Where 6 Americans Abroad Played Youth Club Soccer in the US
The number of American athletes playing abroad is growing! The level of play in international leagues has now reached the status of the NWSL, and it’s undoubtedly appealing to experience and play in a different country. Here, we highlight some of the American players who are playing abroad and where they got their club soccer start here in the U.S.
Lindsey Horan (Lyon)
Horan, currently on loan to Olympique Lyonnais from Portland Thorns, is one of the few players who chose club over high school ball. Rather than playing for Golden High School back in her day, Horan played for Colorado Rush. Horan played for Colorado Rush for seven years, from 2005-2012, before departing the country to play for PSG.
Colorado Rush currently boasts 25 National Championships and spans 48 countries worldwide.
Korbin Albert (PSG)
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The youngest player on this list, Albert, is only 19 and went straight from Notre Dame to Paris Saint-Germain for this upcoming season. Before becoming a globe-trotting soccer star, Albert played for the elite youth club Eclipse Select Soccer Club.
This club is specific to the Chicago area, and Albert was twice named league player of the year. Along with Eclipse Select Soccer Club, Albert was also a prominent United States Youth National Teams (USYNT) member. She played for Eclipse for seven years and was a USYNT member for three.
Kaylan Jenna Marckese (Arsenal)
Currently goalkeeping across the pond for Arsenal, Marckese started her soccer career in Florida with Tampa Bay United. United is the biggest soccer club in Tampa. They are currently in USL League Two, the U.S.’s fourth-tier soccer league.
Tampa Bay offers programs for young players interested in soccer at the elite level and recreational players. Marckese was with United from 2011 to 2015, when she joined the Florida Gators for college.
Katherine Stengel (Liverpool)
Another Florida player, Stengel, started her youth career with Space Coast United. The now Liverpool player got her start with this 3-19 team. Space Coast focuses on providing fundamentals and growth opportunities to their players from the jump. And those skills set Stengel on a course to succeed. The forward has now played for top-tier teams worldwide, like Bayern Munich, Houston Dash, and Canberra United.
Zoe Morse (Brighton & Hove Albion)
Morse, who will be joining Brighton & Hove Albion in the Women’s Super League this coming season, got her start with the Michigan Hawks. The Michigan Hawks are female-led, with Michelle Krzisnik as the Director of Coaching. The Michigan Hawks are an all-girls side but are affiliated with the Michigan Wolves, the boys’ side. Ranging from U-6 to U-18, the Hawks are Michigan’s top team for producing college athletes.
In 2016 the Hawks became founding members of the U.S. Soccer development academy, and the year before, they were the top team for youth national players.
Brianna Visalli (Brighton & Hove Albion)
Visalli is our second Brighton & Hove Albion player but our first player to have multiple club teams under her belt. This midfielder spent six years with CV Chilipeppers and one year with De Anza Force, two California teams.
Force has been around since 1999 and now has over 80 teams for both boys and girls. They also offer a college program to players and their families to help navigate the ins and outs of collegiate drafts. Along with athletics, Force puts a special emphasis on academics.
Featured image via @psg_feminines on Instagram
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