On November 19, 2013, MLS team Houston Dynamo began the initial stages of bringing a top flight women's professional soccer franchise to Houston.[1] A week later, the effort was bolstered when the Dynamo began accepting refundable deposits for a potential NWSL expansion team.[2] On December 11, 2013, the National Women's Soccer League awarded the Houston Dynamo and the city of Houston an expansion franchise.[3]
Team name, crest, and colors
Former logo used from 2013 to 2020.
During a press conference on December 12, 2013, then-Houston Dynamo president Chris Canetti announced that the club would be named the Houston Dash and would share similar colors to the Dynamo: orange, black, and sky blue.[4] The crest featured a soccer ball along with the words "Houston Dash" with sky blue lines in the background.[5] The name Dash refers to the fast running speed of a horse, which was a historical mode of transportation for Texans in the 1800s.[5]
Mascot
In 2007, Houston started a search for a mascot by asking members of The Art Institute of Houston to submit drawings, from which several finalists were selected and an official mascot would be decided through an online poll, both for the mascot design and name. The winning design, by Eric Hulsey and Leslie Lopez, was of an orange-haired fox and named Dynamo Diesel. He was unveiled at Houston Zoo on April 3, 2007. Dynamo Diesel began working alongside the Houston Dynamo marketing and community outreach programs.
Diesel also became the official mascot of the Houston Dash when the team began play in 2014. Dash Diesel is present at every Houston Dash match and brings an electric energy to the gameday atmosphere at Shell Energy Stadium.
On December 23, 2013, Former Houston Dynamo player Brian Ching was named managing director, in charge of day-to-day operations on both the business and technical sides of under the supervision of then-Houston Dash and Dynamo team president Chris Canetti.[7]
On May 29, 2017, Waldrum and Houston Dash agreed to part ways. Assistant coach Omar Morales was named interim coach.[9]
On November 27, 2017, Vera Pauw was hired as the new head coach.[10] On September 20, 2018, Pauw departed from the club.[11]
On December 11, 2018, James Clarkson was hired as the new head coach.[12]
Ted Segal completed the acquisition of the Houston Dynamo FC and Houston Dash on June 22, 2021. The deal was reportedly worth $400 million. Since acquiring the team, Segal has invested significantly into the club, both the Dynamo and Dash and Shell Energy Stadium.
One of Segal's first changes as the new majority owner of the Dash to was bring in more dedicated staff focused on elevating the Dash. On February 2, 2022, the Segal and Dash announced the hiring of Jessica O'Neill as the team's first president, a role tasked with increasing revenue and serving as the team's spokesperson to the NWSL on league matters.[13]
On April 26, 2022, the NWSL and NWSLPA recommended coach James Clarkson should be suspended while they conducted "an investigation into alleged violations of the NWSL Policy to Prevent and Eliminate Workplace Discrimination, Harassment, and Bullying".[14] On April 27, 2022, the Houston Dash announced that it was immediately suspending James Clarkson pending the conclusion of the joint investigation by the NWSL and NWSLPA that was launched in 2021.[15]
On April 29, 2022, the Houston Dash announced that Sarah Lowdon would serve as the acting head coach while the club conducted its search for an interim head coach.[16] On June 15, 2022, the Dash named former Real Betis Féminas and Tottenham Hotspur coach Juan Carlos Amorós as its interim head coach. Lowdon continued as acting head coach pending Amorós's visa approval.[17]
Houston Dash named former NWSL player and sports executive Alex Singer as the General Manager on August 24, 2022.[14][18] Singer began her managerial duties on September 6 and was brought in to oversee all soccer operations including player personnel and roster management for the team and work closely with the coaching staff to build and construct the roster. She was fired on July 25, 2024, after the team had secured only three wins in sixteen matches during the 2024 season.[19]
On August 25, 2022, the Dash announced that majority owner Ted Segal bought out the stakes of minority owners Gabriel Brener, Oscar De La Hoya, and Ben Guill.[20]
On December 14, 2022, the Dash released a public statement declaring the club would not renew the contract with James Clarkson, which had an expiration date of the end of 2022, after reports concluded that his "actions constituted emotional misconduct."[21]Sam Laity was hired as the next head coach on December 21, 2022,[22] and fired on September 6, 2023.[23]
Fran Alonso was appointed the head coach of the Dash on December 22, 2023[24] following an extensive search led by general manager, Alex Singer. Alonso joined Houston after being at the helm Celtic FC Women, who compete in the Scottish Women's Premier League (SWPL). While with Celtic, Alonso led the team to a 76-11-9 (WLD) record in the league and won three of the four cup competitions the team competed in. Alonso began a leave of absence on June 28, and was later replaced by interim coach Ricky Clarke in lieu of returning to the club.[25]
Segal's commitment to continuing to grow the Houston Dash was once again evident at the start of 2024 when the club announced on March 14, 2024, the addition of Pablo Pinones Arce as the club's first Technical Director in team history.[26] Pinones Arce was brought in to work alongside general manager Alex Singer and to establish a robust soccer operation framework for the Dash. His responsibilities include talent identification, roster construction, overseeing various aspects of soccer operations, and contributing to the development of a comprehensive youth strategy.
