June 18, 2024 – USL Super League (USLSL)
Spokane Zephyr FC News Release
Thais Reiss, a Brazilian forward who just finished the season with Villarreal CF of Spain’s top women’s soccer league, Liga F, is the latest player to sign with Spokane Zephyr FC as the club embarks on its historic first season of professional Division One women’s soccer.
Reiss, 24, had a successful youth career in Brazil, playing for the national program in both the 2016 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup and the 2018 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. She left Brazil to enroll at the University of North Florida, where she appeared in 77 matches from 2017-2021 and proved herself to be an exceptional player.
During her five seasons with the Ospreys, Reiss racked up multiple honors in the Atlantic Sun Conference, including four straight seasons on the All-Conference First Team. She also was named to the ASUN’s All-Decade Team, was the conference Freshman of the Year in 2017 and Player of the Year in 2020. Her name is found throughout the UNF record book: top 10 all time for matches played, second all-time for goals scored, as well as first all-time for game-winning goals, shots, and shots on goal.
She was named to the preseason team of the Orlando Pride, of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), in early 2022, and signed a contract with the club that June. She made her professional debut on June 12, 2022, and made four more appearances with the club that season. After rejoining the Pride for part of the 2023 season, Reiss signed a contract with Villarreal CF in January of this year. She appeared in 11 matches for the Yellow Submarine, and notched a goal in Villarreal’s 2-0 win over Huelva on June 9.
After her time in Europe, Reiss is ready to return to the United States, and trade the Southeast for the Pacific Northwest.
“I had heard great things about Spokane as an organization and that called my attention from the beginning. I loved everything about it,” Reiss said. “The project, the club, the city. I could not be more excited to come to Spokane and play for this city. For the past few months I have been counting down the days and I can’t wait to get started.”
From the club’s standpoint, the feeling is quite mutual.
“Thais is another prime example of the kind of quality player we’ve been fortunate to sign to Spokane Zephyr FC, and bring back home to the states and our city,” said Katie Harnetiaux, President of USL Spokane and principal of Aequus Sports. “She is versatile, she has a deep…
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