HOUSTON—Deep in the heart of Texas, one name has peppered the backs of many jerseys in the crowds watching an Olympic qualifying tournament for women’s soccer: Erin McLeod.

After all the success the United States has had over the years, capped by a third Women’s World Cup win last summer, you might not expect the Canadian goalkeeper to be the it girl around these parts. But after two seasons with the Houston Dash, the city’s National Women’s Soccer League franchise, that’s exactly what the St. Albert, Alta., native has become.

“She’s more than just a soccer player. She does so many things with her platform: her art, a fashion line, all the organizations that she supports. She can even sing super well,” says Houston native Cara Loveland.

Loveland is a longtime fan of the American team, but sat in the front row with a hand-made sign for all three of Canada’s round-robin matches here, cheering McLeod and her teammates on.

“All of these little things just make her so relatable to such a wide variety of people,” Loveland says.

This tournament is bittersweet for Loveland and her fellow McLeod supporters, as the goalkeeper will not be returning to the Dash next season.

McLeod is expected to play in Europe, though the specific club has yet to be announced. Her wife, Ella Masar, who also left the Dash at the end of last season, currently plays for FC Rosengard in Sweden.

The chance to return to Houston one last time with the national team — which meets Costa Rica in the semifinals on Friday with an Olympic berth on the line — thrilled McLeod.

“It’s wonderful to feel like you’re playing at home even when you’re not at home,” she says.

McLeod believes players being accessible to fans — she laughs as she thinks back to signing autograph after autograph after Dash games — is something unique to women’s soccer.

“At the end of the game you can sign some autographs and have a few moments with fans and aspiring athletes. I think that’s so important to give back and to help promote the future generations in soccer.”

Jen Cooper, the founder of local soccer website who moonlights as a Dash broadcast colour commentator, admits she had to suppress the fan in her the first time McLeod and Masar came into the soccer store she manages.

“They’ve just been such great — I hate to use this word, but — role models, but not in the cliche way. They just seem like open and loving people who will do whatever they can do to help the game,” she says.

Cooper, who once helmed Clan McLeod, a supporters group honouring the club’s first captain, said she has had requests from all over the U.S. and Canada, and from countries as far as Germany, for McLeod jerseys.

She doesn’t sell the Canadian kit but is happy to stamp McLeod’s name on a goalkeeper jersey sent her way.

With Canada and the United States widely expected to play each other in Sunday’s final, some of McLeod’s fans are torn.

Mel Campagna, a member of the Dash supporters group Bayou City Republic, said she has settled on wearing a Canada scarf, designed by McLeod’s company Peau de Loup, on top of her American jersey.

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“It’s hard because we grew to love Canada because of Erin.”

McLeod counts herself lucky to be testing fans’ allegiances.

“They’re obviously loyal fans, even cheering for me wearing a Canadian jersey. I think that speaks more volume to them as well. They stick by their players and I really admire that.”