Mallori Lofton-Malachi Interview: Concussion Shortens a Promising Career

Mallori Lofton-Malachi played four years at the University of South Florida before having a successful career in Europe. Mallori was easily one of the most athletic goalkeepers in the USWNT pool, displaying an unreal amount of explosiveness in her spring. Now retired at the age of twenty-seven, Mallori talks about her time overseas, her concussion, and where she is now.

How early did you start playing goalkeeper? And when did you figure out you wanted to play in college?

I started playing goalkeeper when I was 13 years old. The starting goalkeeper on our team got hurt and I decided to step in. The rest is history. I ALWAYS knew I wanted to play college soccer. It was just one of those things that in my mind I knew I was going to achieve.

You played four years with South Florida, setting multiple records during your tenure. What stands out about your time at USF?

The thing that stands out most about my time at USF is the friends that I made. Yeah, there are definitely certain games that stand out in my mind (beating UConn my senior year on senior day) but the most valuable thing that I got from going to USF are my life long friends. Going to USF was one of the best decisions I've ever made. The school was amazing, the coaching staff (Denise, Chris and Mendoza) was super supportive, and I met teammates that have turned into my best friends.

Was playing professionally the goal from the start?

I always wanted to play professionally. A lot of women talk about seeing the '99 World Cup and being inspired by them, but I remember watching the '96 Olympics and seeing Briana Scurry play. I thought to myself, "I'm gonna do that one day." My Dad passed away my sophomore year of college. At that point, I was overweight and out of shape. I sat down with Denise, Chris and Mendoza, and they told me that I could definitely play soccer professionally, but that I would have to start taking my fitness and training more seriously. I completely changed the way I went about playing that season, and I'll be forever grateful to the three of them for pushing me and showing me that i could achieve that goal.

You played in Iceland, Finland, and then finally in Germany with SC Sand. What was the motivation that moved you from club to club?

To play in the best league in the world. I saw that there weren't a lot of opportunities to play in the US so I decided to play in the top leagues overseas.

There are a number of American goalkeepers playing in the Nordic countries. What about the area draws players from America to play there?

Definitely the opportunity to actually play. When I played in Atlanta I was sitting behind Hope [Solo] and another goalkeeper who had more experience than I did. I was also only making $442 every two weeks in Atlanta. I got an offer to play in Iceland where I would not only be the starting goalkeeper, but I'd be making much more money. It was an easy choice.

How does American soccer compare to German?

The major difference between American and German soccer is the speed of play. We play a faster game in the US, whereas in Germany it's slower. I'd say that we have a lot more athletes that play soccer in the US. It makes us more dynamic players. In Germany, players usually only play one sport while growing up so they aren't as dynamic soccer players as Americans are.

What’s it like being an American representative to so many people overseas? Are there common questions you’re asked?

Guns. People always want to know how many guns I own. They also ask me why President Obama is spying on other countries, as if President Obama and I are best friends.

How did you think the USWNT performed during the World Cup? Is there anything you’d like to see improved upon over the next cycle?

I was very happy to see them finally win the World Cup. They found a way to win in the group stage and completely outplayed Japan in the final. My biggest criticism for the USWNT is what I perceive to be a major lack of player development. You have great players retiring because, one, they can no longer afford to struggle financially and, two, they feel as though there are no opportunities for growth in women's soccer. I feel that the USWNT needs to do scouting overseas, and they'll see that there are A LOT of talented women players that have been overlooked. I've played with Katie Fraine and I think she's a good goalkeeper. I would honestly love to see ANYBODY my age at least get a call up.

Going back to your time in Germany, talk about your concussion. How did it happen? How were you dealt with?

It happened on December 6, 2014. We were playing against Jena, a German team. I came out for a 1v1. I had possession of the ball, and instead of jumping over me the forward kneed me in the back of my head. (I only know that happened to me because I saw the video a couple of days afterwards.) I woke up 30 minutes later in an ambulance with two EMT's.

My concussion wasn't handled properly, which is why I decided to leave Germany and come back home to Philadelphia. The thing that stands out the most for me is that I was at the hospital by myself. There were four coaches at the game that day, and they did not check on me until halftime, when my teammates forced one of our assistant coaches to go to the hospital. I felt very alone and unsupported.

Why do you think the coaches at Sand weren't extremely helpful with the concussion? Was it more ignorance of your injury or lack of awareness of how dangerous concussions are?

I think that is was a lack of awareness of how dangerous concussions are. Although, It shouldn't matter what the injury was. You always send someone to the hospital so that the player isn't alone. Especially, if they aren't from that country and German is their second language. That's just common sense.

So what are your plans now with soccer? And what’s your injury status?

I'm retired from playing professional soccer. My plan was to come back to the U.S. after last season and join a NWSL team, but the concussion happened and changed everything. I've been told by my doctor that it would be in my best interest not to play again. I'm feeling much better today than I was three months ago. At that time I was experiencing every post concussion symptom. I still have the daily headaches and ringing of the ears, but my sensitivity to light and sound is much better. I continue to receive treatment at my local TBI clinic each week to try and eliminate all of my symptoms.

