No asterisk for first-time champs
The plane rolled into George Bush Intercontinental Airport around 2:30 p.m. Monday. The main cabin door opened, and after a few moments, Dash midfielder Kristie Mewis emerged at the top of the boarding stairs, where she lifted the NWSL Challenge Cup trophy like it was Simba.
Following Houston’s 2-0 win over Chicago in Sunday’s Challenge Cup final, Dash players were ready to step foot in Texas as champions for the first time. Well, almost ready. Tournament MVP Rachel Daly had to chug Budweiser from the trophy first.
“We’re so happy, as you can see by the way we came off the plane today,” Daly said. “I think finally
Houston is getting the recognition of what we deserve.”
Daly led chants of “James Clarkson” as players cheered their coach outside the plane. They posed for team pictures and photobombed each other’s press conference appearances. Mewis even inspired one ramp agent to jump and chant with her.
While Dynamo players return to the practice field after going winless in the MLS is Back Tournament, Dash players return with a sense of liberation. For the past month, their lives were contained to the NWSL bubble.
While in Utah, the Dash overcame the anxieties that emerged after the Orlando Pride withdrew from the tournament because six players and four staff members tested positive for COVID-19 in late June. Players who remained were tested every four to five days and not permitted to leave their hotels. When they took the field, they played through a condensed competition, with no preseason to better develop their conditioning.
But Dash players endured those difficulties. And in winning the Challenge Cup after never previously making the playoffs, they lifted from their shoulders a weight forged by years of mediocrity and inconsistency.
“From the outside looking in, a lot of people had a lot of things to say about the Houston Dash,” midfielder Shea Groom said. “To be able to come in and be a part of their first championship was an incredible thing and something I’m super proud of.”
In a year when the coronavirus pandemic has forced sports leagues to restructure contracts, schedules and playing formats, any tournament winner would be susceptible to having an asterisk next to its name. To Daly’s dismay, the
Dash still have doubters.
After Sunday’s game, many players were happy for her and the Dash, but others suggested the circumstances shaped the result. The tournament shortened the NWSL’s usual sixmonth season to one month. All eight competing teams automatically advanced to the postseason, and several played without notable U.S. national team stars, including Megan Rapinoe and Christen Press.
Despite those reservations, it was Dash players who returned home with gold medals draped around their necks. Any doubters likely will have to wait until next year unless an earlierthan-expected opportunity arises.
“If we can get players safely back on the pitch post-tournament, we will be doing so,” NWSL commissioner Lisa Baird said. “We have issued a statement to the players, and we’re ready to get back on training. We have not made any decisions on any competition format at this point in time, and that will always be guided by medical protocols.”
Baird’s optimism is bolstered by what she views as a rousing Challenge Cup success. The tournament attracted new sponsors, and last week the league announced its new Los Angeles expansion team, backed by Serena Williams and Mia Hamm among others.
Baird and league stakeholders intend to discuss a potential 2021 tournament to supplement the regular season. In the meantime, the Dash are the 2020 NWSL champions — a plus for Baird, who’s rooting for greater parity in the league.
“I think we’re getting to that second level of casual fan. That’s what we need to do to be successful,” she said of the league’s growth. “Our goal is to continue to be strong and have an incredible 2021 season to follow up on this.”