Amirah Ali
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Amirah Iman Ali[1] | ||
Date of birth | December 7, 1998 | ||
Place of birth | Voorhees Township, New Jersey | ||
Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) | ||
Position(s) | Forward/Midfielder | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | San Diego Wave FC | ||
Number | 7 | ||
Youth career | |||
Winslow Tigers Soccer Club | |||
Players Development Academy | |||
2014–2017 | Eastern Regional High School | ||
College career | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2017–2021 | Rutgers Scarlet Knights | 103 | (44) |
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2022– | San Diego Wave FC | 12 | (3) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of July 25, 2022 |
Amirah Iman Ali (born December 7, 1998) is an American soccer forward and midfielder who plays for San Diego Wave FC of the National Women's Soccer League. She previously played for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights women's soccer team.[2]
Youth career
Ali, born in Voorhees Twp., raised in [Winslow Township, New Jersey], played youth soccer for the Winslow Tigers, a New Jersey-based travel team coached by Rich King, father of NWSL player Tziarra King. Along with 11v11 play Amirah was an exceptional youth soccer player in 3v3 & Futsal soccer formats where she & Tziarra King along with their Winslow Tigers squad share many tournament wins and individual accolades. [2][3] Ali’s later youth years she joined Players Development Academy of the Elite Clubs National League prior to going to Rutgers University. [4][5]
Ali played high school soccer for Eastern Regional High School in her high school town of Voorhees Township, New Jersey, where she was named High School Girls' Player of the Year by both the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, the Courier-Post, and the United Soccer Coaches organization.[3] She finished her high school career with 99 goals and 51 assists.[6][7]
College career
Ali played for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights from 2017 to 2021, primarily as a forward or attacking midfielder. The Scarlet Knights won its first-ever Big Ten Conference championship in 2021 with Ali on the squad, and Ali was on the shortlist for the MAC Hermann Trophy in 2019, 2020, and 2021.[2]
Portland Thorns FC drafted Ali with the 22nd-overall pick in the 2021 NWSL Draft, despite her decision not to declare for the draft. Portland Thorns FC coach Mark Parsons suggested Ali was capable of playing immediately for an NWSL club.[8] She instead returned to Rutgers to complete her collegiate career, leading Rutgers to the 2021 NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Tournament — the program's first appearance since 2015 — and the Scarlet Knights finished as semi-finalists.[2]
Ali finished her Rutgers career with 44 goals, 17 of them match-winners, and 19 assists. She scored 9 career golden goals, a Rutgers record, and played 6,309 minutes across 103 matches, 102 of them as a starter. Amirah Ali finished her career at Rutgers Women’s Soccer program as the only female soccer athlete as a Four Time All American. [5] She was team captain in 2019, 2020, and 2021.[9]
Club career
San Diego Wave FC
Portland Thorns traded NWSL player rights to Ali, as well as signed defender Christen Westphal, to San Diego Wave FC in exchange for $50,000 in allocation money on December 16, 2021.[10] She scored her first professional goal on April 2, 2022, during the 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup against Angel City FC.[11]
International career
Ali played for the U19 United States women's national soccer team, and was invited to U14, U18, and U19 camps.[5]
Honors
Rutgers Scarlet Knights
- All-Big Ten Team (third team 2017; first team 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021)
- All-American Team (second team 2018; first team 2019, 2020; third team 2021)
- NCAA College Cup All-Tournament Team (2021)
- MAC Hermann Trophy candidate (2021) and semi-finalist (2020)
References
- ^ Dowd, Kristen (June 26, 2017). "Eastern Regional High School Class of 2017". The Berlin (N.J.) Sun. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
- ^ a b c d Tonelli, Jenna (January 18, 2022). "Rutgers Standout Amirah Ali to Join San Diego Wave FC". Jersey Sporting News. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
- ^ a b Tannenwald, Jonathan (June 18, 2022). "Voorhees' Amirah Ali returns to New Jersey for the first time as a NWSL rookie". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
- ^ "ECNL ALUMS LIGHT UP POWER 5 CONFERENCES IN 2019". Elite Clubs National League. November 25, 2019. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
- ^ a b c "Amirah Ali". Rutgers Scarlet Knights. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
- ^ Kates, Jason (December 8, 2016). "GIRLS' SOCCER: Ali repeats as Player of the Year". Courier-Post. Retrieved July 7, 2016.
- ^ "Amirah Ali". nj.com. Retrieved July 7, 2017.
- ^ Little, Grant (January 17, 2021). "Meet The Draftees: Amirah Ali". Stumptown Footy. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
- ^ "Amirah Ali". San Diego Wave FC. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
- ^ Odom, Joel (December 16, 2021). "Portland Thorns trade Christen Westphal, Amirah Ali to San Diego Wave FC for allocation money". The Oregonian. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
- ^ "San Diego Wave vs. Angel City 4-2". Soccerway. April 2, 2022. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
External links
- San Diego Wave FC profile
- NWSL profile
- Rutgers profile
- Amirah Ali at Soccerway
- Amirah Ali on Instagram
- Amirah Ali on Twitter
- 1998 births
- Living people
- Eastern Regional High School alumni
- People from Voorhees Township, New Jersey
- American women's soccer players
- Soccer players from New Jersey
- Sportspeople from Camden County, New Jersey
- Women's association football midfielders
- Women's association football forwards
- Rutgers Scarlet Knights women's soccer players
- National Women's Soccer League players
- San Diego Wave FC players
- Portland Thorns FC draft picks