What Happened to Mallory Pugh?

Mallory Pugh has been playing soccer at an international level for ten years, beginning at the youth level at 12 years old. At 18, she shocked the WoSo world by opting to skip college after just a few months with UCLA and turn pro. Now, at only 22, she’s already in her fifth year of professional play. However, the road hasn’t been easy for the young star. Far from it. 

When she broke out on the scene in 2016 as a 16-year-old, Mal was touted as the future of the women’s game. That’s immense pressure for a kid just making her first appearances with the senior national team – a team full of legends with vastly more experience than she. Though she quickly became a mainstay on the roster, the USWNT’s forward line is infamously deep. She competes for the forward position with Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan, Tobin Heath, and Christen Press, some of the best players in the world. With competition like that, it was always going to be tough for Mal, let alone the pressure the media heaped onto her. 

Though the future looked very bright for Pugh, a series of injuries kept her out and unable to continue her development. She’s now working her way back to full fitness and regular playing time, but she’ll also have to overcome the mental hurdles that come with being sidelined for so long. The USWNT roster is deeper than ever, making the battle ahead for Pugh all the more challenging.

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Her national team call-ups and playing time has been inconsistent at best. On a professional level, she’s been traded twice in the space of a year; first from Washington to Sky Blue, then from Sky Blue to Chicago. But despite the rocky road, she could be a player to watch this year.

Only time will tell if Pugh is able to once again be a bright attacking spot on the USWNT. However, she has the blessing of time on her side. Though she’s been a women’s soccer mainstay since 2016, she’s still in her early 20s, and would probably only just be turning pro now if she stuck with UCLA. It is entirely possible Pugh’s best is yet to come. 

As it stands, Vlatko Andonovski already left Pugh off key USWNT rosters in 2021 due to injury. Unfortunately, this means the chances of her making the cruelly small Olympic roster are very slim. But if she doesn’t make that roster, could she possibly turn this into her Crystal Dunn season? Tearing up the NWSL to prove she deserves a place on that team? That wouldn’t surprise us one bit. 

Featured Image via Wikimedia Commons

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