Meghan Klingenberg

Meghan Klingenberg

Klingenberg with the United States women's national soccer team in 2016
Personal information
Full name Meghan Elizabeth Klingenberg
Date of birth (1988-08-02) August 2, 1988
Place of birth Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
Height 5 ft 2 in (1.57 m)
Playing position Defender
Club information
Current team
Portland Thorns
Number 25
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2007–2010 North Carolina Tar Heels 70 (18)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2011 magicJack 2 (0)
2011 Boston Breakers 10 (0)
2012 Western New York Flash 3 (2)
2012–2014 Tyresö FF 32 (2)
2014–2015 Houston Dash 19 (0)
2016– Portland Thorns 12 (0)
National team
2004[1] United States U-16
2005[1] United States U-17
2008[1] United States U-19
2009–2010[1] United States U-23
2011– United States 70 (3)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of September 8, 2016.

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of September 18, 2016

Meghan Elizabeth Klingenberg (born August 2, 1988) is an American soccer defender. She currently plays for Portland Thorns in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) and the United States women's national soccer team.[2] She previously played for 3 different teams in the Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) league, Tyresö FF in Sweden's Damallsvenskan and the Houston Dash in the NWSL.

Early life

Klingenberg was born in Pittsburgh and raised in the suburban north hills of Gibsonia, Pennsylvania. She attended Pine-Richland High School from 2003–2007 and was the captain of the girls soccer team. In 2005, she helped lead Pine-Richland to the Pennsylvania state high school championship and was an NSCAA All-America selection. She was also named a Parade All-American.[3]

Klingenberg claims she enhanced her soccer skills by practicing Taekwondo, and that the martial art made her a more aggressive player. She is now a black belt.[4]

University of North Carolina

Klingenberg attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and was a four-year starter for the Tar Heels. She scored 18 career goals with 24 assists. Klingenberg was a highly flexible player, playing on all three lines for UNC.

As a freshman in 2007, she played in 24 games, starting 10, and earned Freshman All-ACC honors. She scored five goals with three assists and was a Soccer America First-Team All-Freshman selection. Klingenberg led UNC freshmen in all offensive categories and was an All-ACC Academic Team selection.[3]

As a sophomore in 2008, she played in 20 games, starting eight, and missed the last six games of the season playing for the USA at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Chile. She tied for second on the team with nine assists and two goals. Klingenberg was named to the ACC All-Academic women’s soccer team and the ACC Honor Roll.[3]

As a junior in 2009, she played in 26 games and played 1,668 minutes while scoring five goals with one assist. Klingenberg scored the game-winning goal in a 5–2 triumph over Wake Forest in the NCAA quarterfinals.[3]

As a senior in 2010, she was an NSCAA All-American while playing in all 24 games for the Tar Heels and was fourth on the team with 23 points. She had 11 assists (second on the team), scored six goals and was named First-Team All-ACC.[3]

Playing career

Club

WPS, 2011

Meghan Klingenberg, Boston Breakers

In 2011, Klingenberg was selected by the Washington Freedom in the first round of the WPS draft.[5] After the team was moved to Florida and renamed magicJack, she was traded in early June to the Boston Breakers. Klingenberg played 10 matches for Boston, starting them all and totaling 961 minutes for the season. She ended the season with one goal and two assists.[3] She also spent time at Western New York Flash where she won the 2012 Women's Premier Soccer League Elite.[6]

Klingenberg in the Svenska Supercupen, April 2013

Tyresö FF, 2012–13

In 2012, Klingenberg signed with Swedish club, Tyresö.[7] During her time with Tyresö she won the 2012 Damallsvenskan.[6]

NWSL, 2013

After the WPS folded, the National Women's Soccer League was created with support from the US, Canada, and Mexico.

Houston Dash, 2014–2015

On January 10, 2014, it was announced that the Houston Dash had selected Klingenberg with the sixth pick in the 2014 NWSL Expansion Draft.[8] She finished UEFA Women's Champions League with Tyresӧ FF, before joining the Dash mid-season. She left in October 2015 after making nineteen appearances for the club.[6]

Portland Thorns, 2016–

In October 2015, Klingenberg was part of a pingpong trade that had her join the Seattle Reign as she was traded by Houston Dash for Amber Brooks and a conditional selection in the 2017 NWSL College Draft,[9] then traded to the NWSL 2016 expansion team Orlando, who then traded her to the Portland Thorns for Alex Morgan and other considerations.[10]

International

Training in Frisco, Texas for the USWNT

Klingenberg has played for the United States women's national soccer team at the U-16, U-17, U-20 and U-23 levels.[11] She received her first call-up to the senior squad for the 2011 Four Nations Tournament and earned her first two caps during the event.[11][12][13] She was named an alternate for the 2012 Summer Olympics.[14][15] In March 2013, she was named to the senior team roster by US WNT coach, Tom Sermanni for upcoming exhibition matches against Germany and the Netherlands.[16]

Klingenberg made her debut for senior team on January 23, 2011 at the Four Nations Tournament against Canada, coming in as a substitute at seventy-eighth minute.[17] She also played in the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup. The United States Women's National Soccer Team won the tournament on July 5, 2015. Klingenberg started in every match of the tournament for the team.

