Ricky Clarke emphasizes 'Dash codes' in NWSL final stretch

With just six matches of the National Women's Soccer League season remaining, the struggling Houston Dash are trying to keep their chin up.

Amidst a run of six straight defeats, acting head coach Ricky Clarke spoke this week about making sure his team maintained a professional and competitive standard.

These standards have been dubbed: The 'Dash codes'.

"Last week, after the game, I spoke about Dash codes, where we hold each other accountable to those Dash codes," Clarke told the media defiantly. "We expect a certain standard from everyone, and that's just what I try and do. I try and hold a standard for everyone."

Clarke continued to emphasize "respect" as the primary value of the 'Dash codes' and something his squad is embodying throughout this troubling season.

Outcomes and performance levels may vary, but attitude remains constant.

"Respecting the environment and working incredibly hard in the environment. And this is the one thing I love about this group, right? All the things that we've been through this season, every day, they turn up and they respect our environment," Clarke elaborated.

"As a coach, that's the most important thing to me. When I step out on the field, regardless of the results, regardless of all the things that are going on around us, all the things that are being written about us, do they turn up work incredibly hard and respect the environment? That's the most important thing. That 'Dash code' sits at the top of our list."

Leading in times of uncertainty

Undoubtedly, Clarke has been handed a difficult task. And it's impossible not to have some empathy and admiration for the way he has carried himself.

At the end of June, Clarke assumed his caretaker role of the Dash out of the blue after head coach Fran Alonso suddenly began an indefinite leave of absence before an away match against the Kansas City Current.

There has also been no general manager at the club since Alex Singer was sacked in July. Erik Ustruck has been contracted in a consulting role to help guide the club through contract renewals.

READ MORE: After league break, Fran Alonso remains absent from Houston Dash

Houston hasn't been above 12th place in the table since the beginning of June, and now feels almost rooted to 14th, bottom of the NWSL table. Momentum has been in only one direction.

Although the Utah Royals sit just one point above the Dash, in 13th, the final playoff spot (eighth) is now a distant 11 points away.

For only one week of the entire season have Houston been above the playoff line. Mathematically, they could likely be eliminated in the next two or three weeks.

It should be mentioned that during the Olympic break, under Clarke the Dash notched two home victories over Mexican opposition (UANL Tigres and Club Pachuca) in the NWSL x LigaMX Summer Cup.

However, in the NWSL, the Dash are on a nine-match winless run. Three of those matches were when Alonso was at the helm. In that time, Houston have scored a meager two goals (both under Clarke) – an average of one goal every 405 minutes.

Even with all the uncertainty at the club, there has been a consistent brave face from Clarke. A sense of duty.

With the Englishman leading the team, there have been deserved plaudits for organized tenacious displays against the league-leading Orlando Pride and 2023 champions NJ/NY Gotham FC. Albeit both matches ended in defeat, 1-0 and 2-1 respectively.

Then, there have also been valid eyebrow raising concerns over poor displays in the sloppy 3-1 home defeat to the Utah Royals, and the overpowering 3-0 away loss – which felt like it could have been by a few more – to the Washington Spirit.

"We're both on the same page"

The Spirit defeat last weekend was the first time that Clarke and his players looked visibly broken by the results. The brave face slipping, and understandably so.

After that match, Paige Nielsen sat in front of the media contemplative and intentional. She spoke about the season as "taking a toll on my mental health." The defender also mentioned how, as a leader on the team, she feels responsible for making sure standards are maintained in training.

Also speaking in D.C, Diana Ordóñez told the Desde La Linea Podcast: “There are things we need, like our head coach coming back — or another (head coach). We’re missing a lot of help.”

When Clarke was asked about whether he and Ordóñez have been able to clear up any of these concerns with the club's front office, he insisted that everyone was "on the same page."

"With regards to Diana, I've spoken with Diana. We're both on the same page. We we both understand what's expected of the group. She understands what's expected of her. I have a tremendous amount of respect for her. She's part of our leadership team, and I believe she has a tremendous amount of respect for me. So she knows what's expected of us going into these last games," said Clarke.

Over the past few weeks, Houston has added two assistant coaches, Hiro Suzuki and Emma Wright-Cates, to aid Clarke until the end of the season. A welcome help to the coaching staff that has been working overtime to fill gaps all year. Even before Alonso's absence began, his assistant Giba Damiano departed the club in May.

It's hard to know what to expect of Houston's final six matches. Whether the team can arrest the slump. But we do know that Clarke's 'Dash codes' will be the bar. The standard to uphold the rest of the way.