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It’s been a little while. But thankfully we are back! Or at least some of us are back. For this episode Hayley chats with Very Good Friend of the Show, Nicholas (@GeneralHosen) about the *many* Dash games that have happened since we last had a chance to record. There have been some ups, some downs, some thrills, and a few too many spills. But we’re here to give you that good Dash content as we enter the final quarter of the season. The Dash are currently in 8th place, but only three points out of 4th place, and with a game in hand. So everything is still to play for. You can follow us on Twitter at @DashActually. The show is produced in partnership with Backline Soccer (@backlinesoccer) and NWSL News (@NWSLNews). Music provided by Vanessa Peters (https://vanessapeters.bandcamp.com/).

Hayley and Charles cover a pair of 2-1 games—one happy, the other not-so-happy. First, it’s the 2-1 loss to Chicago, featuring some delightful play from Jasmyne Spencer, lots of questionable refereeing, and two own goals. Oof. Then, a 2-1 win over North Carolina. Not the prettiest game, but a Very Dash Win. You can follow us on Twitter at @DashActually. The show is produced in partnership with Backline Soccer (@backlinesoccer) and NWSL News (@NWSLNews). Music provided by Vanessa Peters (https://vanessapeters.bandcamp.com/).

Hayley and Charles are back with three games to discuss. A(nother) frustrating loss, and then two solid wins. And most notably: two wins where the finishing was actually solid. They discuss the highs and lows of the 1-0 defeat to Louisville, the 2-1 victory over Orlando, and the 2-0 defeat of OL Reign, with some special love for María Sánchez and Jasmyne Spencer. You can follow us on Twitter at @DashActually. The show is produced in partnership with Backline Soccer (@backlinesoccer) and NWSL News (@NWSLNews). Music provided by Vanessa Peters (https://vanessapeters.bandcamp.com/).

Hayley and Charles are back with…a lot of games to discuss. They cover Houston’s slow start, followed by two victories. This team can’t seem to win the games where they play well, but at least they’re winning the games they play poorly! There’s also a lot of transfer news, and a bit of talk about the international break and NWSL playing cards. Which of the new signings has you most excited? Who is going to step up while the internationals are gone? Are the Dash actually as good as we thought? You can follow us on Twitter at @DashActually. The show is produced in partnership with Backline Soccer (@backlinesoccer) and NWSL News (@NWSLNews). Music provided by Vanessa Peters (https://vanessapeters.bandcamp.com/).

Charles hops on the phone for a conversation with Shea Groom. They talk about the start to the Dash season, the team’s approach to the season, her growth as a player—including the process of getting comfortable with a more…confrontational play style. There’s also some discussion of the NWSL Players Association and race issues in the league. Most importantly, there are Bullet updates (turns out he’s gained a few Corona pounds). You can follow Shea at @ sheabayy2, and you can follow us at @DashActually. The show is produced in partnership with Backline Soccer (@backlinesoccer) and NWSL News (@NWSLNews). Music provided by Vanessa Peters (https://vanessapeters.bandcamp.com/).

Hayley and Charles recap the final match of the Challenge Cup against Portland, and go over the team’s performance across the whole tournament. Who were the standouts, what to make of the lopsided shape of the Dash 4-3-3, and what can we look forward to with the start of the regular season? The NWSL also finally released the results of their investigation into the racial harassment incident with Sarah Gorden from the start of the tournament. We are, to say the least, not thrilled. Join us for some righteous anger, and some consideration of whether (and how) to support teams and leagues that consistently fail to live up to expectations. You can follow us on Twitter at @DashActually. The show is produced in partnership with Backline Soccer (@backlinesoccer) and NWSL News (@NWSLNews). Music provided by Vanessa Peters (https://vanessapeters.bandcamp.com/).

