Kicking Back with Palisadian Soccer Star Ali Riley

The last four weeks have been a whirlwind of excitement for Ali Riley, but the 23-year-old Palisadian is used to that by now. Having just played in her second Women's World Cup with the New Zealand National Team, Riley is back in Buffalo to resume the Women's Professional Soccer season with her Western New York Flash. Now among the premiere players in the world, Riley took time out after practice to talk to her hometown Patch about the World Cup, the WPS and the state of the game in America.

Patch: You assisted on the tying goal against Mexico that gave New Zealand its first point ever in World Cup competition. What are your recollections of the play?

Ali Riley: We'd scored a few minutes before so we were going all-out for another one. There was only supposed to be two minutes of added time but they extended it because Hannah [Wilkinson] clashed heads and Mexico was stalling a lot. I cut inside and crossed it to the box, somehow it got through to Hannah, she chested it, the ball bounced around and she kicked it in. She's only 19, so it was a huge goal for her but also for our team. We worked so hard the first two games versus Japan and England and didn't get the results.

Patch: Would you rate that game as the best of your career so far?

Ali Riley: I'm not sure about the best game because we didn't win, but yeah it was probably the most exciting few minutes I've ever experienced. To be down two and score in the 90th and 94th minutes ... that was unforgettable. Kirsty [Yallop] took the corner kick on the first goal [by Rebecca Smith] and of course Kirsty and I were teammates on the Pali Blues two years ago, so there's a Palisades connection.

Patch: You are known as one of the fastest players in the game so do you like being more involved in the offense?

Ali Riley: Definitely. You see more teams playing the Barcelona style, defensive outside backs are getting up into the attack and that really fits my game. For one thing, it forces opponents to have to worry about being outnumbered and allows for more of a possession game. It adds another whole dimension and gives you so many more options.

Patch: How was this World Cup in Germany different from China in 2007?

Ali Riley: We were so much better prepared this time than we were last time. We've improved a lot. We didn't give up a goal in our five games in qualifying, so we were much more confident. We knew our opponents better. The last World Cup went by like a blur. We went in there just fighting for our lives and we didn't score a goal. That was kind of the warm-up. This year it was such an awesome experience--soccer fans are great, the cities are buzzing with excitement and all the venues are set up nicely for soccer.

Patch: You also played in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. How does that compare to the World Cup?

Ali Riley: Obviously the World Cup is considered the ultimate in our sport, but the Olympics is a unique experience because everyone all over the world is watching--not just soccer fans. You're treated like royalty, there's so much hype surrounding it and you meet so many incredible athletes from every sport. So hopefully we can qualify for London [in 2012].

Patch: Is it difficult adjusting to the WPS so soon after playing in the World Cup?

Ali Riley: This year was unique with the World Cup and players having to come back, but the level in this league is very high because it's a lot of the same players. The quality of players is similar--I'd say the same if not better than some World Cup teams.

Patch: You were Rookie of the Year in the WPS last year and won the title with FC Gold Pride. Eight of you have reunited on the Flash. How hard is it to live up to expectations?

Ali Riley: What's funny is that I'm coming from a team [New Zealand] that was a total underdog to a team that was picked to win [the WPS] at the beginning of the season, but I'm expected to do the same thing. We're in second place right now and we play eight games in less than four weeks, so it's all going to depend on how well we do coming back together but when we play our best I think we are hard to beat.

Patch: What do you miss the most about Pacific Palisades?

Ali Riley: [Laughing] Sleeping in my own bed. I left in the beginning of March and haven't been home since. I'll be back at the end of August. What I really miss is the weather. When I got to New York it was really cold and now it's really hot.

Patch: You played Japan [in the round robin phase] this year and you played the United States in the Olympics three years ago so you're familiar with both sides. Who will win Sunday?

Ali Riley: Japan plays such a beautiful tactical game--as beautiful as any team in the world, but the U.S. beat Japan twice about a month ago so they have the mental edge and I think they'll dominate them physically. I have friends on so many teams so it's hard to root for just one, but it should be an excellent game.