Mary Long (soccer)

Mary Long
Long with Duke in 2024
Personal information
Full name Mary Angela Long[1]
Date of birth (2007-01-24) January 24, 2007 (age 17)[1]
Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Position(s) Attacking midfielder, striker
Team information
Current team
 Duke Blue Devils
Number 10
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2024 Duke Blue Devils 15 (3)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2025– Kansas City Current 0 (0)
International career‡
2024 United States U-17 8 (3)
Medal record
Women's soccer
FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup
Bronze medal – third place Dominican Republic 2024
*Club domestic league appearances and goals
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of November 3, 2024

Mary Angela Long (born January 24, 2007) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a forward for the Kansas City Current of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She played one season of college soccer for the Duke Blue Devils before joining the Kansas City Current, which is co-owned by her parents, Angie and Chris Long. She won bronze with the United States at the 2024 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup.

Early life and college career

Long grew up in Mission Hills, Kansas, one of four children born to Angie and Chris Long.[2] She began playing soccer when she was three.[3] At age 12, she traveled with a regional all-star team to an international tournament in France that coincided with the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup; the trip sparked her parents' interest in buying a women's soccer team, which became the Kansas City Current.[4][5]

Long, playing up an age group, scored the winning goal for KC Athletics in the under-15 ECNL national championship in 2021.[6] She helped California-based club Slammers FC HB Køge reach the ECNL national final in 2023, leading the team with six goals in the playoffs and being named an All-American.[7][8] She trained as a non-roster invitee with the Kansas City Current in 2023 and 2024.[9] She graduated one year early from Shawnee Mission East High School in Kansas in 2024, for which she took six additional online classes in her final semester.[7]

Duke Blue Devils

At age 17, Long played for the Duke Blue Devils in the 2024 season. She scored 3 goals in 15 appearances (all as a substitute), helping Duke win the Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season title in Robbie Church's final season as head coach. She missed about a month of action while at the 2024 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup. In the NCAA tournament, Long assisted on the opening goal in a 2–0 win over Michigan State in the third round as Duke reached semifinals where they lost to North Carolina.[2][10]

Club career

Kansas City Current

The Kansas City Current announced Long's signing on January 8, 2025.[11]

International career

Long was first called up to the United States youth national team at the under-17 level in July 2024, scoring twice in a friendly against Brazil.[7] She was selected to the roster for the 2024 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup, where she helped the team place third, its best result since 2008.[12] She appeared in all 6 games (5 starts) and scored one goal in a 5–0 group stage win over South Korea.[11]

Honors

United States U-17

Duke Blue Devils

References

  1. ^ a b "FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Dominican Republic 2024 – Squad List (USA)" (PDF). FIFA. p. 15. Retrieved October 23, 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Mary Long". Duke Blue Devils. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  3. ^ Murphy, Katie. "Kicking to the Currents: Abigail and Mary Long are inspired by their parents' soccer team, the Kansas City Currents". The Harbinger (student newspaper: Shawnee Mission East High School). Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  4. ^ Sperry, Daniel (November 1, 2023). "Local soccer standout whose parents founded KC Current will head to Duke a year early". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  5. ^ Anderson, Avery (April 22, 2024). "A-Long the Current ..." The Harbinger (student newspaper: Shawnee Mission East High School). Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  6. ^ Hall, Cora (July 19, 2021). "'Fire in their eyes': KC Athletics team rallies for coveted U.S. title in girls soccer". The Kansas City Star. Archived from the original on July 20, 2021.
  7. ^ a b c Volavongsa, Kylie (July 19, 2024). "SM East's Mary Long is a USYNT first-timer. She scored twice in friendly vs. Brazil". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  8. ^ Khatod, Riya (August 14, 2024). "Duke women's soccer 2024 season preview". Duke Chronicle. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  9. ^ "A Head Start on Becoming a Blue Devil". Duke Blue Devils. June 17, 2024. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  10. ^ Tan, Jun (December 6, 2024). "No. 1 Duke women's soccer ends historic Robbie Church era with 3-0 College Cup loss to North Carolina". Duke Chronicle. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
  11. ^ a b "Kansas City Current signs trio of collegiate stars Two U17 World Cup stars and a NCAA National Champion set to join Kansas City". Kansas City Current. January 8, 2025. Retrieved January 8, 2025.
  12. ^ "USA Defeats England 3–0 to Take Third Place at 2024 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup". United States Soccer Federation. November 3, 2024. Retrieved November 3, 2024.