Despite her desire to leave, the Houston Dash are not willing to trade María Sánchez before the upcoming deadline. The winger, who recently signed the largest deal in National Women’s Soccer League history, requested a trade just months after agreeing to a three-year contract. However, Houston does not appear open to letting her go.
Sánchez, who was a restricted free agent in the past offseason, signed her current contract four months ago. The deal is valued up to $1.5 million, including bonuses and a fourth-year option. While there are limited options for teams that could pick up her contract and sign her due to the league’s rules, Houston emphasized that she is under contract and that this was her decision in free agency.
Despite being under contract with the Dash for another year, Sánchez has been unhappy with the team’s poor performance this season. The team has struggled with a record of 1-2-1, having conceded a league-worst 10 goals in four games. In response to their poor play, head coach Fran Alonso was brought in last December after former head coach Sam Laity was dismissed earlier in the season. Additionally, former goalkeeper coach Matt Lampson was let go earlier this year for violating the league’s codes of conduct.
While Sánchez set a record with her contract signing last fall, other players in the league have since surpassed it with more lucrative deals this past offseason. USWNT forward Sophia Smith recently signed a deal making her the highest-paid annually in NWSL history, while other players like Mallory Swanson and Racheal Kundananji also received significant contracts as well.
As Sánchez continues to play for Houston next season despite her desire for change of scenery, it remains to be seen how long she will remain with the team before considering other options in free agency or through trades if they become available later on.
