February 3, 2025

Soccer Monday: Houston, we have a … rebuilding project?

Perhaps the most active team in the offseason has been the Houston Dash.

Nov 2, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Dash goalkeeper Jane Campbell (1) before the match against Bay FC at Shell Energy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Perhaps the most active team in the offseason has been the Houston Dash.

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Yes, the Dash. Not sure many of us saw that coming.

Just look at some of the players Houston has acquired ahead of the 2025 season: Yazmeen Ryan, Danielle Colaprico, Christen Westphal and Messiah Bright, Delanie Sheehan and Abby Smith.

They hired a new coach in Fabrice Gautrat, the husband of Morgan Gautrat, who has been on the staffs of the Courage and the Stars, as well as Lyon’s youth teams. Then there’s Angela Hucles Mangano, the team’s new president of women’s soccer, who seems to be more than willing to shake things up.

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“Even before I got here, there were some key acquisitions that we’ve made. I think all of it is positive. This team is stepping in the right direction,” Gautrat said. “We’re becoming more and more competitive and adding depth to each position, which obviously you need to be a very competitive team in this league. So very, very pleased with that.”

The Dash won just five games all of last year, finishing last in the NWSL, They managed only 20 goals all season, a league low. The defense wasn’t much better, with 42 goals allowed. They finished last in attendance with just over 6,000 fans a game.

The Dash have made the playoffs just once since joining the NWSL in 2014.

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There’s still plenty of uncertainty surrounding the team, which is up for sale, or not. This story from Sportico said owner Ted Segal has hired investment firm PJT Partners to look at the options. The team hasn’t announced a permananet GM, with Erik Unstruck acting in the interim.

Houston announced on Sunday that it has transferred Brazilian Tarciane to Lyon at a reported $740,000.

“We’re all turning a new leaf, turning a new page and writing a new book from scratch,” goalkeeper Jane Campbell said. “Even though this club has been around for years, we’re going to try and do something totally new. Move forward, be a different brand and be a better version of what we’ve been in the past.”

I had a chance to speak to Yazmeen Ryan, and I asked her about joining the Dash and the rebuilding project.

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“I’s something that I’m excited to be a part of. I’m from Oklahoma, so something that attracted me to Houston was how close it was to home, and being back in kind of the Midwest,” she said. “But yeah, I’m excited for where Houston is going, and they definitely are a going to be great team so I just want to be a part of what they’re doing.”

Here’s Campbell speaking at media day. She was frank about the past issues and how she’s hopeful for the future.