Zoe Matthews

Zoe Matthews
Personal information
Date of birth (2007-05-25) May 25, 2007 (age 17)[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

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.

Early life

Matthews 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

The 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

Matthews 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

  1. ^ "Zoe Matthews". Prep Soccer. July 22, 2024. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ Olorunfemi, Victor (December 27, 2023). "23 Female Players That Dominated 2023". TopDrawerSoccer. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
  6. ^ "Houston Dash Split Two-Game Road Trip after Loss in Seattle". Houston Dash. October 19, 2024. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
  7. ^ "U15 GNT Camp Roster – California". United States Soccer Federation. January 10, 2022. Retrieved October 11, 2024 – via TopDrawerSoccer.
  8. ^ "Under-16 WNT Heads to Portland". United States Soccer Federation. October 18, 2022. Retrieved October 11, 2024 – via TopDrawerSoccer.
  9. ^ "Reggae Girlz head coach Donaldson eager to see what new recruits, returning players bring to squad". Sportsmax. October 29, 2022. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
  10. ^ 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.