Utilising the current pause on life to take stock following what has been a whirlwind period in her life, Mal Pugh has become the latest professional to pick up the phone for ‘The Dial Up’, our new series that checks in on the pros, candidly lifting the lid on lockdown to see how they’re getting on in life.
At just 17 years old, Mallory Pugh was one of the youngest players to make the USWNT’s squad in well over a decade when she was selected by former head coach Jill Ellis in 2016. She scored in her debut a few weeks later, seemingly locking in her spot in the national team for the foreseeable future. And she has gone on to become a world champion, taking her place within the team that won the 2019 World Cup so convincingly.
But despite that and the fact that she has been long seen as the future face of the USWNT, Pugh has recently had to face up to the realisation that nothing is guaranteed in the world of football, for she now finds herself in amongst a crowded competition for the deep forward position, a fight she will not give up on lightly. It’s something that we were all too aware of as we talked to her about life in lockdown, her triumphs and glories in the game so far, and her future aspirations, all relayed from the comfort of her own couch.
The Olympics is a lot different than the World Cup, I would say. It's just cool because with the World Cup, the focus is football. But with the Olympics, the focus is your country”
I wish we could go back to the locker room. I feel like that's just something we wanted to share with everyone because it was like our journey was America's journey"
Watch the full interview with Mal Pugh on IGTV.
