Hola 'La Bombi': María Sánchez is officially back for the Houston Dash

¡Bienvenida a Houston! María Sánchez is home. After a much-teased homecoming, Sánchez is once again wearing the Houston Dash colors.

The Mexican international was formally announced Thursday morning with a two-year deal as the new addition to the Houston club as the preseason quickly approaches.

“It is fantastic to be adding Maria to the team,” Dash head coach James Clarkson said. “She is an outstanding player and a wonderful person. She’s going to have a major impact on the league this season.”

The Dash's first encounter with the attacking midfielder was back in June 2021, when she was loaned for a month from Tigres UANL. This arrangement was unusual due to the short amount of time. The Mexican-American player made her Houston Dash debut against Kansas City in the final 28 minutes of the Dash's 1-0 victory.

“Joining the Dash is such a privilege for me,” Sánchez said. “It’s getting another shot at my dream, and I couldn’t be more excited to do it with a team and coaching staff that I have tremendous respect for!”

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about María Sánchez, the Houston Dash short-term loan from Tigres

During her first stint with the Dash, Sánchez played three games, which resulted in two wins, one loss and one goal. Although Sánchez only played a few minutes, she managed to captivate ‘Space City’ fans with her personality on and off the pitch.

And although many of the Tigres fans that live in Houston were apprehensive about the loan because the Dash was taking away one of their “Amazonas," they soon realized that if the forward stayed, they could see her play in person.

The journey to Houston

The road for Sánchez to join the Dash started on March 29, 2021, when the club acquired the rights to Sánchez from the Chicago Red Stars in a trade for Houston’s second-round pick in the 2022 NWSL Draft.

This meant that when Sánchez was ready to come back to the NWSL and give the league a second full-term shot, Houston would be her destination— which is now a reality.

“La Bombi” played seven games with the Red Stars, where she had good but not great games — she was missing a spark. But she seemed to thrive in Mexico's Liga MX Femenil.

Her first destination as a loan was with Chivas, a name that is huge in Mexico. There, she scored five goals and played a little over 1,800 minutes, and although she had some amazing goals, it wasn't until she was traded to Tigres UANL in 2020 that she truly flourished.

With Tigres, Sánchez registered close to 4,000 minutes, scored 14 goals, won the Guardians 2021 championship, and got runner-up in Grita México Apertura 2021.

The wait

The Houston had been toying with fans’ feelings for a while now. Back in December, they revealed their 2022 Expansion Draft protection lists and had a mysterious “contracted international player who has yet been announced [sic] have received protected status."

You must hand it to the Dash communications team — they know how to keep fans on their toes. This week, they released two teasers on the same day, including a video of a tifo being painted — perhaps Sanchez? — but too blurry to be certain.

Even so, fans rolled with it and took to Twitter to re-tweet the video and express their excitement to have Sánchez back on the team.

Right before bed on Tuesday came another cryptic tweet from the club: “We hope everyone had a good day. Exciting week ahead.” Which again sent Twitter's Dash fans into a frenzy to confirm the much-anticipated return of Sanchez.

They did it again on Wednesday night, with a very festive tweet: “Leaving a little note in our boots for Día de Reyes, hope the Magi give us what we’re asking for”.

Translation: ‘Día de Reyes’ is the Three Kings Day festivity that is widely celebrated in Latin-American countries including Mexico.

Who is Maria Sanchez?

Born to Mexican parents in Nampa, Idaho, Sánchez showed an affinity for soccer at an early stage. She scored a record 178 goals during her four years at American Falls High School and accumulated several prestigious awards, earning a scholarship to Idaho State University. She later transferred to Santa Clara University in California.

The striker made her debut with the senior Mexican women’s national team in 2015, and has since then earned 24 caps, including her participation in the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup squad. Currently, she is considered a must-have in the ‘Tri’ lineup.

With Sánchez, the Dash now has 19 players under contract for the upcoming 2022 season. Since she was born in Idaho, she qualifies as a domestic player and will not occupy an international roster spot.

There is no doubt that Sánchez will fit in with the rest of the Dash team and other internationals and she has already garnered new fan interest in the team.

In true Houston Spanglish form, una vez más, welcome María al Houston Dash.