Zoe Matthews
{{Short description|American soccer player (born 2007)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Zoe Matthews
| image = Zoe Matthews (Apr 2025) 18.jpg
| image_size = 220px
| alt =
| caption = Matthews with the Houston Dash in 2025
| full_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|2007|05|25}}{{cite web|url=https://prepsoccer.com/player/zoe-matthews/|title=Zoe Matthews|website=Prep Soccer|date=July 22, 2024 |access-date=2024-10-11}}
| birth_place =
| position = Defender, midfielder
| currentclub = Houston Dash
| clubnumber = 5
| youthyears1 = Solar SC
| youthclubs1 =
| youthyears2 = Legends FC
| youthclubs2 =
| years1 = 2024–
| clubs1 = Houston Dash
| caps1 = 2
| goals1 = 0
| nationalyears1 = 2023
| nationalteam1 = United States U-16
| nationalcaps1 =
| nationalgoals1 =
| medaltemplates =
| club-update = November 3, 2024
| nationalteam-update =
}}
Zoe Matthews (born May 25, 2007) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defender 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. 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.{{cite news|url-access=subscription|url=https://www.dallasnews.com/high-school-sports/soccer/2022/04/16/southlake-carroll-rolls-past-rockwall-to-win-6a-girls-soccer-state-championship/|title=Southlake Carroll rolls past Rockwall to win 6A girls soccer state championship|last=Kretzschmar|first=Rick|date=2022-04-16|newspaper=The Dallas Morning News|access-date=2022-04-18}} She was named to the United Soccer Coaches All-American team as a sophomore in 2023. 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. While growing up, she was mentored by North Carolina Courage midfielder Brianna Pinto through Voice in Sport, a group supporting African-American girls in sports.{{cite news|url-access=subscription|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2021/12/20/nwsl-players-mentor-young-black-athletes/|title=Black girls are more apt to drop out of sports. This mentorship program aims to change that.|last=Golden|first=Andrew|date=2021-12-20|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=2024-10-11}}
Club career
The Houston Dash announced on October 11, 2024, that they had signed Matthews through 2026. At age 17, she was the youngest player in club history and the youngest African American to enter the NWSL.{{cite news|url=https://www.houstondynamofc.com/houstondash/news/houston-dash-sign-midfielder-zoe-matthews-as-the-youngest-player-in-team-history|title=Houston Dash Sign Midfielder Zoe Matthews as the Youngest Player in Team History |date=2024-10-11|publisher=Houston Dash|access-date=2024-10-11}}{{cite news|url=https://andscape.com/features/meet-zoe-matthews-the-youngest-black-american-in-nwsl/|title=Meet Zoe Matthews, the youngest Black American in NWSL|date=2024-11-13|website=Andscape|access-date=2025-02-15}} She had previously committed to play college soccer for the LSU Tigers.{{cite news|url=https://www.topdrawersoccer.com/club-soccer-articles/23-female-players-that-dominated-2023_aid52934|title=23 Female Players That Dominated 2023|date=December 27, 2023|last=Olorunfemi|first=Victor|website=TopDrawerSoccer|access-date=2024-10-11}} She made her professional debut on October 18, coming in as an 85th-minute substitute for Sarah Puntigam against the Seattle Reign.{{cite news|url=https://www.houstondynamofc.com/houstondash/news/houston-dash-split-two-game-road-trip-after-loss-in-seattle|title=Houston Dash Split Two-Game Road Trip after Loss in Seattle|date=2024-10-19|publisher=Houston Dash|access-date=2024-10-20}}
International career
Matthews trained with the United States under-15 and under-16 national teams in 2022.{{cite news|url=https://www.topdrawersoccer.com/club-soccer-articles/u15-gnt-camp-roster-california_aid50385|title=U15 GNT Camp Roster – California|date=January 10, 2022|publisher=United States Soccer Federation|via=TopDrawerSoccer|access-date=2024-10-11}}{{cite news|url=https://www.topdrawersoccer.com/club-soccer-articles/under-16-wnt-heads-to-portland_aid51398|title=Under-16 WNT Heads to Portland|date=October 18, 2022|publisher=United States Soccer Federation|via=TopDrawerSoccer|access-date=2024-10-11}} She also received an international call-up to train with the Jamaica senior national team that year, aged 15.{{cite news|url=https://sportsmax.tv/football/regional/item/108412-girl|title=Reggae Girlz head coach Donaldson eager to see what new recruits, returning players bring to squad|date=2022-10-29|website=Sportsmax|access-date=2024-10-11}} 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 victory over the hosts.{{cite news|url-access=subscription|url=https://www.dallasnews.com/high-school-sports/soccer/2023/04/05/defending-state-champ-southlake-carroll-to-be-missing-its-two-offensive-stars-at-regionals/|title=Defending state champ Southlake Carroll to be missing its two offensive stars at regionals|last=Riddle|first=Greg|date=2023-04-05|newspaper=The Dallas Morning News|access-date=2024-10-11}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Sports links}}
{{Houston Dash squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Matthews, Zoe}}
Category:Soccer players from Texas
Category:People from Southlake, Texas
Category:American women's soccer players
Category:21st-century American sportswomen
Category:African-American soccer players
Category:Women's association football midfielders
Category:United States women's youth international soccer players