Irish footballer Stephanie Roche has had her contract with US soccer team Houston Dash ended after three months with the club.
The Texas club has announced the signing of two new foreign players, Australian defender Ellie Brush, and Brazilian defender Camila and said that Ms Roche was one of two players leaving club to make way for the new signings on the club’s playing roster.
Ms Roche (25) became an internet sensation after scoring a wonder goal caught on film while playing for Peamont United against Wexford Youths in an Irish National League game in 2013. She was a runner-up for the Fifa Puskas Award for Fifa Goal of the Year last year.
The Dubliner signed for Houston Dash in February becoming the first Irish player to play in the American National Women’s Soccer League.
In an interview with The Irish Times in March shortly after joining the US club, she spoke about adapting to the heat in Texas being "the biggest difficulty" in her move to the United States.
She made two substitute appearances for the American club and was called up to play with the Republic of Ireland team against the United States and Haiti, both played in the US, earlier this month.
Roche said in a message posted on social media website Twitter that she was “very disappointed to finish up with Houston Dash. Impossible to appreciate the highs without experiencing the lows #ToughDay.”
Roche declined to say any more on the matter, beyond her message on Twitter, telling The Irish Times that she was unable to comment further.
The Houston club said in a statement about the new signings: “In corresponding moves to make room on the 20-player roster, defender Stephanie Ochs has been placed on the season-ending injury list after undergoing surgery to repair a torn ACL [anterior cruciate ligament] and forward Stephanie Roche has been waived.”
Houston Dash coach Randy Waldrum told sports website, Keeper Notes: “I really would have liked to have given her the time to be with us a season because I think she was getting better and better and adapting.
“Unfortunately, as I told her, as bad as we have been defensively, we had to make some moves. Two internationals, and the international spots being so critical, we had to let somebody go.”
Waldrum blamed Roche being cut from the team on the small size of the roster and the realities of a World Cup year where players need to be available immediately. “Unfortunately, it came down to her; we just didn’t have the time to wait on her,” he said. “I just hope I don’t grow to regret it at the end, but we had to do it with somebody.”