International goals

Goal
Date
Location Opponent Lineup Min Assist/pass Score Result Competition
1
2014-10-20[m 1] USAWashington  Haiti 90.Start 57 unassisted

5300.03005 3–0

5600.06005 6–0

World Cup qualifier:Group A
2
2015-04-04[m 2] USASt. Louis  New Zealand

off 57' (on Chalupny)

15 unassisted

5100.01005 1–0

5400.04005 4–0

Friendly
3
2015-08-16[m 3] USAPittsburgh  Costa Rica 90.Start 56 Tobin Heath

5700.07005 7–0

5800.08005 8–0

Friendly

Career statistics

As of match played September 6, 2015.[6]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup[lower-alpha 1] Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
magicJack 2011 WPS 2020
Total 2020
Boston Breakers 2011 WPS 111111
Total 111111
Western New York Flash 2012 WPSL 3232
Total 3232
Tyresö 2012 Damallsvenskan 8120101
2013 Damallsvenskan 201201[lower-alpha 2]0231
2014 Damallsvenskan 401050
Total 3225010382
Houston Dash 2014 NWSL 7070
2015 NWSL 120120
Total 190190
Portland Thorns 2016 NWSL 0000
Total 0000
Career total 6755010735
  1. Includes the Svenska Cupen
  2. One appearance in Svenska Supercupen

Honours

Klingenberg has won four trophies in her career so far. She has won the 2012 Damallsvenskan with Tyresö and the 2012 Women's Premier Soccer League Elite with Western New York Flash. She's also won the 2012 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament, 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup and 2016 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship with the United States women's national soccer team.[6]

Club

Western New York Flash
Tyresö

International

United States

Video games

Klingenberg was featured with her national teammates in the EA Sports' FIFA video game series in FIFA 16, the first time women players were included in the game.[18]

Ticker tape parade and White House honor

Following the United States' win at the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, Klingenberg and her teammates became the first women's sports team to be honored with a ticker tape parade in New York City.[19] Each player received a key to the city from Mayor Bill de Blasio.[20] In October of the same year, the team was honored by President Barack Obama at the White House.[21]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Meghan Klingenberg". U.S. Soccer.
  2. Meghan Klingenberg's US Soccer Profile
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Meghan Klingenberg player profile". US Soccer. Retrieved November 16, 2012.
  4. "Meet the U.S. women's soccer team seeking World Cup glory". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2016-03-05.
  5. Lauletta's League Lowdown
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Soccerway. October 26, 2015. Retrieved October 26, 2015.
  7. "Meghan Klingenberg to Tyresö FF". Tyreso FF. Retrieved March 22, 2013.
  8. "Houston Dash select 10 players in 2014 NWSL Expansion Draft". Houston Dash Communications. Retrieved August 15, 2015.
  9. "Houston Dash acquire rights to midfielder Amber Brooks, first-round draft pick from Seattle Reign FC". Houston Dash. October 26, 2015. Retrieved October 26, 2015.
  10. http://www.si.com/planet-futbol/2015/10/21/alex-morgan-uswnt-star-nwsl-trade-portland-thorns-orlando
  11. 1 2 Heim, David (June 11, 2015). "Meet The 10 USWNT World Cup First Timers". CBS Local. Retrieved July 1, 2015.
  12. "U.S. Women Rebound to Defeat Canada 2–1 at Four Nations Tournament in China". U.S. Soccer. January 23, 2011. Retrieved July 1, 2015.
  13. "U.S. Defeats China 2–0 to Win Four Nations Tournament". U.S. Soccer. January 25, 2011. Retrieved July 1, 2015.
  14. "Meghan Klingenberg set for Summer Olympics". Trib Total Media, LLC. Retrieved November 16, 2012.
  15. "Meghan Klingenberg". London 2012 Olympic Games. Retrieved November 16, 2012.
  16. "Franch, Johnston, Klingenberg on US women's roster for games at Germany, Netherlands". Fox News. Retrieved March 21, 2013.
  17. "U.S. Women Rebound to Defeat Canada 2–1 at Four Nations Tournament in China". U.S.Soccer.
  18. Barnes, Katie (September 28, 2015). "Why 'FIFA 16' is a Landmark for Women". ESPN. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
  19. "U.S. women celebrate World Cup with ticker-tape parade in New York City". USA Today. July 11, 2015. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
  20. "Team USA parades NYC's "Canyon of Heroes"". CBS News. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
  21. Wagner, Laura (October 27, 2015). "Obama To U.S. Women's Soccer Team: 'Playing Like A Girl Means You're A Badass'". NPR. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
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