Houston Dash
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| Nickname(s) | Dash |
|---|---|
| Founded | December 11, 2013 |
| Stadium | BBVA Compass Stadium |
| Capacity | 22,039 |
| Owner | Gabriel Brener Oscar De La Hoya Jake Silverstein Ben Guill |
| President & Director | Chris Canetti & Brian Ching |
| Head Coach | Randy Waldrum |
| League | National Women's Soccer League |
| 2016 | Overall: 8th Playoffs: Did not qualify |
| Website | Club home page |
The Houston Dash is a professional women's soccer team based in Houston, Texas. They joined the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) in the 2014 season.
On November 19, 2013, the Houston Dynamo began talks in the initial stages with the intention of bringing a top flight women's professional soccer franchise to Houston. Just a week later, the effort was bolstered when the Dynamo began accepting refundable deposits for a potential NWSL expansion team. On December 11, 2013, the National Women's Soccer League awarded the Houston Dynamo and the city of Houston an expansion franchise.
During a press conference on December 12, 2013, 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. The crest features a soccer ball along with the words "Houston Dash" with sky blue lines in the background. Of the expansion, Canetti said, "We are thrilled to have our very own NWSL franchise here in Houston. It is an important addition to our sports landscape and will bring added value to our community. We share the vision for this league and look forward to playing our part in making it a great success. Part of our responsibility is to grow the game of soccer, and this new team will play a significant role in that effort."
Houston Dash is owned by the same ownership group as the Dynamo, Gabriel Brener, Jake Silverstein, Ben Guill, and multiple World and Olympic boxing champion Oscar De La Hoya.
On December 23, 2013, Former Houston Dynamo player Brian Ching was named Managing Director, in charge of day-to-day duties on both the business and technical sides of under the supervision of Houston Dash and Dynamo team president Chris Canetti.
On January 3, 2014, Randy Waldrum was named as the Dash's first head coach, having previously coached the Notre Dame Fighting Irish women's soccer team to two national titles since joining the team in 1999.
The Dash play their games at BBVA Compass Stadium, a stadium opened in May 2012, that features a 22,000 seat capacity. For the team's inaugural season, 7,000 seats in the lower seating bowl are available for home games. When the stadium opened in 2012, it became the first soccer-specific stadium in Major League Soccer located in a city's downtown district.
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