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Alanna Kennedy

Alanna Stephanie Kennedy (born 21 January 1995) is an Australian professional soccer player who plays as a defender for Women's Super League club Manchester City and the Australia national team.[4] Kennedy is recognised as being a versatile, technical player and is a right-footed free kick specialist.[2] Known on the international level as a centre back, Kennedy also plays in the midfielder position.[5]

Alanna Kennedy
Kennedy in 2021
Personal information
Full name Alanna Stephanie Kennedy[1]
Date of birth (1995-01-21) 21 January 1995 (age 29)
Place of birth Campbelltown, Australia
Height 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)[2]
Position(s) Centre-back[3] / Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Manchester City
Number 14
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2010–2011 Sydney FC 1 (0)
2011–2012 Newcastle Jets 9 (1)
2012–2013 Sydney FC 12 (3)
2013–2014 Western Sydney Wanderers 9 (1)
2014–2015 Perth Glory 13 (2)
2015–2017 Sydney FC 24 (3)
2016 Western New York Flash 17 (0)
2017–2020 Orlando Pride 60 (8)
2017–2018 → Melbourne City (loan) 14 (1)
2018–2020 → Sydney FC (loan) 22 (3)
2020 → Tottenham Hotspur (loan) 9 (0)
2021 Tottenham Hotspur 10 (1)
2021– Manchester City 37 (1)
International career‡
2008–2009 Australia U-17 10 (6)
2011–2014 Australia U-20 3 (0)
2012– Australia 130 (9)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 8 November 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 28 October 2024

Early life

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Kennedy was raised in the Sydney suburb of Rosemeadow and attended selective sports school Westfields Sports High School.[6][7] As a youth, she was the only girl on an all-boys team[8] and later played for the Campbelltown Cobras.[9] She trained with the Girls Skills Acquisition Program (GSAP) at Macarthur Rams. Kennedy acknowledged the Rams training ground as her "second home" growing up.[10]

Club career

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Kennedy (right) and Andi Sullivan fight for the ball in a match between Washington Spirit and Orlando Pride on 23 June 2018.

W-League beginnings

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Kennedy started her W-League career playing for Sydney FC in the 2010–11 season, where she featured in 3 games. The following year, Kennedy switched clubs and joined the Newcastle Jets in the 2011–12 W-League before returning to Sydney FC in the 2012–13 season. For the 2013–14 season, she joined city rivals Western Sydney Wanderers,[11] and in the 2014 season she joined Perth Glory.[12] In 2015, she returned to Sydney FC and would remain there the following 2 seasons.

Western New York Flash and Orlando Pride

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In 2016, Kennedy signed with the Western New York Flash in the National Women's Soccer League. She appeared in 17 games for the Flash in 2016. Kennedy played every minute of Western New York's two playoff games, as the Flash won the 2016 NWSL Championship.[13]

 
Kennedy heads the ball during an Orlando Pride match, May 2018

On 19 January 2017, Kennedy was traded to the Orlando Pride in exchange for midfielder Sam Witteman.[14] She appeared in every game for the Pride in 2017. In the final game of the regular season on 30 September, Kennedy scored the game-winning goal on a free kick in stoppage time. This win allowed Orlando to finish the regular season in 3rd place and qualify for the playoffs for the first time in club history.[15] In the semi-final, Kennedy scored again but Orlando lost 4–1 to the Portland Thorns.

In the 2018 NWSL season, Kennedy appeared in 20 games and scored 2 goals; however, Orlando could not repeat their success of 2017 and finished outside the playoffs.[16]

In March 2020, the impending NWSL season was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. An eventual restart was made through a smaller schedule 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup tournament.[17][18] However, on 22 June, Orlando withdrew from the tournament following positive COVID-19 tests among both players and staff.[19]

Melbourne City FC

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Kennedy joined Melbourne City on loan for the 2017–18 W-League season.[20] During the 2017–2018 season, Kennedy was named to the Westfield W-League's "Team of the Decade", which was composed of the best XI players to ever play in the W-League, as voted for by the fans.[21]

Sydney FC

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After spending one season at Melbourne City, Kennedy signed with Sydney FC for the 2018–19 W-League season, returning to the club she had played at for four previous seasons.[22] On 16 February 2019 Kennedy won her third W-league Championship title with a 4–2 win over Perth Glory in the grand final. She re-signed with Sydney FC for the 2019–20 season.[23] The team returned to the grand final in 2020 but lost to Melbourne City 1–0.[24]

