HOUSTON (July 7, 2025) - The Houston Dash return to Shell Energy Stadium on Tuesday, July 8 to host Club de Futbol Monterrey in an international friendly, following the NWSL’s midseason break. The match is scheduled to kick off at 7:30 p.m. CT, marking the first meeting between the two sides since a 2018 friendly at Houston Sports Park.
At the international level, Houston's most recent international fixture was against the Clausura champions from Mexico, C.F. Pachuca Femenil at Shell Energy Stadium as part of the 2024 NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup. Houston secured a 2-0 victory, finishing the group stage with a 2-1-0 (W-L-D) record in the inaugural edition of the competition. Houston’s first victory in the tournament also came at home against a team from Mexico following a 2-1 triumph over Tigres Femenil.
The Dash will be without two players due to the current international tournaments taking place around the globe. Defender Avery Patterson and forward Yazmeen Ryan recently returned to Houston after playing three friendlies with the U.S. Women’s National Team. Patterson scored her first international goal on June 26 against Ireland, followed by Ryan, who netted her first and second goals for the U.S. on June 29 against Ireland and July 2 against Canada. Midfielder Maggie Graham recently joined the U-23 U.S. Women’s National Team for a camp and defender Zoe Matthews also returned following a camp with the U-19 U.S. Women’s National Team.
Midfielder Barbara Olivieri will miss Tuesday’s match as she prepares with the Venezuelan National Team to compete in the Copa America Femenina. Venezuela will open the tournament on Sunday, July 13 against Brazil. Olivieri began her professional career with Rayadas in 2022 and scored three goals during the Apertura 2022 campaign.
Forward Michelle Alozie is currently with the Nigerian National Team, who opened the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations with a 3-0 victory over Tunisia. Alozie started the match and played a full 90-minute shift in the opening match of Group B for the Super Falcons. Nigeria face Botswana on Thursday, July 10 at 2 p.m. CT.
Rayadas return to Houston after clinching both the Liga MX Femenil Apertura and Clausura titles in their 2024 campaign. The team has now won four league championships, the Apertura 2019, Apertura 2021, Apertura 2024 and Clausura 2024. Rayadas also made their international debut at the 2022 Women’s International Champions Cup, where they advanced to the final.
The team is led by Amelia Valverde and the club has recently announced the addition of four new players going into the Apertura 2025 campaign. Emily Gielnik is the latest addition to the squad and joins Rayadas after competing in her native Australia with Melbourne Victory. Allison Veloz joined the team at the end of June after making her professional debut with Club Necaxa. Defensively, the team added Ashlyn Fernandez from Tulsa University and Juana Plata from the El Salvador Women’s National Team.
The Mexican side is using the friendly as preparation for the 2025 Campeón de Campeones match against Pachuca and the upcoming Apertura campaign. This will be Rayadas’ second visit to Houston for a friendly following an exhibition match at Houston Sports Park in 2018. The Monterrey-based club earned a point against the Orlando Pride last year in the 2024 NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup but missed the next round following losses to Racing Louisville FC and the North Carolina Courage.
The Dash return to league play on Saturday, Aug. 2 as they travel west to face Bay FC at PayPal Park. The team returns to Shell Energy Stadium on Friday, Aug. 8 to host the North Carolina Courage. Tickets for that match are available on HoustonDash.com.
