How can the Houston Dash make a playoff push? | OneFootball

As the NWSL regular season is beginning its final push towards the postseason, one team is making a surprising run down the stretch. The Houston Dash, who won only five games a season ago and have now become to make a push after starting this season slow.

Since July they have lost only once and had three draws and it has allowed them to leap from teams such as Racing Louisville and now they are only two points out of a playoff spot with five games left. A few days ago, they secured their fifth win since July 8th 1-0 against the Chicago Red Stars.

The Dash's run has been impressive but now they will need to complete it by securing a postseason birth. It may be a rough go of it. The only game they have coming up against a team below them in the standings is on Oct 12 when they take on Angel City FC.

Pivotal clash set for October 3 against Orlando Pride

The Pride are currently in seventh place in the standings and a win and gaining two points over the Pride could give them the push they need to finish off the remarkable run.

Yazeem Ryan leads the team with four goals on the year. They will need her to continue to step up during the closing stretch. Midfielder, Kiki Van Zanten, whom the Dash signed to an extension has come off strong after an injury a year ago.

She has two goals, one assist on the year and her command of the ball in the middle of the field may be what pushes the Dash over the edge. It seems their risk in resigning her to the extension has paid off for 2025.

Role players will need to continue to step up as well, and no team is completely healthy as the season wraps up in September and October.

It was in 2020 at the NWSL Challenge Cup in the midst of the pandemic that the Dash came from out of nowhere and took him the championship. It showed the league and the team itself exactly what they can accomplish.

The goalie for that period was Jane Campbell who still is a member of the team. She could continue to step up and be the leader that the Dash need. Speaking on the Challenge Cup championship in the midst of everything going on maybe motivation for the Dash to return to the postseason and prominence.