Zoe Matthews (born May 25, 2007) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for the Houston Dash of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She signed with the Dash at the age of 17 in 2024.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | May 25, 2007[1] | ||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | Central or attacking midfielder[3] | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Houston Dash | ||
| Number | 27 | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2024– | Houston Dash | 1 | (0) |
| International career | |||
| 2023 | United States U-16 | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Early life
editMatthews was raised in Southlake, Texas, and attended Carroll Senior High School.[2] She helped lead her high school team to the UIL Class 6A state championship as a freshman in 2022, scoring and assisting in the final while teammate Kennedy Fuller scored a hat trick.[4] She was named to the United Soccer Coaches All-American team as a sophomore in 2023.[2] She won the ECNL under-14 national championship with Solar SC in 2021. She led Legends SC to the ECNL under-17 title game in 2024.[2]
Club career
editThe Houston Dash announced Matthews's signing on October 11, 2024, on a contract running through the 2026 season. This made her the youngest player in club history at the age of 17.[2] She had previously committed to play college soccer for the LSU Tigers.[5] She made her professional debut in the 85th minute against the Seattle Reign on October 18.[6]
International career
editMatthews trained with the United States under-15 and under-16 national teams in 2022.[7][8] She also received an international call-up to train with the Jamaica senior national team at age 15 that year.[2][9] Matthews was called up with her high school teammate Kennedy Fuller for an under-16 tournament in France in 2023, where she started in the final win over the hosts.[2][10]
References
edit- ^ "Zoe Matthews". Prep Soccer. July 22, 2024. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Houston Dash Sign Midfielder Zoe Matthews as the Youngest Player in Team History". Houston Dash. October 11, 2024. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
- ^ Golden, Andrew (December 20, 2021). "Black girls are more apt to drop out of sports. This mentorship program aims to change that". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
- ^ Kretzschmar, Rick (April 16, 2022). "Southlake Carroll rolls past Rockwall to win 6A girls soccer state championship". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved April 18, 2022.
- ^ Olorunfemi, Victor (December 27, 2023). "23 Female Players That Dominated 2023". TopDrawerSoccer. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
- ^ "Houston Dash Split Two-Game Road Trip after Loss in Seattle". Houston Dash. October 19, 2024. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
- ^ "U15 GNT Camp Roster – California". United States Soccer Federation. January 10, 2022. Retrieved October 11, 2024 – via TopDrawerSoccer.
- ^ "Under-16 WNT Heads to Portland". United States Soccer Federation. October 18, 2022. Retrieved October 11, 2024 – via TopDrawerSoccer.
- ^ "Reggae Girlz head coach Donaldson eager to see what new recruits, returning players bring to squad". Sportsmax. October 29, 2022. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
- ^ Riddle, Greg (April 5, 2023). "Defending state champ Southlake Carroll to be missing its two offensive stars at regionals". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved October 11, 2024.