Emotional night sees Jasmyne Spencer overcome the past, find kinship in Houston

An otherwise ordinary NWSL match was transformed into NWSL history last Friday night when Jasmyne Spencer burst through the OL Reign back line, reset her posture and then calmly slotted the ball into the bottom right hand corner of the goal. The Dash beat the Reign 2-0, but the match will forever be remembered for Spencer’s goal celebration.

Spencer practically erupted after she scored. Joy unfurled from her. The 4,439 fans in attendance — and those watching from home around the world — responded in startled adoration, not quite understanding all the euphoria on display. Players and fans always celebrate a goal with gusto, but this one hit differently. A lot differently.

"It hits so much,” said Spencer speaking to the press at the final whistle. "It was really exciting, I have so many emotions right now.”

 The goal was loaded for the forward because in April 2019, during the very first game of the 2019 NWSL season, Spencer tore her ACL at BBVA Stadium whilst playing for her former club, the OL Reign. “I had this game marked on my calendar and I had lots of feelings about being back and playing here.”

That knee injury immediately ended the 2019 Reign season for Spencer, a season that was primed to be one of her best. A successful spell during the off-season in Australia playing for Melbourne City in January 2019 saw her score four goals in 11 matches. The FIFA Women’s World Cup in France that summer also meant there would be more opportunities for players like Spencer, who were not in the national team, to shine. But it wasn’t meant to be. 

Spencer’s bad luck continued as her return to soccer was scheduled to come right as the COVID-19 pandemic halted the Western world in March 2020. In the two years and one month between injuring her knee and getting traded to the Dash in May 2021, Spencer only featured seven more times for the Seattle club, accumulating just 320 minutes of soccer. 

The destabilization continued. Once Spencer was traded from Seattle to Houston, she initially couldn’t quite get her feet on the ground. 

"It was difficult because when I came in, we had two away games, so I was on the road for four weeks,” said Spencer. “Some of my stuff was still being shipped in. I feel like this was the first week I really got to settle in Houston, amidst all the difficulty of moving cross country.” 

Those two away games had mixed results for the Dash (a 1-0 win away to Kansas City and a 1-0 loss away to Racing Louisville), but in both victory and defeat, Spencer was a spark off the bench. With senior international stars like Rachel Daly, Nichelle Prince and Kristie Mewis absent from the offense because of the Olympics, Spencer, an eight-season NWSL veteran, is perfectly poised to start making her experience in the NWSL count. 

“She is exactly what we were expecting. She goes about it, she is dangerous in 1-v-1 situations. It was good to see,” said Dash head coach James Clarkson about Spencer’s impact.

With some of the most painful moments of her soccer-life behind her, Spencer walked out at BBVA Stadium ready to exorcise the demons that had derailed her NWSL career. The same teams, the same stadium, but her allegiances and the colors on her jersey swapped. 

In the newly iconic celebrations, Spencer clutches the Houston Dash crest on her jersey, blows kisses to a section of the stadium before finally being swaddled by her teammates. The three actions perfectly encapsulate this poignant moment in time. How Spencer feels about her new club, the thanks for those who have supported her through difficult times and the love and appreciation of her peers. “I think what made tonight special was that my parents and fiancé were here,” said Spencer. I felt supported regardless of the outcome of the game. To be able to start and then get a goal was really a perfect scenario for me.” 

“I was so excited and overwhelmed by being able to come full circle, coming back from my knee. Being accepted here and coming to a new team halfway through the season, and every single person on this roster has made me feel so welcome, so I for sure wanted to celebrate with them just like a big thank you for accepting me and letting me be who I am." 

The Dash needed to be a family to win the 2020 Challenge Cup, and they’ll need to be one again to make the playoffs for the first time in their history in 2021. Spencer’s timely arrival, and her candid recognition of the team environment is a message to fans, and the league, that this team’s secret weapon is still togetherness.

“There's a misconception about the [Dash's] style of play and what their identity is,” said Spencer. “When I got to Houston, I was really pleasantly surprised to see that I fit right in with the style and what I could bring was only going to benefit the team.”