Ali Riley


Alexandra "Ali" Lowe Riley is an American-born New Zealand professional footballer who plays as a defender for Swedish club FC Rosengård on loan from Orlando Pride of the NWSL. Riley captains the New Zealand women's national football team. As a collegiate athlete, she captained the Stanford soccer team to two NCAA semi-finals and one final.

Early life

Born in Los Angeles, California to parents John Graham Riley and Beverly Fong Lowe, Ali attended St. Matthew's Parish School in Pacific Palisades and Harvard-Westlake School in North Hollywood, California. She was named captain of the soccer team during her senior season and was a two-time Mission League Offensive MVP as well as a two-time first-team San Fernando Valley selection. As a senior, she helped lead the Wolverines to the 2006 Southern Section Division I final and was named to the All-CIF Southern Section Division I first team. Riley also competed for local soccer clubs, LA Breakers FC and Real SoCal.

Stanford University

Riley attended Stanford University and played for the Stanford Cardinal from 2006 to 2009. During her freshman year, she started in fifteen of the eighteen matches she played. She played forward and scored four goals with two assists. As a sophomore, she played sixteen games and started in fourteen of them. She scored two goals and had two assists. During her junior year, Riley converted from her position at forward to an outside back, which is what she plays for the New Zealand National Team. As a senior, Riley started in each of the twenty-four games and scored one goal with one assist.

Club career

FC Gold Pride

In January 2010, Riley was selected as the tenth pick in the first round of the 2010 WPS Draft by FC Gold Pride. While she plays on her natural right wing-back position for the NZ Women's National Team, she plays professionally as a left wing-back and had three assists in the 2010 run to the WPS championship by FC Gold Pride. Riley won the WPS Rookie of the Year award.

Western New York Flash

Riley signed for Western New York Flash for the 2011 season becoming a free agent after FC Gold Pride failed to find financial backers.
In the 2011 season Riley was a finalist for Defender of the year as the Flash swept both the league season title and then won the 2011 WPS Championship.
In 2012, Riley re-signed with Western New York Flash for the 2012 season, however, the league folded before play began.

LdB FC Malmö/FC Rosengård

With the suspension of the WPS, she signed in 2012 with LdB FC Malmö, 2011 Swedish League Champions. In her first game, she assisted on the winning goal. She played her first full season in the Damallsvenskan in 2013. With LdB FC Malmö she finished top of the table.
In September 2013 Riley re-signed with LdB FC Malmö for the 2014 and 2015 seasons. FC Rosengård again won gold in the Damallsvenskan.
In March 2015 she played both at full-back and forward in her second Super Cupen victory with FC Rosengård. In September 2015 she re-signed with FC Rosengård. The team went on to win the Damallsvenskan for the third straight year earning Riley earned her fifth league championship in her eight-year career.

Chelsea

On 26 June 2018, it was announced that Riley would be leaving FC Rosengård in July to join Chelsea F.C. Women in the FA WSL.

Bayern Munich

On 18 July 2019, Riley moved to Bayern Munich of the Frauen Bundesliga.

Orlando Pride

On 10 February 2020, Ali Riley returned to the US and signed for Orlando Pride on a one-year contract with an option for an additional year. The season was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic with the NWSL eventually scheduling a smaller schedule 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup tournament. However, on 22 June 2020, the team withdrew from the tournament following positive COVID-19 tests among both players and staff.

Loan to FC Rosengård

On 13 July 2020, having been unable to feature for Orlando Pride, Riley returned to Sweden to be with her partner during the pandemic and rejoined FC Rosengård on loan.

International

Ali Riley's father is from New Zealand. Riley represented New Zealand at the 2006 Women's U-20 World Cup finals. She was named Player of the game v. Russia. She made her Football Ferns debut in a 0–5 loss to Australia on 6 February 2007, and represented New Zealand at the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup finals in China, where they lost to Brazil 0–5, Denmark and China.
Riley also played every minute for the New Zealand squad in the 2008 Summer Olympics where they drew with Japan before losing to Norway and the United States.
Riley's first international goal was scored in the final of the OFC Women's Nations Cup as New Zealand qualified for the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup with an 11–0 win over Papua New Guinea.
On 27 June 2011, Riley earned her 50th A-international cap in a 2–1 loss to Japan in New Zealand's opening group stage match at the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup. In the final seconds of extra time in the match v. Mexico she assisted on the tying goal that gave the Football Ferns their first point in a World Cup final.
In the 2012 Olympics Riley played every minute of the Football Ferns' four games. In the preliminary round games the Ferns lost 0–1 to Great Britain and Brazil and beat Cameroon 3–1. This was the first victory by a NZ football team in the Olympics. With the victory the Ferns advanced to the second round based on goal differential. In the quarter-final the Ferns played the USA losing 0–2.
In 2013 Riley started for New Zealand in a series of games establishing the Football Ferns as a growing force in international competition. The Ferns won the Vallais Cup beating #4 Brazil 1–0 and #16 China 4–0 and also had ties playing #10 Australia, #3 Japan and #1 USA.
She featured in all New Zealand's three matches at the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada.
In the 2016 Rio Olympics Riley played every minute of the Football Ferns' three games. The Ferns lost 0–2 to USA, 0–3 to France and beat Colombia 1–0.
Riley has been the captain of the Football Ferns since the 2017 Cyprus Cup.
In April 2019, Riley was named to the final 23-player squad for the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup.

Career statistics

Club

International goals

No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
18 October 2010North Harbour Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand1–011–02010 OFC Championship

Honours

Club

FC Gold Pride
Western New York Flash
FC Rosengård
New Zealand
International
Club
College