Tottenham Hotspur

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In August 2020, having been unable to feature for Orlando Pride in 2020 due to COVID-19 related issues, Kennedy moved to English FA WSL club Tottenham Hotspur on a six-month loan ahead of the 2020–21 season, with an option to make the move permanent.[25]

On 12 November 2020, while on loan at Tottenham, Kennedy's NWSL playing rights were acquired by Racing Louisville FC in the 2020 NWSL Expansion Draft.[26] Upon the expiration of her loan and NWSL contract in December 2020, Kennedy opted to remain in England and sign permanently with Tottenham until the end of the season.[27]

Kennedy was released by Tottenham on 25 May 2021.[28]

Manchester City

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At the end of August 2021, Kennedy signed a two-year deal with Manchester City,[29] joining national team-mate Hayley Raso.[30]

International career

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Kennedy debuted for the Matildas against New Zealand in 2012.[31] In 2014, at age 19, she was named to the Matildas squad for the 2014 AFC Women's Asian Cup. She appeared in three games, as Australia finished runner-up to Japan.

2015 FIFA Women's World Cup

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In May 2015, Kennedy was named to Australia's 23-player roster for the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup and was the second youngest player on their roster. Kennedy appeared in all five matches for Australia. The Matildas finished second in their group and advanced to the knockout stage. They defeated Brazil in round 16 but lost to Japan in the quarter-finals.[32]

2016 Summer Olympics

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Kennedy attended her first Olympic Games in 2016. She played every minute of Australia's four matches at Rio 2016. Their quarter-final match against Brazil was tied 0–0 after extra time and went to penalties. Kennedy was the final penalty taker for Australia; she did not score her penalty and Brazil won the match 7–6 on penalties.[33]

Kennedy was part of the Matildas squad that won the 2017 Tournament of Nations and defeated the United States for the first time ever.[34] At the 2018 AFC Women's Asian Cup Kennedy scored two goals for Australia. The second goal she scored was a stoppage time equalizer against Thailand in the Semi-final. Australia went on to win the game in penalties. Australia lost to Japan 1–0 in the final.[35]

2019 FIFA Women's World Cup

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In May 2019, Kennedy was named to the Matildas squad for the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup, the second time she was included in a World Cup squad.[36] At the World Cup, Kennedy started all four of Australia's matches. In the Round of 16 tie against Norway, Kennedy received a straight red card in the 104th minute of extra-time for a DOGSO foul on Lisa-Marie Utland. Australia went on to lose on penalties and were eliminated.[37]

2020 Summer Olympics

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Kennedy was a member of the Matildas Tokyo 2020 Olympics squad. The Matildas qualified for the quarter-finals and beat Great Britain before being eliminated in the semi-final with Sweden. In the playoff for the Bronze medal they were beaten by the USA.[38]

2024 Summer Olympics

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On 4 June 2024, Kennedy was named in the Matildas team which qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympics, her third Olympic games selection.[39]

Career statistics

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Club

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As of match played 12 November 2024[40]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] League cup[b] Continental[c] Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Sydney 2010–11 W-League 1 0 — — — 1 0
Newcastle Jets 2011–12 W-League 9 1 — — — 9 1
Sydney 2012–13 W-League 12 3 — — — 12 3
Western Sydney Wanderers 2013–14 W-League 9 0 — — — 9 0
Perth Glory 2014–15 W-League 13 2 — — — 13 2
Sydney 2015–16 W-League 12 1 — — — 12 1
2016–17 W-League 12 2 — — — 12 2
Total 68 9 — — — 68 9
Western New York Flash 2016 NWSL 17 0 — — — 17 0
Orlando Pride 2017 NWSL 25 5 — — — 25 5
2018 NWSL 20 2 — — — 20 2
2019 NWSL 15 1 — — — 15 1
Total 60 8 — — — 60 8
Melbourne City (loan) 2017–18 W-League 14 1 — — — 14 1
Sydney FC (loan) 2019–20 W-League 12 3 — — — 12 3
Tottenham Hotspur (loan) 2020–21 Women's Super League 19 1 1 1 3 1 — 23 3
Manchester City 2021–22 Women's Super League 14 1 4 0 4 0 0 0 22 1
2022–23 Women's Super League 2 0 1 0 4 0 0 0 7 0
2023–24 Women's Super League 17 0 1 0 2 0 — 20 0
2024–25 Women's Super League 4 0 0 0 0 0 5 1 9 1
Total 37 1 6 0 10 0 5 1 58 2
Career total 227 23 7 1 13 1 5 1 252 26
  1. ^ includes Women's FA Cup
  2. ^ includes FA Women's League Cup
  3. ^ includes UEFA Women's Champions League

