Kennedy Fuller decided to turn professional and sign with Angel City FC as a 16-year-old.
On Sunday, just eight days after turning 17, Fuller was in the starting lineup as Angel City opened the season against Bay FC in front a sellout crowd of 22,000 at BMO Stadium.
Fuller said learned she was starting the previous night.
“I wouldn’t have been able to get the courage without my teammates,” Fuller said. “Before the game I had a bunch of pats on the back, a lot of ‘let’s go’ and that really helped.”
As for those first-game nerves.
“A little bit,” she said when asked if she was nervous. “That’s good, if you’re not nervous, I don’t think you care enough.”
The decision to turn pro and bypass college (Fuller was a North Carolina) commit was a difficult one, but Fuller believes she made the right decision.
“It was difficult,” she said. “UNC is an amazing place and I still feel like it’s my home. (Associate head coach) Damon (Nahas) and (head coach) Anson (Dorrance) are amazing and nothing bad to say about them, they’re awesome … having to tell them was probably one of the hardest parts because they supported me and they had confidence in me. I wouldn’t have done it (signed with Angel City) if I didn’t think this is a place for me to grow and if I didn’t feel comfortable.”
Fuller became the youngest player in Angel City’s short history to play in the game, but she did than just play. Fuller went 90 minutes, had three shots, two on target, was credited with four duels on and finished with a pass accuracy of 79.2%.
“I would never guess she’s 17 years old,” defender and vice captain Sarah Gorden said. “Super impressed and proud of her and I’m excited to see where her career goes.”
Fuller is no stranger to big decisions. She committed to North Carolina at 15 after her freshman season and she chose to graduate high school early.
Fuller earned the Golden Boot with U.S. U-17 team at the CONCACAF Women’s U-17 Championship, scoring eight goals.
Related Articles
NWSL, Liga MX Femenil to start new tournament in July
Christen Press dreams of Angel City FC return after lengthy ACL recovery
Angel City FC drops season opener to new expansion team Bay FC
Top 5 Angel City FC questions ahead of season opener
Angel City FC season preview: Aiming to become contenders
“She is so young and we have to look after her and she’s still got a really high ceiling and so much room to grow,” Angel City coach Becki Tweed said. “She also plays international football and we want to encourage that. This team is brilliant with the younger players and they want to help them grow and I think that she will continue to grow as it goes on.”
Fuller wasn’t the only teenager to make their professional debut Sunday. Gisele Thompson came on as a substitute in the 80th minute. Gisele, the younger sister of Alyssa Thompson, joined Angel City days after her 18th birthday.
“When I was that age, I would have played terrible,” defender Paige Nielsen said of Fuller and Thompson. “Kennedy had one of the best 90 minutes I think I’ve seen for any player’s first game. She just turned 17 years old and I think she’s a true pro and I’m excited for how she can help this team. She’s ready now. It’s so exciting to see our team grow. Gisele came on and made a lot of exciting decisions on the wing and also plays very mature, has vision, knows the game … you couldn’t tell they were young because they fit right in.”
ANGEL CITY FC AT ORLANDO PRIDE
When: Friday, 5 p.m. PT
Where: Inter & Co Stadium; Orlando, Florida
Streaming: Amazon Prime Video, 5 p.m.