Mary Long (soccer)

Mary Long
Long with Duke in 2024
Personal information
Full name Mary Angela Long[1]
Date of birth (2007-01-24) January 24, 2007 (age 17)[1]
Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Position(s) Attacking midfielder, striker
Team information
Current team
 Duke Blue Devils
Number 10
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2024– Duke Blue Devils 15 (3)
International career‡
2024 United States U-17 8 (3)
Medal record
Women's soccer
FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup
Bronze medal – third place Dominican Republic 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of November 3, 2024

Mary Angela Long (born January 24, 2007) is an American college soccer player who plays as a midfielder or forward for the Duke Blue Devils. She won bronze with the United States at the 2024 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup.

Early life

Long grew up in Mission Hills, Kansas, one of four children born to Angie and Chris Long.[2] She began playing soccer when she was three.[3] At age 12, she traveled with a regional all-star team to an international tournament in France that coincided with the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup; the trip sparked her parents' interest in buying a women's soccer team, which became the Kansas City Current.[4][5]

Long, playing up an age group, scored the winning goal for KC Athletics in the under-15 ECNL national championship in 2021.[6] She helped California-based club Slammers FC HB Køge reach the ECNL national final in 2023, leading the team with six goals in the playoffs and being named an All-American.[7][8] She trained as a non-roster invitee with the Kansas City Current in 2023 and 2024.[9] She graduated one year early from Shawnee Mission East High School in Kansas in 2024, for which she took six additional online classes in her final semester.[7]

College career

Long scored 3 goals in 15 appearances (all as a substitute) during her freshman year with the Duke Blue Devils in 2024. In what was Robbie Church's final season as head coach, Duke won the Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season title and reached the semifinals of the NCAA tournament; Long hockey-assisted the opening goal in a 2–0 win over Michigan State in the NCAA third round.[2][10]

International career

Long was first called up to the United States youth national team at the under-17 level in July 2024, scoring twice in a friendly against Brazil.[7] She was selected to the roster for the 2024 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup, where she helped the team place third, its best result since 2008.[11] She scored one goal in a 5–0 group stage win over South Korea.[12]

Honors

United States U-17

References

  1. ^ a b "FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Dominican Republic 2024 – Squad List (USA)" (PDF). FIFA. p. 15. Retrieved October 23, 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Mary Long". Duke Blue Devils. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  3. ^ Murphy, Katie. "Kicking to the Currents: Abigail and Mary Long are inspired by their parents' soccer team, the Kansas City Currents". The Harbinger (student newspaper: Shawnee Mission East High School). Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  4. ^ Sperry, Daniel (November 1, 2023). "Local soccer standout whose parents founded KC Current will head to Duke a year early". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  5. ^ Anderson, Avery (April 22, 2024). "A-Long the Current ..." The Harbinger (student newspaper: Shawnee Mission East High School). Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  6. ^ Hall, Cora (July 19, 2021). "'Fire in their eyes': KC Athletics team rallies for coveted U.S. title in girls soccer". The Kansas City Star. Archived from the original on July 20, 2021.
  7. ^ a b c Volavongsa, Kylie (July 19, 2024). "SM East's Mary Long is a USYNT first-timer. She scored twice in friendly vs. Brazil". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  8. ^ Khatod, Riya (August 14, 2024). "Duke women's soccer 2024 season preview". Duke Chronicle. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  9. ^ "A Head Start on Becoming a Blue Devil". Duke Blue Devils. June 17, 2024. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  10. ^ Tan, Jun (December 6, 2024). "No. 1 Duke women's soccer ends historic Robbie Church era with 3-0 College Cup loss to North Carolina". Duke Chronicle. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
  11. ^ "USA Defeats England 3–0 to Take Third Place at 2024 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup". United States Soccer Federation. November 3, 2024. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
  12. ^ "U.S. U-17 WYNT Reaches Semifinals for the First Time Since 2008 to Square Off With Korea DPR". United States Soccer Federation. October 29, 2024. Retrieved October 30, 2024.