The United States Women’s National Team concluded January camp with the intent of “fostering an environment and culture that is player-centric” in order to “maximize abilities.” With the SheBelieves Cup on the horizon, the training provided the opportunity for further development and the building of chemistry under the watchful eye of management. Building off of a strong 2024, Alyssa Malonson was a member of the group and should continue to earn call-ups moving forward. The 25-year-old Bay FC fullback made her senior international debut in the fall and has an intriguing skill set that could add another dimension to the squad.
Born in the Houston suburb of Spring, Texas, Malonson competed in gymnastics and played with the Challenge Soccer Club, earning “a reputation as one of the most dangerous and dynamic wingers in the country” and receiving a spot at the id2 National Training Camp. She also suited up with Klein High School, compiling 42 goals and 20 assists in 63 matches, earning All-American, district MVP, and three First Team All-District honors. Ranked as the 69th best recruit in the 2017 class, coaches praised her as “a great player all around” along with being “very fast and very good with the ball at her feet.”
Malonson then matriculated to Auburn University and hit the ground running with 20 starts and six assists in her first year, receiving a spot on the Southeastern Conference All-Freshman Team. The following campaign was another 20 starts, eight assists, and being named All-SEC Second Team. Her junior season featured 19 starts, one goal, and one assist, followed by one goal and four assists as a senior. Despite being selected by the North Carolina Courage with the 20th overall pick in the National Women’s League Draft, the Texan returned for a fifth and final collegiate season; her standout fall saw her start 20 games, contribute two goals and four assists, and rack up a host of individual honors including First Team All-SEC, SEC Defender of the Year, and United Soccer Coaches Second Team All-America.
Entering into the professional ranks, the then-OL Reign acquired her rights from North Carolina and signed her to a contract. Struggling for playing time, she joined FC Nordsjælland on loan, making 13 appearances in the Danish Kvindeligaen, including 11 starts, and “showing potential as a ball carrier in extended minutes.” In addition to achieving her dream of “playing in Europe,” the move allowed for “learning and [growing] as a player and person” with a club “that is really good at developing.”
During the following season, Malonson returned to OL Reign and made nine total appearances across competitions as the club finished runners-up in the playoffs. She registered an assist in a NWSL Challenge Cup match against the Portland Thorns. Citing her as “a gifted player who has shown dramatic improvement,” the club signed her to a one-year contract extension, but her path soon went in a new direction.
In December of 2023, Malonson was selected with the first pick in the NWSL expansion draft by newly-crafted side Bay FC, with manager Albertin Montoya assessing her as having “the talent to be one of the top outside backs in [the] league.” Receiving her first real opportunity to establish herself, she featured in 26 league and cup matches by demonstrating speed and attacking prowess. The club made the playoffs with a seventh-place finish in the table and rewarded her with a three-year contract extension through the 2027 season.
“We were excited about Alyssa when we picked her in the Expansion Draft,” said Montoya. “We knew her potential and now that she has been with us for many months, it was important to sign her to an extension. She’s got the talent to be one of the top outside backs in this league and we are really excited and happy that she is going to be able to continue to grow and develop with our club.”
At the international level, Malonson competed for the United States in the under-15, under-17, and under-23 age groups. She received her first senior call-up in October of last year during the gold medal victory tour. Her debut came in the friendly against Argentina, registering an assist on Naomi Girma’s second goal in the 49th minute of the 3-0 victory; the performance received an “8” rating from ESPN. Manager Emma Hayes included her on the rosters for the November and the recent January camp, with the potential to be named for the upcoming SheBelieves Cup.
“It was awesome,” Malonson said after her first cap during the gold medal tour. “[I had] a lot of nerves, obviously, going into it, but when I went out there, it kind of went away. Rose [Lavelle] and Lindsey [Horan] both helped me a lot, so they’ve been a big help… It’s never easy playing against a five[-player back line]; it’s always kind of hard trying to get goals in… It is kind of weird coming into a celebratory camp, but it was awesome being able to celebrate with them.”
Standing at five-foot-three, Malonson is a left-footed, two-sided fullback who compiles some of the NWSL’s top numbers in tackles, interceptions, clearances, and successful aerial duels for her positional cohort. She is frequently charged with carrying the ball into the attacking zone, displaying an appealing profile that includes above-average “progressive passing, pass accuracy, and crossing” while also serving as a “very solid tackler and 1v1 defender.” Despite frequently pushing into the attacking third, her best work is done during the possession build-up, picking out her distribution when under pressure and connecting with teammates at short range.
Holding the number-one FIFA ranking, the USWNT is understandably a difficult group to join and become a regular. Malonson has the ability and already made inroads into a crowded positional group, including registering an assist in the friendly against Argentina. Time will tell whether she has made a strong impression on the manager, beginning with potentially being named to the roster for the upcoming SheBelieves Cup.
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