( CNN ) She scored the second best goal of 2014 and now Irish forward Stephanie Roche has landed herself a move to U.S. National Women 's Soccer League side , Houston Dash . Roche 's volley for Peamount United against Wexford Youths in a Irish league game watched by fewer than 100 spectators became the first goal scored by a woman to be named a finalist in the FIFA Puskas Award for goal of the year . `` I am so excited about the signing of Stephanie , we are getting a player that has great technical ability , a superb left foot , and possibly the best goalscorer to come out of Ireland since ( former international striker ) Olivia O'Toole , '' Dash head coach Randy Waldrum said on the club 's website . `` Stephanie will bring a wealth of international experience to our team , and another great attacking option that is different from what we have already , '' he added . `` All our Dash fans and fans of women 's soccer in general will be excited about this signing . '' James Rodriguez won the Puskas Award for 2014 , but the Colombian was gracious enough to say that Roche 's fabulous volley , which took second place at FIFA 's glitzy ceremony in January , just might have trumped his goal against Uruguay at the World Cup last year saying it `` deserved to win , but only one can . '' Rodriguez 's goal came in front of thousands at Rio 's Maracana Stadium , with millions more around the world watching on TV . It was a very different setting when Roche collected the ball with her back to goal , flicked it over her head and crashed it home while playing in the Irish Woman 's National League . Nevertheless , her brilliant goal , filmed by chance , beat Robin van Persie 's flying header for Holland against Spain at the World Cup into third place . Victorious Real Madrid forward Rodriguez hailed Roche 's effort as `` a golazo '' ( an amazing goal ) , while Italy legend Alessandro del Piero described her as the `` moral winner . '' `` She is great , '' Del Piero added . `` She needs to score another one for next year . That is what I would say to her . '' The FIFA award , voted for by the public , saw Roche take 33 % of the vote , with winner Rodriguez on 42 % and Van Persie some way back on 11 % . Roche first represented the Republic of Ireland when she was 14 years old playing for the Under-17 team , and has since earned 35 senior caps for her country . The 25-year-old 's move to America follows a brief stint with French club ASPTT Albi where she struggled with the language barrier according to the Irish Times . Roche 's boyfriend Dean Zambra , who plays for League of Ireland side , Bray Wanderers , will join her in the U.S. for three months to help the striker settle in . `` I 've been given a huge opportunity by Houston Dash and I 'm hoping I 'll be able to go over and do well and hopefully be successful over there '' Roche told RTE Radio . No terms of the deal have been revealed .
Stephanie Roche is off to Uruguay to play for Maracana Stadium in the U.S. Woman 's Stephanie Roche . The Irish international striker scored a stunning goal which was nominated for the FIFA Puskas Award . Roche 's goal came second to ASPTT Albi strike for Colombia against Uruguay at the World Cup last year . The 25-year-old 's move to the U.S. follows a brief stint with Irish club ASPTT Albi .