The Legacy of Ali Riley
Many great players create a legacy for themselves either in their league or with their national team. Ali Riley, however, is a player who made a legacy for herself on both levels. Ali Riley’s legacy runs deep as Angel City defender and New Zealand captain. The 36-year-old player was preparing to play in her fifth Olympic Games this year at Paris 2024. Unfortunately, she has been withdrawn from the Olympics on medical grounds. Despite this, the legacy of Ali Riley is as strong and impressive as ever.
The Beginning of A New Zealand Legend
Ali Riley debuted for the national team in 2007 during their game against Australia. Since then, Riley has been an integral part of the New Zealand national team, whether before or after she became the captain. By now, she is capped 162 times for New Zealand, and hopefully, there will be a lot more matches to come.
Riley Becoming The Captain
A milestone in Riley’s legacy was the moment when she became the Football Ferns’ captain. In 2017, Riley was named the new captain of New Zealand after the previous captain, Abby Erceg, retired. As a player who always showed leadership qualities, captaincy was like a second nature to Riley. Since then, Riley has continued to give her all for New Zealand, whether on or off the pitch. So far, she has five FIFA Women’s World Cup appearances. Riley also played in four Olympic Games (2008, 2012, 2016, 2020).
First World Cup Win
A dear moment for Riley and also an important one in her legacy was when New Zealand got their first World Cup win. During the 2023 tournament, New Zealand managed to beat Norway in the opening match of the tournament. This long-awaited win was deserved, and no one could have been happier than Riley. The 1-0 result marked the Football Ferns’ first World Cup victory, and such a moment is unforgettable to the players, including Riley herself. What made it even more special was that Norway was seen as a favorite of the group. At the end of the day, New Zealand were able to prove themselves.
Riley’s Legacy on the Club Level
Riley’s legacy doesn’t just include her time with the Football Ferns but also with the clubs she played for. Riley was the first-round draft pick 2010 for FC Gold Pride, part of the now-defunct WPS. She left her mark as she won with the club WPS Rookie of the Year. She then joined Western New York Flash, another WPS side, and won with them the 2011 WPS Championship. Riley was also one of the finalists for Defensive Player of the Year.
After her time in the WPS, Riley’s club career continued abroad as she played for FC Rosengård in Sweden, Chelsea, and Bayern Munich. Her return to the USA was through the NWSL as she joined Orlando Pride. With Orlando Pride, Riley played over 1500 minutes in 2021 when she also had 39 clearances and 19 interceptions. Now, Riley plays for Angel City, and she is definitely a fan favorite. She became the team’s first captain, and while she won’t be the last, she will be one of the most remembered.
Riley’s Legacy Off The Pitch
The five-time New Zealand Player of the Year doesn’t only shine on the pitch but off it, too. When it comes to Riley’s legacy off the pitch, she has done many things. Riley’s passion for soccer is perhaps followed by her passion for food. She is a certified Health Coach, and during her time in Sweden, she visited youth clubs and schools to speak about nutrition and wellness. Riley also hosts Ali in LA which is a mini-series that gets posted on Angel City’s YouTube channel. Plus, she hosted Just Women Sports’ Off the Ball series.
Riley’s passion for food showed even more when she published Girls Gone Veg along with her close friend and previous teammate, Toni Pressley. The book includes plant-based recipes, which is something Riley always tries to cook and eat. Girls Gone Veg is also the name for the vegan cooking show hosted by both Riley and Pressley. By now, Riley’s hosting skills can’t go unnoticed, nor does her plant-based cooking talent.
Supporting the LGBTQ+ Community
As a captain, Riley has always supported her teammates. She kept showing up for New Zealand and her team, but she also showed up for the LGBTQ+ community during the last World Cup. When New Zealand defeated Norway, people praised Riley for two things: her performance and her Pride nails. She had one hand-painted in the colors of the rainbow flag while the other was painted in the colors of the trans flag.
This show of solidarity and support was a strong statement on Riley’s part following FIFA’s ban of the One Love armband during the World Cup. So, as Riley was being interviewed after the game, her happy tears and her Pride nails were being cemented as a great moment in the legacy of an extraordinary player. As Angel City’s caption said back then, “Ali Riley (and her Pride nails) breaking the internet.”
The End Isn’t Here Yet
Since Riley made her debut with New Zealand in 2007, she appeared in several tournaments. Riley and everyone else waited for what would have been her fifth Olympic Games. Unfortunately, head coach Michael Mayne had to withdraw Riley on medical grounds. He described the decision in a statement by saying, “The decision to medically withdraw Ali has not been easy. She has done everything in her control to get herself ready to compete ahead of what would have been her fifth Olympic Games.”
Riley’s impact on New Zealand and any club she plays for is undeniable. Mayne knows Riley’s importance to the team as he said, “She is a veteran of this team, and someone that holds a lot of mana in the group.” Despite Riley not being able to compete in her fifth Olympic Games, her time isn’t over yet. There is still more to come. What’s next for Riley is healing, but after this, we will hopefully get to see her on the pitch again, smiling. Her positive energy is one of the many things New Zealand will miss while at the Olympics.
What Ali Riley’s Legacy Represents
Riley’s legacy includes ups and downs, just like it includes happy tears and sad ones. On her official website, Riley says her mission as a professional athlete is “to use my platform to positively impact the next generation of women athletes–to fight for equality and encourage girls across the globe to reach for their dreams.”
We hope that Riley knows that she has already inspired many girls not only in New Zealand but all over the world. She shared an emotional story in an episode of Just Women’s Sports’ “The 91st” show about how her Pride nails inspired a mental health patient. A young girl in a children’s psychiatric ward in Auckland saw Riley’s nails on TV, and she decided to paint her nails. “She said, ‘I saw Ali Riley on TV last night, and I saw her nails, and it gave me hope, and I don’t feel alone anymore.’ And they just saw something change in her and saw a light,” Riley said during the show.
The Legacy That Will Always Live
The story Riley shared is only one story about one of the girls she inspired. There may be many more stories that we don’t know about, but they exist. Riley was inspired while watching the final game in the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup. This game probably ignited her passion for soccer even more. New Zealand’s first World Cup win could be another inspiring event for young girls who watch Riley cry happy tears while her hands are painted in Pride colors. Such events in Riley’s career go hand in hand with her hope to grow the game and inspire young girls.
One thing about Riley is that she is a believer. She didn’t make her local team for two years in a row, but the third time was the right time. Riley always believed that New Zealand would get their first World Cup win, even after failing to do so in their previous appearances in the tournament. So when they defeated Norway, they shocked the world but part of Riley always hoped for this win. She believed in her team and herself since day one. Now, whether she has only four appearances at the Olympics or five, she is still a legend. The legacy of Ali Riley is one of the reasons people watch, and should watch, women’s soccer.
_
GIRLS SOCCER NETWORK: YOUR SOURCE FOR GIRLS SOCCER NEWS
Girls Soccer Network
Your source for girls soccer news
