Zoe Matthews

Midfielder • Age 19 • #4

Zoe Matthews is an American and Jamaican footballer who plays as a midfielder and defender. She has represented the United States at youth international levels.

Fun Facts about Zoe

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She signed with the Houston Dash at just 17, making her the youngest player in club history and the youngest African American to enter the NWSL.

She trained with both the U.S. and Jamaica national teams at just 15 years old.

Before going pro, she had committed to playing college soccer at LSU.

She made her professional debut at 17, subbing in against the Seattle Reign.

Her soccer journey began playing in her church league before joining an ECNL team.

She didn’t expect to play in her first pro game, but the coach called her in with the words, “Welcome to the big leagues, kid.”

Zoey Matthews' great-grandfather, Chairman Jones, was the first Black chairman of schools in North Carolina and has a movie about his legacy. She takes pride in being the first Black female to debut for the Houston Dash, honoring the generations before her while inspiring those to come.

She trained with both the Chicago Red Stars and Orlando Pride before signing with the Houston Dash.

She has Jamaican roots and connected with Chicago through a Jamaican coach.

She compares her playing style to Marta and Cristiano Ronaldo, emphasizing her powerful shot and swagger on the field.

Her daily routine includes training from 9 AM to 11 AM, weight training, meetings, and then free time in the afternoons.

Her family, including her parents and brother, has played a huge role in her success, making major sacrifices to support her soccer journey.

She grew quickly to 6'2", which made learning her body and movement a challenge.

Her father, who played football, helped her develop her vision and movement by studying Messi and Ronaldo on YouTube.

Her favorite food is sushi, but she also loves brisket tacos and lasagna.

She makes it a point to sign autographs for fans since she remembers waiting as a kid and feeling disappointed when players didn’t stop.

She also competed in hurdles when she was younger.

When Zoe first joined the Houston Dash, she was only 17, so she couldn’t share the locker room with the team because of age rules. She had her own separate locker room, which she humorously referred to as “VIP.”