Mallory Pugh will not skip college afterall to begin a professional career in the National Women’s Soccer League, according to her father.
In an interview with the Denver Post, Horace Pugh admits that his 17-year-old daughter thought about turning professional and foregoing her college eligibility, but ultimately decided to attend UCLA as planned.
“We did look at her possibly going pro,” Horace Pugh told The Denver Post. “It’s all over the Internet she’s going to play professionally. It was very close to happening, but her gut feeling was that she wanted to go to college.”
It was a milestone that fell short of reality. Despite speculation she would be the first American woman to skip collegiate soccer and head straight to the National Women’s Soccer League, it was far from a done deal for Mallory Pugh.
HOCHMAN: Mallory Pugh a soccer magician at age 17
“We did look at her possibly going pro,” Horace Pugh told The Denver Post. “It’s all over the Internet she’s going to play professionally. It was very close to happening, but her gut feeling was that she wanted to go to college.”
The nation’s top soccer recruit in 2016 might have been allocated to the NWSL’s Portland Thorns FC. The Thorns acquired the No. 1 pick in a new “Unattached Subsidized Individual” system in exchange for the No. 3 draft pick in the 2016 NWSL college draft.
“People made speculation out of Portland getting rid of this draft pick to be in the position to take the first allocated player, who would have been Mallory,” Pugh said. “People in the industry put two and two together, but nothing formally was out there. We never talked to (Portland) coaches, general manger, organization or anyone.”
The only time Horace Pugh spoke with Portland is when he told the team Mallory wasn’t going pro.
FROM THE ARCHIVES: Golden’s Lindsey Horan quickly adapts to professional soccer in Paris
The 17-year-old was one of 26 players called to the first senior U.S. women’s national team training camp of 2016 by coach Jill Ellis. Pugh has been at the pre-Olympic-qualifying training camp in California that opened Jan. 5, and could possibly make her national team debut Saturday against the Republic of Ireland at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego. Eighteen players will suit up against Ireland, and Ellis will name the roster for the 2016 CONCACAF (Confederation of North and Central American and Caribbean Football) Women’s Olympic Qualifying Championship after the match.