Dash 1, Pride 0

5 kicks from Houston Dash vs. Orlando Pride

5 kicks from Houston Dash vs. Orlando Pride
The Dash picked up their first win at home this season. Photo by Wilf Thorne/ISI Photos

The Houston Dash picked up their second win of the season with a 1-0 win over the Orlando Pride on Sunday. Forward Kealia Ohai scored the game's only goal in the 7th minute, one that would end up being the match-winning goal.

Here are five observations from the win:

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1) Ohai's stunner

As the Dash continue to find their grove, their scorers have begun to find the back of the net. Ohai's goal opens her account in 2019 to join Nichelle Prince, Sofia Huerta and Rachel Daly on the scorer's standings.

The way she cut inside the box and curled in the game-winner was reminiscent of the Kealia Ohai that won the adoration of Dash fans. She was much more of a protagonist in the front line, at least the most she's been all season.

Goalscorers perform better with confidence and this one will surely carry some over to the next couple of games. The Dash will look to count on that as they aim to better their average of one goal per match.

2) Defense comes up with a home shutout

The Dash defense saw Lindsay Agnew return to the right back spot to form the back four with Polkinghorne, Brooks and Chapman. They held Orlando to zero shots on goal.

Taking in consideration that Orlando is bottom of the table and was without three key players due to the U.S. Women's National Team World Cup preparations, the Dash defense did what was asked of them and saw the game out for the full three points. Also a positive, they showed discipline by not conceding a penalty after doing so for three straight games.

The shutout is the second for the defense this year and first at home this season. Next week they'll face a good test on the road at Utah Royals.

3) Managing injuries

One of the underlying storylines for the Dash is the injury situation saw five players sidelined for this match. Among the players out are Taylor Comeau and Christine Nairn.

Comeau started at right back in the season opener but was injured in training and has been out since. If healthy, it's safe to assume she would still be starting at right back.

Nairn featured in each of the previous games as a defensive midfielder next to Sophie Schmidt. A positive sign for the team was the return of Kristie Mewis who entered the match in the 77th minute - her first appearance since her return from an ACL tear two weeks ago.

4) Winning at home

The Dash improved their record with the win but also jumped up to third with the result, one point behind second place North Carolina and two behind leaders Utah Royals. Only four teams advance to the NWSL Playoffs at the end of the season.

Winning at home is a must if the Dash want to make the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. They don't have to be perfect, in fact they won't be after their loss last week, but they can't let teams come into town and leave unscathed.

The win on Sunday is a good step towards solidifying strength at home. Small steps towards a big goal.

5) Clarkson with best start for a Dash season

James Clarkson is off to the best start for a Dash Head Coach in their first year with the club. The 2-1-1 start has the club near the top of the standings, setting them up to succeed rather than putting the team in a hole.

It's obviously still a small sample size but what can be taken away is the team's upward trend to play better at home and the play of difference makers in Ohai, Huerta and Campbell. The negatives is that the team will be tested as six of Sunday's starters are expected to be absent due to the FIFA Women's World Cup next month.

For now, the team is still in the honeymoon period with Clarkson. Players look to be bought in and unified under the first-year manager and the results are coming in.

Dash player of the game: Kealia Ohai

Next up:

Saturday, May 11 at Utah Royals (2:30 p.m. CT, YahooSports.com)

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CJ Stroud has to be excited about this signing! Composite Getty Image.

According to multiple reports, the Houston Texans are signing offensive tackle Cam Robinson to a 1-year contract.

KPRC2's Aaron Wilson is reporting that the 1-year deal has a max value of $14.5 million.

With Laremy Tunsil now a member of the Commanders, clearly the Texans wanted to add some more talent at the tackle position.

Rookie right tackle Blake Fisher showed some promise last season, but he also had his share of struggles, as one would expect from a first-year player.

This move provides the Texans with flexibility if they choose to play Tytus Howard at guard again, while also giving GM Nick Caserio additional options in the draft.

Many believed the Texans would be locked in on drafting an offensive lineman with their first pick, which they may still do. But now, they can focus on taking the best player available, which could very well be a receiver at No. 25 overall.

Plus, this addition will make the Texans less predictable on draft day when rival teams are trying to predict who Caserio will draft based on Houston's needs.

Robinson started all 17 games last season, splitting time between the Jaguars and the Vikings. The Vikings traded for Robinson after their starting tackle Christian Darrisaw was lost for the season to injury. With Robinson in the last year of his deal and the Jags' season setting up to be another failure, Jacksonville decided to trade their left tackle away. Robinson (age 29) was drafted by the Jaguars in the 2nd round out of Alabama in 2017.

Make no mistake about it, this is a solid pickup by the Texans!

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