I played soccer for 20 years and it was a GREAT 20 years. I'll always love soccer, but my main focus right now is to recover from the concussion. I'm very interested in real estate. Possibly buying and flipping houses. We'll see, I still have time to figure it out.

Last question, who would you say is the best player you have ever played with?

This is a tough one. Tina Ellertson. She's the most athletic soccer player I've ever played with. Her recovery speed was unlike anything I've ever seen. She also had a great work ethic and is a really nice person.

Ashkan Khosravi Interview: Iranian-American Finds a New Home Out West

Ashkan Khosravi will be a senior at UC Riverside next fall. While originally from Iran, Khosravi left home when he would no longer be allowed to play soccer or continue school because he was Baha'i and not Muslim. Khosravi attended high school in Plano, Texas before ending up at UC Riverside, where he has amassed 41 starts over three years. Now entering his last year, Khosravi talks about what the transition was like and what his plans are looking forward.

With the restrictions of being Muslim to play for Iran National Teams, did you notice any tension while you were with the younger age groups?

Yes, obviously it was hard being the only different one. Off the top of my head, the most awkward thing that I remember was when we all had to do the Muslim prayer as a team, which was one of national team rules. I had no idea how to do it nor did I knew any of the words.

Was staying in Iran on the table? Or were you set on leaving?

Staying in Iran was definitely not on the table because not only could I not play for the national team, I also couldn’t play for my club and I knew I couldn’t get an education or go to college.

When I left Iran and went to Turkey as a refugee, I started practicing with a team in Turkey and they wanted me to sign and play with them. I thought about it for a while, but I didn’t really like Turkey and I wanted to come to Dallas where my brother was. He left Iran for the same reasons. He came to the US around 16 years ago to get his education.

What was your time in Turkey like?

I didn’t really like anything about Turkey. It was very tough living there as a refugee; mostly just a whole year and a half of waiting to be able to come to the US. The only thing that I liked about it was the training sessions that I had with the Turkish club. I had never trained in that much snow.

Did your brother play soccer at all?

Photo from UCR Athletic Communications

No, he never played soccer. His situation was more about not being able to go to college as a Baha’i.

How did your parents play into the move? Were they supportive or reluctant for you to leave?

My parents were actually very supportive about it.

Have your parents gotten a chance to see you play in person? Have they expressed any interest in moving to the US as well?

My parents have seen me play once for UCR. They come and visit every year, but they don't quite want to move here yet.

What is your attitude towards Iran now? Do you miss anything about it?

I obviously love Iran as my country but I hate how I had to leave due to how Iran is ruled. I don’t really know about any changes in Iran other than everything being more expensive. I definitely miss playing in Iran. One of my old teammates, who I played with and against many times, was actually a starter for Iran in the World Cup and got to play against the best player who’s ever played the game (Messi). I was very excited to see him play, but at the same time, there’s always that thought in my mind that maybe that could have been me. Maybe I could have played that game and maybe I could have saved that Messi shot. As unrealistic as it sounds, if I had stayed, there was a possibility and it makes me sad that I left. But it also makes me want to get better and prove myself in the US.

I am personally a huge Messi, Barca, and Argentina fan. So Argentina was my team during the World Cup, but at the same time I was happy about how well Iran defended against them.

If something were to happen in the future where you could play for Iran, would you be interested? Or is that door completely closed?

I honestly don’t know if playing for Iran would be a possibility or not.

What is your citizenship status with the US?

I actually just recently got my American citizenship on April 17th and I am a dual citizen of both Iran and the US.

Last year, UCR struggled at the start of the season but finished strong in conference play. Where did UCR succeed last year and where did they fail? And what happened in the semifinal game vs Cal State Fullerton?

We had a solid team last year despite losing some great players due to injury and ineligibility. It took us a while to get in a rhythm and get used to playing a new formation, which is why we didn’t do too good in non-conference games but did well in conference. We beat the number two team in the nation at the time, UC Irvine, and we won the Big West South Division title.

Things went bad really fast against Fullerton. I picked up a wrist injury about ten days before that game and I missed the last 2 games before the game against Fullerton. Our coach didn’t think I was ready to play that game so I didn’t start but after we lost a man (our center back got a red card) and went down 2-0 in the first 15-20 minutes of the game, I got subbed in and played the rest of the game. But we just couldn’t get back in it.

Is the National Tournament a realistic expectation for this year? What do y’all need to do to reach that goal?

Winning the tournament is definitely an expectation for us this year. We have a much stronger team and we want nothing less than a National Championship this year. And I think as long as we believe in that goal and stay healthy as a team, we will reach that.

Photo taken by Paul Alvarez

What is something about UCR that you didn't know at first when you got there, but has been a pleasant surprise to experience?

