Houston Dash 2-3 Seattle Reign FC.
And that's that! The final whistle blows and Seattle gets the win.
90+3' After some possession, Lloyd tries from outside the box but it's well wide.
90+2' Ohai gets the ball again and tries to bend it into goal but Kopmeyer gets her angles right and catches the shot.
90' There will be three additional minutes and Seattle have a free-kick deep in Houston's half.
87' The ball falls to Brian but she sends her effort over the crossbar.
87' SUBSTITUTION: Amber Brooks comes on for Moros.
85' SUBSTITUTION: Lindsey Elston comes in for Yanez.
84' Houston have upped the tempo to try and get back into this game.
83' The Dash have a corner and after a serious of crosses into the box, the ball eventually goes out for a Settle goal kick.
Houston Dash 2-3 Seattle Reign FC.
Kawasumi finds Pickett with a great ball out wide. Pickett holds up a little before sending in a cross that Yanez one touches into the the far corner.
82' GOAL! Seattle have taken the lead!
80' Little finds Melis out wide but her cross is collected by Williams before it can reach any of the Reign players in the box.
76' SUBSTITUTION: Rachel Daly enters for Beckie.
Houston Dash 2-2 Seattle Reign FC.
The ball is deflected by the referee to Fishlock who fakes to shoot but passes to a wide open Little in the box. Little puts the ball away and it's a tie game.
76' GOAL! Seattle are level!
73' SUBSTITUTION: Carson Pickett comes on for Mathias.
66' SUBSTITUTION: Nahomi Kawasumi comes on for Rapinoe.
65' Utsugi fouls Beckie in a dangerous spot for a free-kick.
63' Andressa finds an onrushing Poliana. She cuts back inside and shoots with her left but Kopmeyer gets behind it well and collects the ball.
Houston Dash 2-1 Seattle Reign FC.
Fishlock plays a long ball behind the defense that Melis runs after. Williams comes way out and Melis chips the goalkeeper to put Seattle on the score board.
60' GOAL! Seattle get one back.
57' It's been all Houston so far and Seattle seem completely disjointed.
55' Houston finds themselves in a 3-on-1 situation with Andressa, Lloyd and Beckie. Beckie takes to long to take her shot and Barnes gets back to block the shot.
54' Ohai finds space again and she finds Lloyd but her volley goes over the crossbar.
52' The ball finda Melis out wide and she picks out Fishlock in the box but she's converged on by Dash defenders and the ball is cleared away.
50' Ohai gets open again and no one steps up to her to stop her from getting into the box. Her cross is eventually blocked by Barnes for a corner.
49' Seattle win their first corner of the game but Rapinoe sends her delivery right over everyone's head.
48' Fishlock gives the ball away and Ohai flicks the ball on to Morgan Brian. Her cross is cleared and O'Sullivan latches onto the rebound but she sends it wide.
46' The second half has begun.
Half-time.
Houston Dash 2-0 Seattle Reign FC.
Andressa finds O'Sullivan unmarked out wide and with Dash players streaking towards the goal, O'Sullivan squares the ball to Lloyd who takes a few touches before firing into the top corner.
42' GOAL! Houston go two up!
Houston Dash 1-0 Seattle Reign FC.
Kealia Ohai gets open out wide again and she mishits her cross but it loops over Kopmeyer and into the far side netting of the goal.
39' GOAL! Houston take the lead!
37' CHANCE! Andressa finds Beckie out wide and the Canadian cuts it back for Denise O'Sullivan's shot is blocked by Mathias on the goal line.
36' The Dash get another corner but it's cleared out and Houston have a throw in on the far side.
35' Both sides have had opportunities, nothing clear cut but definitely there. Score remains 0-0.
32' Little finds some space and slips Melis through again but Melis shoots right at Williams from a slightly difficult angle.
30' Rapinoe is one-on-one with Ellie Brush after Seattle clear a Houston corner but Moros gets back quickly enough to cut Rapinoe off before she can get her shot away.
25' Cami Privett sells Williams short with the backpass but the goalkeeper gets there ahead of Melis and clears it out for a throw in.
22' CHANCE! Poliana sends the ball in Hayley Kopmeyer doesn't get enough on her punch but she makes up for it with two great blocks to stop Houston from talking the lead.