International

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As of match played 28 October 2024[40]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Australia 2012 7 0
2013 5 0
2014 8 0
2015 16 0
2016 12 2
2017 11 1
2018 15 3
2019 9 1
2020 4 0
2021 14 1
2022 7 0
2023 11 1
2024 11 2
Total 130 11
Scores and results list Australia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Kennedy goal.
List of international goals scored by Alanna Kennedy
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 2 March 2016 Nagai Stadium, Osaka, Japan   Vietnam 3–0 9–0 2016 Olympics qualifying
2 9 August 2016 Itaipava Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador, Brazil   Zimbabwe 3–0 6–1 2016 Summer Olympics
3 7 March 2017 VRS António Sports Complex, Vila Real de Santo António, Portugal   Netherlands 3–0 3–2 2017 Algarve Cup
4 10 April 2018 Amman International Stadium, Amman, Jordan   Vietnam 2–0 8–0 2018 AFC Women's Asian Cup
5 17 April 2018 King Abdullah II Stadium, Amman, Jordan   Thailand 2–2 2–2
6 2 August 2018 Toyota Park, Bridgeview, Illinois, USA   Japan 1–0 2–0 2018 Tournament of Nations
7 6 March 2019 AAMI Park, Melbourne, Australia   Argentina 2–0 3–0 2019 Cup of Nations
8 30 July 2021 Kashima Soccer Stadium, Kashima, Japan   Great Britain 1–0 4–3 2020 Summer Olympics
9 27 July 2023 Lang Park, Brisbane, Australia   Nigeria 2–3 2–3 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup
10 28 July 2024 Stade de Nice, Nice, France   Zambia 1–1 6–5 2024 Summer Olympics
11 31 July 2024 Stade Vélodrome, Marseille, France   United States 1–2 1–2

Honours

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Sydney FC

 