Hayley and Charles talk over the first Dash win of 2021, a resounding 3-1 win over Kansas City. It’s nice to get the internationals back. It’s less nice to see Allysha Chapman get smashed in the face with an elbow. Did Rachel Daly employ some dark arts to win her penalty? How have the NWSL tech issues migrated over to Paramount+ and will we ever get to just...watch these games without issues coming up? We also say goodbye to Bridgette Andrzejewski who announced her retirement. And we celebrate the Dash Challenge Cup victory being named the Houston Sports’ 2020 Moment of the Year. You can follow us on Twitter at @DashActually. The show is produced in partnership with Backline Soccer (@backlinesoccer) and NWSL News (@NWSLNews). Music provided by Vanessa Peters (https://vanessapeters.bandcamp.com/). Her new album came out last week and Charles has been listening to it pretty much nonstop!

Hayley and Charles are back. They’re excited to discuss the return of actual soccer, with the Dash playing the Red Stars in a reprise of the 2020 Challenge Cup final. Unfortunately, the game itself ended up taking a back seat to what happened off the field. After Sarah Gorden and her family were racially profiled by BBVA security, the Dash released an appalling statement effectively disavowing all responsibility. We are deeply disappointed at this response, and at the broader failure of the organization to take racial justice issues seriously. For more on this, check out Annie Costabile’s (@AnnieCostabile) article: https://chicago.suntimes.com/2021/4/10/22377192/nwsl-red-stars-defender-sarah-gorden-accusations-racial-profiling. Here is the link to Houston’s awful statement: https://twitter.com/HoustonDash/status/1380941355749376004. And here is a link to their (just released) updated statement, which is much better: https://twitter.com/HoustonDash/status/1381679924684197892 You can follow us on Twitter at @DashActually. The show is produced in partnership with Backline Soccer (@backlinesoccer) and NWSL News (@NWSLNews). Music provided by Vanessa Peters (https://vanessapeters.bandcamp.com/).

Hayley and Nicholas check in on all the Dash news: from Tigres to open practice to the NWSL space race. They also discuss the start of the Challenge Cup. Did you know that the Dash are the defending Challenge Cup champions? True fact. You can follow us on Twitter at @DashActually. The show is produced in partnership with Backline Soccer (@backlinesoccer) and NWSL News (@NWSLNews). Music provided by Vanessa Peters (https://vanessapeters.bandcamp.com/), who has a new album coming out this year which is going to be *excellent.*

Episode 22: Challenge Cup Overview Hayley and Charles look at the Challenge Cup schedule, talk through the Dash matchups, and discuss plans for fans to attend some games. They also check in on how some players are doing in preseason, including the mandatory ATD Haley Hanson update. Spoiler: we’re still big fans! You can follow us on Twitter at @DashActually. The show is produced in partnership with Backline Soccer (@backlinesoccer) and NWSL News (@NWSLNews). Music provided by Vanessa Peters (https://vanessapeters.bandcamp.com/), who has a new album coming out this year which is going to be *excellent.*

Hayley and Charles cover the SheBelieves Cup, including a couple starts for Jane Campbell and Kristie Mewis, some solid play from the Canadian cohort, and some collective mourning at the news about the ACL of Lorena Benítez. They also talk a bit about federation support (or lack thereof) from Argentina and US Soccer, and send out some love to everyone who helped raise money to support those hit by the Texas storms. You can follow us on Twitter at @DashActually. The show is produced in partnership with Backline Soccer (@backlinesoccer) and NWSL News (@NWSLNews). Music provided by Vanessa Peters (https://vanessapeters.bandcamp.com/), who has a new album coming out this year which is going to be *excellent.*

Hayley and Charles have a wide-ranging conversation with Nichelle Prince about her experiences with the Dash and the Canadian national team. Positive vibes as the team prepares for the 2021 season, her role as one of the team’s veterans, what it’s like playing with Christine Sinclair, and lots more. You can follow Nichelle at @nichelleprince7, and you can follow us at @DashActually. The show is produced in partnership with Backline Soccer (@backlinesoccer) and NWSL News (@NWSLNews). Music provided by Vanessa Peters (https://vanessapeters.bandcamp.com/).