Houston Dynamo Football Club announced the addition of former United States men's national soccer team goalkeeper Tim Howard to its ownership group on July 16, 2024. Howard said joining the HDFC ownership grants him the opportunity to "further contribute to the growth of the game in the United States and connect with the passionate soccer fans who call Houston home”.
On December 9, 2024, the Houston Dash announced Angela Hucles Mangano as President of Women’s Soccer and Chief Soccer Officer for the team. [27] Hucles Mangano was previously the General Manager for Angel City FC.
The Dash play their games at Shell Energy Stadium, formerly known as BBVA Stadium, which opened in May 2012, and features a 20,656-seat capacity. For the team's inaugural season, 7,000 seats in the lower seating bowl are available for home games.[28] When the stadium opened in 2012, it became the first soccer-specific stadium in Major League Soccer located in a city's downtown district.[29]
Spectators can experience unobstructed views from both the lower and upper seating bowls, which are supported by a single concourse. The concourse provides full access around the stadium with easy access to concession and toilet. On June 22, 2022, Houston Dynamo Football Club (HDFC) announced plans for major upgrades to Shell Energy Stadium. The renovation project began immediately following the conclusion of the 2022 MLS and NWSL seasons and was ready in time for the 2023 season. The project was headlined by the installation of all-new mesh seats throughout the entire seating bowl and made Shell Energy Stadium the first soccer-specific stadium in America with mesh seating throughout the building. A portion of the east side of the stadium was reconfigured to create a new air-conditioned, premium all-inclusive club area. The East Club, includes the three centermost sections of the east sideline lower level and hold a capacity of 824 guests. It opens into a climate-controlled club area where guests can enjoy an all-inclusive experience with premium food options, a dedicated bar serving beer, wine and cocktails along with non-alcoholic beverages.
The East Club features nine loge boxes, which offer individuals and companies the opportunity to entertain guests in a semi-private space with access to all of the all-inclusive benefits of the East Club. Each loge box seats eight guests.
On June 13, 2019, it was announced that BBVA Compass Stadium was changing its name to BBVA Stadium following the sponsor's rebrand.
During the second half of the 2021 season, BBVA Stadium was rebranded as PNC Stadium following PNC Financial Services' acquisition of BBVA USA in June 2021.
On January 17, 2023, PNC Stadium became Shell Energy Stadium following Shell Energy and the Dynamo agreeing on a stadium naming rights deal reportedly worth $40 million over 8 years.
Houston Sports Park is the official training facility of the Houston Dash.
Houston Sports Park
The training facility for Houston Dynamo FC, Houston Dash and academy teams is located at the Houston Sports Park (HSP). Opened in 2011, the complex features seven soccer fields, field lighting, and parking. All of the fields feature Bermuda grass, except one that contains FieldTurf. Four fields are reserved exclusively for use by the Dynamo, Dash and visiting professional teams. The remaining fields are available for public rental. The training facility is located 10 miles south of Shell Energy Stadium and was built through a partnership with the City of Houston.
