who netted her first NWSL goal in the 76th minute after coming as a substitute in the second half. Gareis became the 14th different player to score for Houston this season, a club record. Gareis’ goal was also the ninth goal scored by a substitute – the most by any club in the league this season. Notably, with a win against Portland, head coach Fabrice Gautrat would match the club record for most wins by a first-year head coach with nine triumphs.
Houston’s offense is led by forward Yazmeen Ryan with four goals, while defender Avery Patterson and midfielder Maggie Graham follow with three goals each. Gareis, Graham and Ryan also lead the team in distribution with a combined total of nine assists, followed by midfielder Delanie Sheehan and Patterson who contributed two apiece.
Veteran goalkeeper and team captain Jane Campbell anchors the backline and is on the verge of two major career milestones. Campbell enters Sunday’s match just two saves away from becoming only the third goalkeeper in league history to reach 600 career saves. She is also just 85 minutes shy of 15,000 career minutes played, a mark only three other players in NWSL history have reached with the same club.
Several players returned from international duty this week following the October FIFA window. For Houston, Patterson started two matches for the U.S. Women’s National Team, while Ryan appeared in all three matches. Defender Michelle Alozie featured in both of Nigeria’s matches as the Super Falcons secured their 16th consecutive qualification for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations. Alozie also earned recognition during the international break as the only Nigerian player nominated for the FIFPro Women’s World XI. Midfielder Sarah Puntigam scored a crucial penalty for Austria on Oct. 28 to help her side remain in UEFA Nations League A and stay in contention for 2027 World Cup qualification. DefenderLisa Boattin joined Italy for a pair of friendlies against Japan and Brazil, while midfielder Kiki Van Zanten was part of Jamaica’s 4-1 victory over Trinidad & Tobago.
Portland Thorns FC enter this week’s match following a 2-0 victory over Angel City FC on Oct. 19. The match saw Olivia Moultrie’s brace clinch Portland’s ninth consecutive postseason berth. Moultrie leads the Thorns’ attack with eight goals scored this season, while Sam Coffey and Jessie Fleming lead the team with four assists each.
On the international stage, Coffey and Moultrie represented the United States and each found the back of the net in the team’s 3-1 win over Portugal on Oct. 28. Mackenzie Arnold and Kaitlyn Torpey both started for Australia in friendlies against Wales and England. Canadian internationals Jessie Fleming and Mimi Alidou featured in matches against Switzerland and the Netherlands, with Fleming wearing the captain’s armband for both fixtures. Valerín Loboa helped Colombia to back-to-back CONMEBOL qualifying wins over Peru and Ecuador, registering an assist in the latter. Isabelle Obaze was part of Denmark’s UEFA Nations League roster as they advanced with an 8-1 aggregate win over Finland, while Reyna Reyes appeared in both of Mexico’s victories over New Zealand. Deyna Castellanos represented Venezuela, recording an assist in a 2-1 win over Paraguay.
Houston was officially eliminated from postseason contention following a 2-2 draw between Racing Louisville FC and NJ/NY Gotham FC in Week 25. The Dash will now look to close the season on a strong note in Portland as Sunday marks the second meeting between the clubs this year. In their first matchup, Portland earned a 4-1 win at Shell Energy Stadium on May 16, but the match also saw the return of Van Zanten, who missed the start of the season due to injury.
Despite being out of playoff contention, the Dash delivered an impressive turnaround in the second half of the season following the NWSL league break. Their resurgence featured a club-tying six-match unbeaten streak, highlighted by a commanding 3-0 victory over San Diego Wave FC on Sept. 7. Throughout this period, the team also secured three clean sheets and posted a 5-4-3 (WLD) record in the second half.
Season tickets for the 2026 season are now available and include access to member-only events like the upcoming watch party for the Nov. 2 regular season finale. For additional information, visit HoustonDash.com.