21' Seattle move the ball around before Rapinoe sends the ball in to an open Melis. Melis can't get the right power on her first time effort and Williams saves the effort easily.
18' Ohai gets open out wide again but her cross is cleared by Barnes.
17' Jess Fishlock fouls Andressa in the middle of the field.
15' Little, Rumi Utsugi and Megan Rapinoe combine before Rapinoe takes a shot from long range but it goes into Williams' arms.
14' Carli Lloyd takes the free-kick directly and it's a poor one by her standards. It goes out for a goal-kick.
13' Yellow Card: Mathias.
13' Winters gives the ball away in midfield to Ohai and Merritt Mathias holds her back to prevent the breakaway for a foul.
9' Ohai gets forward again and wins a corner for Houston. The corner is eventually kicked away by Lauren Barnes.
8' Kealia Ohai gets into the Reign penalty area with no pressure on her but Keelin Winters clears the ball out.
5' Seattle get forward and Kim Little takes a few neat touches before setting herself up for a volley but she can't get the right connection on it and it goes wide.
4' Houston get forward with Rebecca Moros and the ball gets laid off for Andressa outside the box but her shot goes wide.
2' Beverly Yanez gets the ball out wide and crosses it in for Melis but her effort goes wide.
1' And we're under way! Manon Melis takes a shot from outside the box but it's straight at Lydia Williams.
21:35 PM EST: All the pre-match talk is done and we are minutes away from kick-off. Seattle are set to kick us off.
21:00 PM EST: Teams are out on the field warming up before kick-off. No signs of any bad weather so the starting time should still be the same.
Williams; Poliana, Brush, Privett, Moros; Brian, Andressa, O'Sullivan; Lloyd; Beckie, Ohai.
Houston Dash Starting XI (4-4-2 Diamond).
Kopmeyer; Mathias, Fletcher, Barnes, Utsugi; Fishlock, Winters, Little; Yanez, Melis, Rapinoe.
Seattle Reign FC Starting XI (4-3-3).
20:45 PM EST: We're less than an hour away and the Reign have dropped their official starting line up. The Dash should release theirs shortly.
Good evening everyone and welcome to the last regular season match on the 2016 NWSL Season. I'm your host Kudzi Musarurwa as we get set to see the Houston Dash close out their season at home against Seattle Reign FC.
With the Western New York Flash's 4-0 win over the Boston Breakers last night, the Reign have officially been eliminated from the playoffs. Today's match against the Dash will be all about pride for the away side.
Keep checking back with us for more updates on this match in Houston.
Houston Dash 1, Seattle Reign 3.
Prediction: The Dash have finished this strongly and their front line, in particular, is explosive. Their issues at the back have done them no favors and they have almost had to go into every match with a mentality of outscoring their opponents due to the number of goals they continue to concede. The Reign have not had the season that they expected and dropped points at the start and in the middle of the season sees them on the outside looking in for the playoffs. Even with all of these issues, Seattle is still dangerous and force teams in the league to adjust their entire tactical make ups to beat them. Even with how well the Dash have been playing, I can't see past Seattle pulling out another win this season especially since they know if could put them into the playoffs.
The head coach for the Houston Dash is Randy Waldrum. On the other bench, Laura Harvey is the head coach for Seattle Reign.
Kopmeyer; Matthias, Fletcher, Barnes, Utsugi; Winters, Fishlock, Little; Kawasumi, Melis, Rapinoe.
Projected Lineup: Seattle Reign (4-3-3).
Williams; Poliana, Moros, Roccaro, Chapman; Brian, Andressa; Ohai, Lloyd, Beckie; Daly.
Projected Lineup: Houston Dash (4-2-3-1).
Here is the projected lineup for both the Houston Dash and Seattle Reign.
The officiating crew for this match is led by center official Farhad Dadkho. Assisting Dadkho on one side of the field will be Jeffrey Skinker, while Jesus Moya will be on the opposite side of the field. The fourth official is listed as Ruben Campillo.
The match is being played at BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston. Texas. Game time is scheduled for 9:30PM EST.
The last meeting between these two teams was on June 12th at Memorial Stadium in Seattle and the Reign came out on top with a one-nil win over the Dash.