During the 2014 season, games were broadcast locally on CSN TV in Houston.[42] It was the second local television broadcast agreement in the NWSL's history.[43] On August 6, 2014, DirecTV and AT&T proposed a reorganization plan, in which it would acquire CSN Houston in a 60/40 joint venture. At the time, AT&T was in the process of acquiring DirecTV, pending regulatory approval.[44] The reorganization offer was approved by the court on October 30, 2014, although Comcast appealed the decision in order to address a $100 million loan that had been given to the network. Attorneys from the companies involved reached an agreement to allow the deal to continue through Comcast's appeals process. The Rockets' general counsel Rafael Stone stated that the approval gave a "clear path" for the network to return to full-time service in November, and transition to DirecTV's Root Sports brand, and the network subsequently canceled all of its existing studio shows on October 22, 2014.[45][46][47] Select Houston Dash matches continued to be aired on Root Sports through the 2015[48] and 2016 seasons.[49][50]
As of the 2017 season, Dash games were streamed exclusively by Go90 for American audiences and via the NWSL website for international viewers.[51] As part of a three-year agreement with A&E Networks, Lifetime broadcasts one NWSL Game of the Week on Saturday afternoons.[52][53] For the 2017 season, the Dash were featured in five nationally broadcast Lifetime NWSL Game of the Week broadcasts on May 6, May 3, and September 23, 2017.[54]
In July 2022, the club announced plans to broadcast matches locally on AT&T SportsNet Southwest (rebranded to Space City Home Network as of October 2023), the team's first local agreement since 2016.[50]
On November 9, 2023, the National Women's Soccer League announced [55] landmark agreements for its domestic media distribution with 118 national windows on CBS Sports, ESPN, Prime Video and Scripps Sports. The four-year contract with each partner will generate record-breaking distribution and revenue for the league while maximizing a mix of linear and digital streaming distribution.
Houston Dash and Houston-based PTS Media announced[56] on April 12, 2024, that all remaining home matches for the 2024 season would stream in Spanish across the Deportes Nation digital platforms. The agreement marked the first time that Dash matches would be available to fans in Spanish. Coverage includes a 30-minute pregame show plus a 30-minute postgame show that will feature Dash players and staff.
On April 25, 2024, Houston Dash and Space City Home Network (SCHN) announced[57] a broadcast agreement that brought select Dash matches to the local network during the 2024 season and marked the third consecutive year in which the Dash has prioritized providing local broadcast options through the network.
Houston Dynamo Football Club is an American professional soccer club based in Houston. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference. Established on December 15, 2005, the club was founded after their former owners relocated the San Jose Earthquakes' players and staff to Houston following the 2005 season. For their first six seasons in Houston, the Dynamo played at Robertson Stadium on the campus of the University of Houston. During the 2012 season, the club moved to Shell Energy Stadium, a soccer-specific stadium in East Downtown Houston.
Shell Energy Stadium is an American multi-purpose stadium located in Houston, Texas, that is home to Houston Dynamo FC, a Major League Soccer club and the Houston Dash of the National Women's Soccer League and was the first soccer specific stadium built in a major metropolitan downtown city. The stadium is the result of combined commitments of $35.5 million from the city of Houston and $60 million from the Houston Dynamo Football Club. Harris County agreed to pay for half of the land in exchange for the ability to jointly own the stadium after its completion date in May 2012. The naming rights to the stadium were formerly held by BBVA USA; the name was changed to that of PNC Financial Services due to BBVA's acquisition by PNC. The stadium's naming rights have been owned by Shell Energy since January 17, 2023.
The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) is a professional women's soccer league at the top of the United States league system. Headquartered in New York City, it is owned by the teams and, until 2020, was under a management contract with the United States Soccer Federation.
Portland Thorns FC is an American professional women's soccer team based in Portland, Oregon, that competes in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). Established in 2012, the team began play in 2013 in the then-eight-team NWSL, which received support from the United States Soccer Federation (USSF).
The 2014 National Women's Soccer League season was the second season of the National Women's Soccer League, the top division of women's soccer in the United States. Including the NWSL's two professional predecessors, Women's Professional Soccer (2009–2011) and the Women's United Soccer Association (2001–2003), this was the eighth overall season of FIFA and USSF-sanctioned top division women's soccer in the United States. The league was operated by the United States Soccer Federation and received major financial backing from that body. Further financial backing was provided by the Canadian Soccer Association and the Mexican Football Federation. All three national federations paid the league salaries of many of their respective national team members in an effort to nurture talent in those nations.
