Zoe Matthews

Zoe Matthews
Matthews with the Houston Dash in 2025
Personal information
Date of birth (2007-05-25) May 25, 2007[1]
Height 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)[2]
Position(s) Defender, midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Dux Logroño
(on loan from the Houston Dash)
Youth career
Solar SC
2022–2024 Legends FC
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2024– Houston Dash 2 (0)
2025– → Dux Logroño 0 (0)
International career
2023 United States U-16 3 (1)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of November 3, 2024

Zoe Matthews (born May 25, 2007) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defender for Liga F club Dux Logroño, on loan from the Houston Dash. She signed with the Dash at the age of 17 in 2024.

Early life

Matthews grew up in Southlake, Texas, the daughter of Jason and Angie Matthews.[2][3] In 2022, as a freshman at Carroll Senior High School, she helped lead the soccer team to the UIL Class 6A state championship, scoring a goal and providing an assist in Kennedy Fuller's hat trick in the 4–0 title game win.[4] The following season, she was named United Soccer Coaches All-American in 2023 after scoring 22 goals and adding 26 assists as a sophomore.[2][5] She played club soccer for Solar SC and Legends SC, earning ECNL all-conference honors with both teams.[6] She won the ECNL under-14 national championship with Solar in 2021 and reached the ECNL under-17 national title game with Legends in 2024.[2] Growing up, she was mentored by North Carolina Courage midfielder Brianna Pinto through Voice in Sport, a mentorship group for African-American girls in sports.[7]

Club career

The Houston Dash announced on October 11, 2024, that the team had signed Matthews to a professional contract through the 2026 season, making the 17-year-old the youngest player in club history and the youngest African American to sign a contract in the NWSL.[2][3] She had previously been committed to play college soccer for the LSU Tigers.[8] On October 18, she made her professional debut, playing the last few minutes in the Dash's 2–1 road loss to the Seattle Reign.[9]

On August 20, 2025, the Dash announced that Matthews would joined newly promoted Liga F club Dux Logroño on loan for the 2025–26 season.[10]

International career

Matthews is eligible to represent the United States and Jamaica internationally.[3] In 2022, she trained with the United States under-15 and under-16 teams as well as the Jamaica national team as a 15-year-old.[11][12] She played a friendly tournament with the United States under-16s in 2023, scoring in a pre-tournament friendly against hosts France and starting in the final with high school teammate Kennedy Fuller.[5][13] She trained with the United States under-18 and under-19 teams in 2024 and 2025.[14]

References

  1. ^ "Zoe Matthews". National Women's Soccer League. Retrieved August 20, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Houston Dash Sign Midfielder Zoe Matthews as the Youngest Player in Team History". Houston Dash. October 11, 2024. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c "Meet Zoe Matthews, the youngest Black American in NWSL". Andscape. November 13, 2024. Retrieved February 15, 2025.
  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. ^ a b 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.
  6. ^ "ECNL Girls Texas All-Conference Teams". Elite Clubs National League. August 8, 2022. Retrieved August 20, 2025 – via TopDrawerSoccer.
    "ECNL Girls Southwest All-Conference Teams". Elite Clubs National League. August 18, 2023. Retrieved August 20, 2025 – via TopDrawerSoccer.
  7. ^ 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.
  8. ^ Olorunfemi, Victor (December 27, 2023). "23 Female Players That Dominated 2023". TopDrawerSoccer. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
  9. ^ "Houston Dash Split Two-Game Road Trip after Loss in Seattle". Houston Dash. October 19, 2024. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
  10. ^ "Houston Dash Loan Defender Zoe Matthews to Dux Logroño in Spain". Houston Dash. August 20, 2025. Retrieved August 20, 2025.
  11. ^ "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.
  12. ^ "Reggae Girlz head coach Donaldson eager to see what new recruits, returning players bring to squad". Sportsmax. October 29, 2022. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
  13. ^ "U.S. Under-16 Women's Youth National Team Wins Mondial Montaigu Tournament With 1-0 Victory Over Host France". United States Soccer Federation. April 9, 2023. Retrieved August 20, 2025.
  14. ^ "U19 WNT Roster for Florida Training Camp". United States Soccer Federation. October 18, 2024. Retrieved August 20, 2025 – via TopDrawerSoccer.
    "U19, U18 WNT Rosters for Georgia Camp". United States Soccer Federation. March 28, 2025. Retrieved August 20, 2025 – via TopDrawerSoccer.
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