Perth Glory

Western New York Flash

Melbourne City

Manchester City

Australia

Individual

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Women's Olympic Football Tournament Tokyo 2020 – Squad list: Australia" (PDF). FIFA. 5 August 2021. p. 1. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b "FIFA Women's World Cup France 2019 – Players – Alanna Kennedy". www.fifa.com. Archived from the original on 9 June 2019. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  3. ^ Kemp, Emma (10 February 2024). "When 23 becomes 18: The Matildas making the cut for Olympics". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  4. ^ Shaffer, Kristen (10 November 2016). "Moving forward for Alanna Kennedy". The Women's Game. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  5. ^ Torres, Luis (11 July 2017). "Orlando Pride's Alanna Kennedy thrives in new midfielder role". orlandosentinel.com.
  6. ^ "Alanna Kennedy: Matildas star now giving back". South West Voice. 20 August 2020. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  7. ^ Tullis, Ashleigh (28 July 2016). "Macarthur soccer star shoots for gold". Campbelltown-Macarthur Advertiser.[permanent dead link]
  8. ^ "Matilda Alanna Kennedy's dreams unfold out west". Daily Examiner. 2 February 2020. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  9. ^ "Rosemeadow Matilda Alanna Kennedy announced as Macarthur FC ambassador". Advertiser. 20 August 2020. Retrieved 16 November 2020.[permanent dead link]
  10. ^ Layt, Jess (29 June 2020). "Matilda Alanna Kennedy thrilled Australia wins World Cup bid". Liverpool City Champion. Retrieved 16 November 2020.[permanent dead link]
  11. ^ "Wanderers announce strong squad for upcoming W-League season". The Women's Game. 10 October 2013.
  12. ^ "Perth Glory announce signing of six Matildas". The Women's Game. 6 August 2014. Archived from the original on 14 August 2014. Retrieved 5 September 2014.
  13. ^ Scavuzzo, Diane (26 February 2016). "WNY Flash sign Australian defender". SoccerToday. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
  14. ^ "Orlando Pride Acquires Australia National Team Defender Alanna Kennedy". Orlando City SC. 19 January 2017. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
  15. ^ Purdy, Jacqueline (30 September 2018). "Alanna Kennedy's FK stoppage-time stunner lifts Pride to 3–2 win over Courage". NWSLsoccer.com. National Women's Soccer League. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
  16. ^ "A.Kennedy". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
  17. ^ "NWSL, CPL delay start of 2020 seasons due to Covid-19". SportBusiness. 21 March 2020.
  18. ^ "NWSL announces 2020 Challenge Cup presented by P&G and Secret". www.nwslsoccer.com. Archived from the original on 1 November 2020. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
  19. ^ "Orlando Pride Statement Regarding 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup Participation". www.orlandocitysc.com.
  20. ^ Davutovic, David (25 October 2017). "Melbourne City caps off W-League signing spree with international duo Alanna Kennedy and Yukari Kinga". Herald Sun.
  21. ^ "Revealed! The Westfield W-League Team of the Decade". W-League.com.au. Football Federation Australia. 27 January 2018. Retrieved 15 September 2019.
  22. ^ Greco, John (5 September 2018). "Kennedy's back as Sydney FC sign six Westfield Matildas". W-League.com.au. Football Federation Australia. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
  23. ^ "Sydney FC Unveil Championship Defending Westfield W-League Squad". Sydney FC. 24 September 2019.
  24. ^ "Catley strike seals Melbourne City's record fourth Westfield W-League Championship". Westfield W-League. 21 March 2020. Archived from the original on 21 March 2020. Retrieved 21 March 2020.
  25. ^ "Kennedy and Zadorsky loans". Tottenham Hotspur. Archived from the original on 18 July 2021.
  26. ^ "Louisville drafts Orlando Pride's Alanna Kennedy, Caitlin Foord". Orlando Sentinel. 12 November 2020. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  27. ^ "Alanna Kennedy signs permanent deal". Tottenham Hotspur. 7 January 2021. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
  28. ^ Brady, Eve (25 May 2021). "Spurs confirm the departure of eleven senior players". Her Football Hub. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  29. ^ Fisher, Bethany (27 August 2021). "Alanna Kennedy: Matildas defender signs for Man City". Her Football Hub. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
  30. ^ "Alanna Kennedy: Manchester City sign Australia defender on two-year deal". Sky Sports. 27 August 2021.
  31. ^ "Westfield Matildas complete miraculous escape". Football Federation Australia. Archived from the original on 24 August 2012.
  32. ^ "Westfield Matildas name World Cup squad". myfootball.com.au. Football Federation Australia. 12 May 2015. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
  33. ^ "Brazil VS. Australia 0 – 0". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
  34. ^ "Australian women beat U.S. in Tournament of Nations". USA Today. Associated Press. 28 July 2017. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
  35. ^ "Women's Asian Cup". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 1 October 2018.
  36. ^ "Matildas squad for 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup announced". Australian Olympic Committee. 14 May 2019. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
  37. ^ Pender, Kieran (22 June 2019). "Norway won the shootout 4–1 after a 1–1 draw, with Elise Kellond-Knight cancelling out Isabell Herlovsen's opener before Alanna Kennedy was sent off in extra time". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
  38. ^ "Australian Olympic Team for Tokyo 2021". The Roar. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  39. ^ "History making Matildas team selected for Paris Olympics". Matildas. Football Australia. 4 June 2024.
  40. ^ a b "Australia - A. Kennedy - Profile with news, career statistics and history - Soccerway".
  41. ^ "Kennedy and Kerr nominated for FIFPro World XI". The Women's Game. 4 March 2018. Retrieved 15 September 2019.
  42. ^ "IFFHS WOMAN TEAM – AFC – OF THE DECADE 2011–2020". IFFHS. 30 January 2021.

Further reading

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  • Grainey, Timothy (2012), Beyond Bend It Like Beckham: The Global Phenomenon of Women's Soccer, University of Nebraska Press, ISBN 0803240368
  • Stay, Shane (2019), The Women's World Cup 2019 Book: Everything You Need to Know About the Soccer World Cup, Books on Demand, ISBN 1782551921
  • Theivam, Keiran and Jeff Kassouf (2019), The Making of the Women's World Cup: Defining stories from a sport's coming of age, Little, ISBN 1472143310
  • Various (2019), Stand Up for the Future, Penguin Random House, ISBN 0143794396
  • Williams, Jean (2007), A Beautiful Game: International Perspectives on Women's Football , A&C Black, ISBN 1845206754
  • Williams, Lydia (2019), Saved!, Allen & Unwin, ISBN 9781760871628
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