The 2014 season was the Houston Dash's inaugural season as a professional women's soccer team. As the first expansion team to the National Women's Soccer League, United States' top-flight women's league, the Dash played a 24-game schedule that saw them compete against the eight other NWSL teams, playing each at home and away at least once. The Dash finished the season in last place and ended the season with 5 wins, 3 draws, and 16 losses and a -21 goal differential. The season for the Dash began on April 12, 2014, and concluded August 20, 2014 after the team failed to qualify for the playoffs.
The 2015 season was the Houston Dash's second season as a professional women's soccer team. As a member of the National Women's Soccer League, United States' top-flight women's league, the Dash's schedule included 20 total games against eight other NWSL teams. The Dash sought to qualify for the playoffs for the first time in franchise history after finishing in last place during their inaugural season. The 2015 regular season began on April 10, 2015.
María Guadalupe Sánchez Morales is an American professional soccer player who plays as a forward for San Diego Wave FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). Born in the United States, she also plays for the Mexico national team.
The Orlando Pride are a professional women's soccer team based in Orlando, Florida, that competes in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). The Pride began play in the 2016 season. They were the tenth team to be added to the league and play their home games at Inter&Co Stadium in downtown Orlando.
The 2019 National Women's Soccer League season was the seventh season of the National Women's Soccer League, the top division of women's soccer in the United States. Including the NWSL's two professional predecessors, Women's Professional Soccer (2009–2011) and the Women's United Soccer Association (2001–2003), it was the thirteenth overall season of FIFA and USSF-sanctioned top division women's soccer in the United States.
The 2020 National Women's Soccer League season was the eighth season of the National Women's Soccer League, the top division of women's soccer in the United States. Including the NWSL's two professional predecessors, Women's Professional Soccer (2009–2011) and the Women's United Soccer Association (2001–2003), it was the 14th overall season of FIFA and USSF-sanctioned top division women's soccer in the United States.
Angel City Football Club is an American professional women's soccer team based in Los Angeles, California, that competes in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). The formation of the team was announced on July 21, 2020; it began play in the 2022 season. The team plays its home games at BMO Stadium, which it shares with Los Angeles FC of Major League Soccer (MLS).
The 2021 Houston Dynamo FC season was the 16th season of the team's existence since joining Major League Soccer (MLS) prior to the 2006 season. It was the team's second season under head coach Tab Ramos and seventh season under general manager Matt Jordan. On August 30, with the team on a 15-game winless streak, Jordan was fired. On November 1, with one game left in the season, Pat Onstad was hired as the new GM.
Juan Carlos Amorós López is a Spanish football manager who is currently the head coach of NJ/NY Gotham FC of the American National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). He previously managed NWSL club Houston Dash, Spanish club Real Betis, and English club Tottenham Hotspur.
Sam James Laity is an English football manager who was most recently the head coach of Houston Dash in the American National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). He was previously an assistant coach for fellow American team OL Reign, where he also served as interim coach for a period in 2021.
The 2022 National Women's Soccer League season was the tenth season of the National Women's Soccer League, the top division of women's soccer in the United States. Including the NWSL's two professional predecessors, Women's Professional Soccer (2009–2011) and the Women's United Soccer Association (2001–2003), it was the 16th overall season of FIFA and USSF-sanctioned top division women's soccer in the United States. Twelve teams competed in the league, including two expansion teams, San Diego Wave FC and Angel City FC.
The 2021 Houston Dash season was the team's eighth season as an American professional women's soccer team in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).
The 2022 Houston Dash season was the team's ninth season as an American professional women's soccer team in the National Women's Soccer League.
The 2023 Houston Dash season was the team's tenth season as an American professional women's soccer team in the National Women's Soccer League.
The 2023 National Women's Soccer League season was the eleventh season of the National Women's Soccer League, the top division of women's soccer in the United States. Including the NWSL's two professional predecessors, Women's Professional Soccer (2009–2011) and the Women's United Soccer Association (2001–2003), it was the 17th overall season of FIFA and USSF-sanctioned top division women's soccer in the United States. Twelve teams compete in the league.
1 2 "NWSL and NWSLPA Joint Investigation Update". www.NWSLSoccer.com. National Women's Soccer League. April 26, 2022. Retrieved May 9, 2022. an investigation into alleged violations of the NWSL Policy to Prevent and Eliminate Workplace Discrimination, Harassment, and Bullying
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