Merritt Mathias facts for kids
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Mathias with the North Carolina Courage in 2018
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Merritt Elizabeth Mathias | ||
| Date of birth | July 2, 1990 | ||
| Place of birth | Birmingham, Alabama, United States | ||
| Height | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Right back | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2008–2009 | North Carolina Tar Heels | 39 | (3) |
| 2010–2011 | Texas A&M Aggies | 44 | (17) |
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2012 | New York Fury | ||
| 2013–2014 | FC Kansas City | 42 | (2) |
| 2015–2017 | Seattle Reign FC | 60 | (2) |
| 2018–2022 | North Carolina Courage | 86 | (3) |
| 2023–2024 | Angel City FC | 13 | (0) |
| International career | |||
| 2006–2007 | United States U-17 | ||
| 2011 | United States U-23 | ||
| 2018 | United States | 1 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of August 20, 2024 | |||
Merritt Elizabeth Mathias (born July 2, 1990) is an American former professional soccer player. She played as a right back for teams like Angel City FC in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). Merritt had a very successful career, winning three NWSL Shields and three NWSL Championships. She played for 12 seasons in the NWSL.
She won a Championship with FC Kansas City and an NWSL Shield with Seattle Reign FC. With the North Carolina Courage, she won two Shields and two Championships. Merritt also played for the United States youth national teams. In 2018, she played one game for the senior U.S. team.
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Merritt's Early Life and School Soccer
Merritt Mathias was born in Birmingham, Alabama. She played soccer for Oak Mountain High School in Birmingham. She was known as one of the best young soccer players in the country. In 2007, she was named a Parade Magazine All-America player. She also received the National High School Coaches Association All-America award in 2006 and 2007.
Playing College Soccer
Merritt started her college soccer career at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She played for the Tar Heels in 2008 and 2009. After two seasons, she moved to Texas A&M University. There, she studied Agriculture leadership and development.
At Texas A&M, she quickly became a key player. In her first year, she started 20 games and scored nine goals. She was named to the All-Big 12 first team. She also won the Big 12 Player of the Week award twice. In her final year, she started all 24 games and scored eight goals. She also had 11 assists, helping her team score many times. Merritt was ranked among the top players in the Big 12 Conference.
Merritt's Professional Club Career
Merritt Mathias played for several professional soccer clubs during her career. She was known for her strong defense and ability to help her team win.
Starting with New York Fury (2012)
After a league called WPS closed, Merritt joined the New York Fury. This team played in the WPSL Elite.
Playing for FC Kansas City (2013–2014)
In 2013, the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) began its first season. Merritt was chosen by FC Kansas City in the draft. In her first season, she played in 23 games and started 20 of them. She scored two goals that year. FC Kansas City finished second in the league and made it to the playoffs.
In 2014, Merritt helped FC Kansas City have another great season. They finished second again and then won the NWSL Championship! They beat Seattle Reign FC 2–1 in the final game. Merritt played in 22 games that season, starting 18 of them.
Time with Seattle Reign FC (2015–2017)
In late 2014, Merritt was traded to Seattle Reign FC. In 2015, she played in 19 of the team's 20 regular season games. She scored important goals, including a game-winner against the Washington Spirit. She also scored an equalizer against the Houston Dash, which helped the Reign reach the playoffs.
The Reign finished first in the regular season, winning the NWSL Shield for the second time in a row. They made it to the championship final but lost 1–0 to FC Kansas City.
In 2016, Merritt played in 19 games for Seattle. She scored a goal with her head against Sky Blue FC. Seattle narrowly missed the playoffs that year. In 2017, she scored a goal against the Portland Thorns FC.
Success with North Carolina Courage (2018–2022)
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In 2018, Merritt was traded to the North Carolina Courage. She played in 22 regular season games and scored 3 goals. She was a very important part of the team's defense. The Courage set a new record for allowing the fewest goals and won the NWSL Shield. Merritt was also named to the 2018 NWSL Second XI, which means she was one of the best players in the league.
In the 2018 playoffs, Merritt started in both the semi-final and the final. She even made an assist in the Championship game, helping the Courage win the 2018 NWSL Championship! The Courage also won the NWSL Shield and Championship again in 2019.
Joining Angel City FC (2023–2024)
In January 2023, Merritt was traded to Angel City FC. She was injured during the 2023 season and could not play. However, Angel City extended her contract for 2024. Merritt finally made her debut for Angel City on March 17, 2024, coming into the game as a substitute.
Merritt Mathias announced on October 15, 2024, that she would retire from professional soccer at the end of that season.
Merritt's International Career
Merritt Mathias played for several United States youth national teams, including the U-15, U-16, U-17, and U-23 teams. This gave her a lot of experience playing at a high level.
In October 2016, she was called to a training camp for the senior U.S. team. She earned her first "cap" (meaning she played in an official game) for the U.S. team on June 12, 2018. This was in a friendly game against China PR. Merritt came into the game as a substitute in the 77th minute.
She was also named to the U.S. roster for the 2018 Tournament of Nations, which the U.S. team won.
Honors and Awards
Merritt Mathias won many awards and championships during her soccer career:
FC Kansas City
- NWSL Champions: 2014
Seattle Reign
- NWSL Shield: 2015
North Carolina Courage
- NWSL Champions: 2018, 2019
- NWSL Shield: 2018, 2019
United States
- Tournament of Nations: 2018
Individual Awards
- NWSL Second XI: 2018
See also
In Spanish: Merritt Mathias para niños
- List of Seattle Reign FC players
- List of sportswomen
