The Houston Dash have signed forward María Sánchez for a two-year deal, the Club announced today. Sánchez will join the team for the start of preseason on February 1.
“It is fantastic to be adding Maria to the team,” Dash head coach James Clarkson said. “She is an outstanding player and a wonderful person. She’s going to have a major impact on the league this season.”
The Mexican-American footballer joins the Dash after a successful two-year stint in LigaMX Femenil with Chivas and most recently UANL Tigres Femenil. Sánchez helped Tigres reach the league final on Dec. 20 against C.F. Monterrey Femenil. She scored five goals in three games during Tigres’ playoff run over the second half of the season including braces against both Cruz Azul and C.F. America.
“Joining the Dash is such a privilege for me,” Sánchez said. “It’s getting another shot at my dream, and I couldn’t be more excited to do it with a team and coaching staff that I have tremendous respect for!”
The American Falls, Idaho native also helped Tigres win the first half of the 2021 Liga MX season, starting 16 of 17 total regular season matches and scoring three goals. Sánchez made her Liga MX debut with Chivas in 2020, playing 21 total matches and scoring five goals in the regular season.
Sánchez briefly joined the Dash earlier this summer through a short-term loan from Tigres in June, after Houston acquired her rights in a trade with Chicago Red Stars on March 29. In three appearances, Sánchez scored her first NWSL goal in the 18th minute of Houston’s 2-1 victory over Orlando on June 26 at PNC Stadium. Sánchez appeared in nine matches for Chicago in 2019 after being drafted No. 15 overall in the 2019 NWSL Draft.
Sánchez made her senior Mexican Women’s National Team debut in 2015 as a 19-year-old. The forward has 39 appearances for El Tri, scoring five goals. Sánchez was part of the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup squad and the second youngest player on the team.
With the addition of Sánchez, the Dash now have 19 players under contract for the 2022 season. Because she was born in Idaho, she qualifies as a domestic player and will not occupy an international roster spot.