Winters is not the only threat the Reign possess. Scottish international Kim Little and Welsh international Jess Fishlock are still in the top tier of midfielders in the NWSL. They can win matches on their own but also like to link up with their teammates to create match-winning opportunities for their teammates. Up top, Manon Melis has really stepped up for the Reign since July and is averaging almost one goal a game. Her pace and clinical finishing in front of goal has troubled many teams and could continue to do so against the Dash. The likes of Nahomi Kawasumi and Beverly Yanez are also threats for any team going forward and the now fully fit Megan Rapinoe will be looking to stamp her authority on the game. At the back, Lauren Barnes is having an excellent season and even without the services of goalkeeper Hope Solo, the Reign have been able to count on their number two Hayley Kopmeyer to keep things together at the back.
The Reign have many players who can put in match-winning performances. The focus, however, will be on captain Keelin Winters who will be playing her last professional regular season match after announcing her retirement at the end of the season. Winters has been a well-known name in women's soccer circles for many years and has been a rock for the Reign from their inception until now. If the Reign aren't in a position to get into the playoffs by the time they kickoff against the Dash, the team will want to win and send Winters off with a lasting memory of her time with the Seattle Reign. On the field, Winters is a very talented defensive midfielder, one that could potentially nullify anything the Dash want to do so look out for her to put in a player of the match performance in her last game.
The away side, Seattle Reign, will want to win this match at all costs. Depending on results elsewhere this weekend, a win against the home side will put them in the playoff spots and send them on the road to play the number one seed, either the Washington Spirit or the Portland Thorns for one of the semifinals on Friday, September 30th. Even if things don't go their way, the Reign have never lost in Houston and will want to keep that streak going to end their season well.
The last match for the Dash was a 4-1 win at home against bottom-placed Boston Breakers. It was an expected win and the Dash matched those expectations with a solid performance and lots of goals. Conceding a goal to Boston however, once again highlighted their defensive issues and against their upcoming opponents, cannot happen or they will be looking at another home loss.
That is just Houston's front line which has been supported well by the Dash midfield. Denise O'Sullivan has been a good pick up for the Dash while Morgan Brian, when fit, and Andressa, when available, have held the Dash's tempo together effectively and creatively. Like with Lloyd, Dash fans will look to their absences as another reason why their team is out of the playoffs again this season. Player availability isn't just what has left the Dash in eighth this season, defensive lapses have been an issue all season long for them. The Dash cannot seem to hold a lead and it has come back to punish them time and time again. That is something they will look to rectify in the offseason if they are going to fulfill their potential and make it to the first ever NWSL playoffs.
When available, the Dash's most recognizable name, Carli Lloyd has performed well for her club team. Lloyd has got four goals and three assists in six matches this season after missing a large chunk of it due to injury and the 2016 Rio Olympics. Dash fans will surely wonder what could have been had Lloyd not missed so many games this season as she continues to find the back of the net for both club and country in 2016. Ohai and Lloyd have been backed ably by Canadian international Janine Beckie and rookie Rachel Daly. Beckie brought her excellent Olympic form back to Houston with her and has managed to pick up three goals and two assist this season. Daly, whose performances have not only earned her multiple call-ups for England and put her contention for the NWSL Rookie of the Year award, has also chipped in with four goals and four assists.
The Houston Dash have already been eliminated from reaching the playoffs but that doesn't mean that there isn't anything at stake for them this weekend. As this will be the final home game of the season, the team will be looking to end the season right and a big win at home will give their fans hope for the potential of this team next season. Captain Kealia Ohai may have started the season slowly but she is certainly not ending it that way. Ohai currently leads the NWSL goal charts with ten goals, with all of them coming in the run of play, and she will want to add to that tally before the season ends. Her performances have also led to calls for her to be called to the U.S. senior national team in the next training camp and she will want to emphasis those calls with another good performance to end her 2016 NWSL season.
Hello there, and welcome to VAVEL USA's LIVE coverage of the National Women's Soccer League! The coverage this time around features the Houston Dash who host Seattle Reign in a match that could potentially hold huge significance for the final playoff teams. My name is Kudzi Musarurwa and I will be your host during this match!