Michelle Alozie facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Michelle Chinwendu Alozie | ||
| Date of birth | 28 April 1997 | ||
| Place of birth | Apple Valley, California, United States | ||
| Height | 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in) | ||
| Playing position | Forward / Defender | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Houston Dash | ||
| Number | 22 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2011–2014 | Legends FC | ||
| 2011–2014 | Granite Hills Cougars | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2020 | BIIK Kazygurt | ||
| 2021– | Houston Dash | 31 | (6) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2021– | Nigeria | 23 | (1) |
† Appearances (Goals). |
|||
Michelle Chinwendu Alozie (born 28 April 1997) is a professional footballer who plays as a forward for National Women's Soccer League team Houston Dash. Born in the United States, she represents the Nigeria women's national team.
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Early life
Alozie was born and raised in Apple Valley, California, to Nigerian parents from Imo State Nigeria. She attended the Granite Hills High School in her hometown.
College career
Alozie attended Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, as an undergraduate and played football for the Yale Bulldogs. She suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament that ended her senior season and transferred as a graduate to the University of Tennessee to continue playing for the Tennessee Volunteers.
Club career
Alozie registered for the 2019 National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) College Draft but was not selected.
BIIK Kazygurt
In January 2020, Alozie signed a contract with BIIK Kazygurt, the defending champions of the Kazakhstani women's football championship. She trained and played for the team for three months before COVID-19 ended the season, and she returned to California.
Houston Dash
Alozie joined the Houston Dash, where Alozie's childhood friend Ally Prisock was playing, as a preseason trialist without a contract in 2021. Dash assistant Twila Kilgore had previously recruited Alozie when Kilgore was head coach of the Pepperdine Waves. Alozie signed a national team replacement contract during the 2021 Houston Dash season, then signed a full contract for the remainder of the season in August 2021. In the 2022 season, Alozie made her first postseason start in the Dash's NWSL Playoffs appearance.
In December 2022, Alozie signed a two-year contract extension with the Dash.
International career
Alozie made her senior debut for Nigeria on 10 June 2021 as a 65th-minute substitution in a 0–1 friendly loss to Jamaica. Alozie was named by national team manager Randy Waldrum, who had previously managed the Dash. Alozie, still a trialist with the Dash, had asked the team's then-manager James Clarkson to invite Waldrum to Dash practice on 8 June 2021, at which Waldrum named Alozie and Esther Okoronkwo to the roster against Jamaica two days later. Waldrum played Alozie at full-back out of necessity.
On 16 June 2023, she was included in the 23-player Nigerian squad for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup. She made her FIFA Women's World Cup debut on 21 July 2023 in a goalless draw against Canada. She also played a vital role in Nigeria's 3–2 victory over co-hosts Australia 6 days later. Eventually, she played every minute of the tournament for the Super Falcons with Nigeria losing only to England on penalties after a 0–0 draw, in a keenly contested round of 16 tie in Lang Park, Brisbane.
Off-field medical career
Alozie obtained a Bachelors Degree in Molecular Biology from Yale University. She works part-time as a cancer research technician at the Texas Children's Hospital in Houston, Texas.
See also
In Spanish: Michelle Alozie para niños
