Houston Dash forward Rachel Daly was named to the England Women’s National Team roster by head coach Phil Neville for two international friendlies, the Football Association announced earlier today.
England, currently ranked fifth in the world by FIFA, will take on Brazil at 6:45 a.m. CDT on Saturday, October 5 at Riverside Stadium in Middlesbrough, England. Three days later, the Lionesses will face Portugal at 1:00 p.m. CDT on Tuesday at Estadio do Bonfim in Setubal, Portugal.
Daly has scored three goals in 29 appearances for the Lionesses. The Harrogate, England native helped her country reach the semifinals of the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup this summer in France, eventually finishing the tournament in fourth place. Prior to the World Cup, Daly and the Lionesses won the 2019 She Believes Cup after two victories over Brazil and Japan and a draw with the United States.
This season with the Dash, Daly is tied for the team lead with five goals in 15 appearances, starting in every game she’s played. The forward was named the club’s Most Valuable Player in 2018 after she scored a career-high 10 goals in her third season in Houston.
Selected sixth overall by the Dash in the 2016 NWSL Draft, Daly ranks second in club history with 24 goals. She has appeared in 78 games with 74 starts in her first four seasons, seeing time at both forward and right back for the club. Daly scored her first goal of the 2019 season in a matchup against the North Carolina Courage on April 28 at BBVA Stadium. Later in the season, she slotted two goals in against Utah on May 11 to give the Dash their third victory of the season. Three of her five goals this season have been game-winners .
Daly will be available for selection tomorrow night as Houston hosts Rose Lavelle and Washington Spirit at 8 p.m. CDT at BBVA Stadium for Fan Appreciation Night. Tickets for the match start at $15 and are available at HoustonDashSoccer.com. The match will be televised nationally on ESPN2.
