NWSL Rookie Profile: Houston Dash’s Stephanie Roche

For Houston Dash rookie forward Stephanie Roche, one moment in October of 2013 changed her career forever. Playing for her club team Peamount United in Ireland,  Roche collected a cross with a deft touch with her right foot, while her back was turned to the net, and another touch with her left cleverly knocked the ball over her marker’s head, and then she swiveled and launched a rocket from the edge of the area into the corner of the net, all without the ball touching the ground. The virtuoso move took perhaps three seconds but the echoes are still being felt eighteen months on. And no matter how many times you watch the video, you still shake your head. The video went viral on You Tube and brought her international attention.She was later nominated for goal of the year in 2014.

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Since that moment, her life has been a virtual whirlwind. Over the last few months alone she has visited the White House ,met with the Irish prime minister and enjoyed a shimmering awards ceremony in Switzerland where she mixed with the most famous names in world soccer. Roche was named runner-up in the FIFA Puskás Award for goal of the year at the Ballon D’Or ceremony in Zurich last January, where Cristiano Ronaldo was crowned as the world’s best player. Her goal was only beaten by James Rodriguez’s goal for Colombia in last summer’s World Cup. However, Roche’s presence at the ceremony was still a huge triumph, as she was the first woman to make the final three-person shortlist.  While there were maybe a handful people at the Peamount United match against Wexford Youths,  her moment of soccer magic has been seen by millions. All of these experiences have not been lost on her.

“For me it really has been a whirlwind. Between going for the Ballon D’Or awards in January and then the last few months, the Ballon D’Or awards feel like so long ago. It’s really just been great. Everybody back in Ireland and a lot of people round the world have been very supportive to me. I’ve been given the opportunity to come and play in Houston, got to go to the White House, it’s been a crazy few months,” the 25-year-old told HoustonDashSoccer.com after her first training session at Houston Sports Park.

Born in Dublin, and an experienced Ireland international, she has become an icon in her homeland.In March she spent a day in Austin at the opening of the new Irish Embassy, where she met Enda Kenny, Ireland’s Taoiseach (prime minister). On a St. Patrick’s Day event at the White House, she shook hands with President Obama, a meeting that left the usually cool Roche feeling a little flustered: “I was trying to get a selfie but it was a bit hard because I’m right handed and I had to shake with my right hand! I was trying to get the selfie with the left but I couldn’t hold the phone,” she said.

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For Roche, it was a momentary loss of her patented technique, which has made her famous. In addition to the memorable goal in October 2013, she scored another brilliant one against Costa Rica back in March. About her technique, the 5’10” Roche had this to say:

“I’m not the biggest girl,  but I’ve always worked on my technique, I think technique is the best part and the biggest part of knowing how to play football — you need to be able to use the football and make the football do what I want to do. I’ve worked on my technique quite a lot over the years and it’s paid off.”

However, despite being the top female player in Ireland, she realizes that it will take more than just technique to become one of the top performers in the NWSL. She needs to add a more physical component to her game. Whether or not she needs to add more muscle to her frame remains to be seen. From her perspective, she knows what she needs to do: “ I’m basically a technical player, a flair player I suppose, so I want to improve myself physically, I want to get better as a player and I think being here with the Dash is the best place to do it. I just want to get sharper, fitter, better and stronger.”

Nobody doubts that she will add instant excitement to the Dash attack.Head coach Randy Waldrum is excited about adding Roche’s skill to the team as they prepare for their sophomore season in the NWSL. “She brings an excitement to the women’s game,you can tell technically she’s a really, really sound player … she strikes the ball really well.I think she’s going to be quite a nice player for us.”  She probably will be employed up front, either in a central position of wide out, in order to use her speed better. All will depend on whether he employs a two or three forward line.

Roche realizes that ‘The Goal’ will never be forgotten, and it will surely follow her wherever she goes. While grateful for the attention and opportunities that moment in October of 2013 brought , she joined theNWSL to prove she can deal with the dual challenges of being a professional as well as playing for 90 minutes in one of the most rigorous, physical leagues in the world.

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