Profile
Mallory
Swanson
- Position Forward
- Number 9
- Date of Birth Apr 29 1998
- Height 5' 4"
- Club Chicago Red Stars
In December of 2015, at the Concacaf U-20 Women’s Qualifying Tournament, Mal Swanson scored seven goals in five games to help the USA win the tournament title. The feat helped earn the then 17 year old a call-up to the full Women’s National Team, making her the youngest player to debut for the USA in the last 11 years. On January 23, 2016, against the Republic of Ireland, she got her first cap and scored her first goal. A forward for the Washington Spirit, she lives with teammates and U.S. YNT friends Andi Sullivan and Rose Lavelle.
Little Sister
Swanson worshipped her big sister Brianna. Brianna loved soccer, which meant Mal loved it too. Brianna and Brianna’s best friend spent many afternoons playing in the backyard, and always, Mal—who was five years younger—wanted to play too. Brianna pushed Mal around and never let her win, and most days, it was Bri and her friend against Mal. “It was 2v1 and I was five years younger. It was so unfair,” laughs Mal. “But it was so good for me.”
Brianna’s soccer team went to the state championships, and little Mal worked her way onto the team’s bench. The seven year old sat there with the 12 year olds, fully absorbed, studying every play, a total soccer junkie even then. She’d been watching Telemundo, Spanish broadcast games on her Hello Kitty television since she was four years old. “I just love soccer so much,” says Swanson.
Brianna’s soccer team went to the state championships, and little Mal worked her way onto the team’s bench. The seven year old sat there with the 12 year olds, fully absorbed, studying every play, a total soccer junkie even then. She’d been watching Telemundo, Spanish broadcast games on her Hello Kitty television since she was four years old. “I just love soccer so much,” says Swanson.
Craves Challenges
Always battling against her older sister made Swanson crave challenges and hard situations. Reaching outside of her comfort zone became her M.O. Growing up, that meant training for two years with her club’s boys' academy team. Then, when it came time for college, Swanson went to UCLA for a semester to try it out. While she liked it, she found herself thinking, “No, I’m comfortable. I want to do something that makes me uncomfortable.” She made the difficult decision to follow teammate Lindsey Horan’s example: skip college and go straight to a professional league. She signed with the Washington Spirit, where she lived by herself for the first time and scored six goals in her rookie season as an 18 year old. “I remember thinking to myself, I could be with my friends at UCLA, yet here I am alone, with my bare-walled apartment,” says Swanson. “But then I’d remind myself—no, you were comfortable. This is what will challenge you.”
Little Sister
Swanson worshipped her big sister Brianna. Brianna loved soccer, which meant Mal loved it too. Brianna and Brianna’s best friend spent many afternoons playing in the backyard, and always, Mal—who was five years younger—wanted to play too. Brianna pushed Mal around and never let her win, and most days, it was Bri and her friend against Mal. “It was 2v1 and I was five years younger. It was so unfair,” laughs Mal. “But it was so good for me.”
Brianna’s soccer team went to the state championships, and little Mal worked her way onto the team’s bench. The seven year old sat there with the 12 year olds, fully absorbed, studying every play, a total soccer junkie even then. She’d been watching Telemundo, Spanish broadcast games on her Hello Kitty television since she was four years old. “I just love soccer so much,” says Swanson.
Brianna’s soccer team went to the state championships, and little Mal worked her way onto the team’s bench. The seven year old sat there with the 12 year olds, fully absorbed, studying every play, a total soccer junkie even then. She’d been watching Telemundo, Spanish broadcast games on her Hello Kitty television since she was four years old. “I just love soccer so much,” says Swanson.
Craves Challenges
Always battling against her older sister made Swanson crave challenges and hard situations. Reaching outside of her comfort zone became her M.O. Growing up, that meant training for two years with her club’s boys' academy team. Then, when it came time for college, Swanson went to UCLA for a semester to try it out. While she liked it, she found herself thinking, “No, I’m comfortable. I want to do something that makes me uncomfortable.” She made the difficult decision to follow teammate Lindsey Horan’s example: skip college and go straight to a professional league. She signed with the Washington Spirit, where she lived by herself for the first time and scored six goals in her rookie season as an 18 year old. “I remember thinking to myself, I could be with my friends at UCLA, yet here I am alone, with my bare-walled apartment,” says Swanson. “But then I’d remind myself—no, you were comfortable. This is what will challenge you.”
Stories
USWNT
