After being placed on the season ending injury list with a chronic and persistent leg injury midway through the 2024 NWSL regular season, Angel City defender Ali Riley has been removed from the SEI list, the club announced today.
Riley was selected as team captain since their 2022 inaugural season and one of the most important, if not the most important leader they have on the team. Her voice has been dearly missed on the pitch for ACFC.
“This could easily have been a career-ending injury, and nobody
could tell me for sure that it wasn’t, so I am overwhelmed with joy at reaching this milestone,” said Riley. “While I am really proud of myself for not giving up, I am even more grateful for all of the medical professionals who never gave up on me and my teammates for supporting me when I didn’t know if I would ever kick a ball again. I was out for a long time, so I’m going to have to work really hard to wear the jersey again, but I’m going to give it everything I’ve got and with these players by my side I have to believe that anything is possible.”
“Ali’s drive to get back on the field with her teammates has been an example to us all, she is world class. This has been an incredibly difficult process both mentally and physically and she is a testament to perseverance” said ACFC VP of Medical and Performance Sarah Smith. “Her condition was difficult to navigate, which makes the hard work she put in to get to this point even more impressive. We are thrilled she is able to come off of SEI.”
Riley is one of eight players remaining from ACFC’s inaugural season. She has appeared in 54 matches (in all competitions) for Angel City, scoring three goals and tallying three assists.
Internationally, she has earned 163 caps with the New Zealand Women’s National Team. Her legendary career includes five FIFA World Cup appearances and four Olympic Games.
