All Rain claimed a 1-0 win against Houston Dash in the Group Stage of the Women's NWSL on 30 August. The result keeps them eighth in the table while Houston remain in eleventh place. By then, both sides had already played their twenty-first and twenty-second matches respectively.
M. Dahlien broke the deadlock in the fifty-second minute. All Rain dominated possession at 57 per cent but struggled to convert their advantage into clear-cut opportunities. And here's the thing — they only registered two big chances all afternoon, yet managed to put the ball in the net when it mattered.
K. van Zanten received a yellow card early on in the eleventh minute before being substituted at the hour mark alongside L. Ullmark. Houston brought on S. Meza and S. Menti at the double change, while All Rain introduced A. Chapman and K. Faasse in similar fashion. The visitors added pressure late on, collecting yellow cards through M. Ivanovic and B. Ratcliffe in stoppage time.
All Rain forced nine shots off target with five on target, though their accuracy sat at 29 per cent. Houston managed just one shot on target from four attempts, creating zero big chances of their own. To be fair, the away side made 27 clearances and completed more tackles — nineteen to twelve — but could never really threaten the All Rain defence.
The victory gives All Rain 21 points from 21 matches, moving them four points clear of Houston on 26 points. The hosts have won nine, drawn four and lost eight this season, while the visitors have seven wins and ten defeats from twenty-two outings.
What stands out isn't the statistics but the pattern of play. All Rain controlled territory without controlling the result, and Houston held on grimly despite being outplayed. That might be the defining feature of this group — teams that can spring a surprise on any given evening.