The thing I really liked about UCR, which made me never think about leaving, is how close we are as teammates and brothers. We do everything as a team and our group text is active 24/7.

Five years from now, what's a dream scenario for your playing career?

If I do get drafted [by an MLS club], I would stay in the US and play here. But if I don't, I will most likely go somewhere to play. I have always had a dream of playing for the US National Team and maybe, just maybe, play Iran and face some old teammates. I don’t know how realistic that dream is and if it is even possible for me to play for US, but that has just always been in the back of my mind.  

Michael Abalos Interview

What was your high school experience like?

I played high school soccer at Santa Margarita Catholic High School under coach Curt Bauer. There have been a good amount of goalkeepers that have gone on to play professionally that came through Santa Margarita and it has always been a dream of mine to play professionally. I was fortunate to have a great coach there who created a positive environment and happened to win back-to-back CIF Championships (2006-07). The players there wanted to compete for each other and it felt more like a brotherhood, which is what coaches should aspire to teach their players.

You were a four year starter at California State Northridge. Looking back, what stands out?

I played there from 2009-13 under coach Terry Davilla and Yossi Raz. We had a lot of big games since we were a team that was on the cusp of becoming a legitimate program. I'm glad to be apart of the first CSUN team to get a victory at UCLA as well as starting a trend of NCAA appearances. I had great teammates at CSUN, the likes of Chad Borak, Dylan Riley, and Rafa Garcia. Playing in the Big West you were bound to come across some quality players like Luis Silva (UCSB), Junior Burgos (Cal Poly), and Miguel Ibarra (UCI). I can proudly say all those standouts have scored on me during my career.

What are your thoughts on NCAA as a tool for developing goalkeepers players?

The thought is there, nothing bad can come from being in a positive environment where players want to compete at. It is a matter of players and coaches coming into accordance to pursue a common goal. I think the result of this latest MLS Draft shows that the talent is being produced. And [Syracuse Junior goalkeeper] Alex Bono was recently called into the USMNT camp. It is all about the athlete and how much they want to invest in themselves as an athlete. For me, I learned how much of a commitment it is to play in D1. On and off the field you are thrown all types of responsibilities. Most importantly you are forced to police and discipline yourself.

Photo belongs to Ian Billings

Where did you play after graduating?

I was invited twice to Seattle Sounders Combine, one in Las Vegas and another in Seattle. I also was invited to join The Nike Chance Global Tour and then to The Nike Academy in the UK under coach Jimmy Gilligan and John Goodman. The tour was making a stop in Los Angeles, they had a game against Chivas USA Academy and the US U18s, I believe it was. They were traveling without a goalkeeper and I was fortunate enough to have a connection that put me in contact with the coach. I was invited to train with them and play the two games. I made my case for the position in the game against US U-18’s where I saved a PK and played well.

The coach initially said they were unable to bring me along with them to their next stop in Torino Italy to train at the Juventus facilities. A week went by and then coach Jimmy Gilligan invited me to join them in England. This is still one of the best experiences of my life. I was the only American on the team besides Brian Iloski, who is at UCLA currently. There were so many highlights. We competed against Manchester United reserves and I swapped jerseys with Ben Amos. I was in training sessions ran by English National Team Coach Roy Hodgson and England Assistant Stuart Pearce. We were staying at St. Georges Park, England’s national team training ground. I walked out for practice and there was Roy Hodgson. Nike had set up a surprise training session with Roy. The hour and a half I spent with him was 100% soccer. His attention to detail probably stood out the most. (Watch Nike Football's training video with Hodgson here.)

But all that to say, graduation for me is still on hiatus. When I was invited to the Nike World Tour, I was already a couple weeks into the semester and was passed up in the draft so I was looking for any opportunity to pursue soccer as a profession. I got the call from Coach Gilligan late in the night before the last day it was possible to drop classes with receiving a fail. I jumped at the opportunity and was on a plane a day later to Heathrow. [CSUN] Coach Davilla and my parents was fully supportive of my decision so that was all the approval I needed.

Abalos, who kept a shutout in the game, is the goalkeeper in green in the video.

You landed at Chivas after the tour. Talk about your time there. Could you tell Chivas was close to folding then? And, of course, where are you now?

I was in the Chivas system for about a year from 2013-14, which included being with the U23s, reserves and first team. I never got that sense that the club was about to fold, especially considering the history the Chivas Guadalajara has. I was happy to be a part of the club and was willing to fulfill my role for the club.

Traveling with the first team to Seattle and being able to be on the field for warm ups and on the bench in that environment was an amazing experience. [Starting Chivas goalkeeper] Dan Kennedy is a class act, all around professional. He never hesitated to offer advice. Getting to meet, travel and train with [Mexican striker] Francisco Palencia was an honor and to this day I still use technique tips that he had to offer.

After Chivas, I went up north to a couple Sacramento Republic trials and down south to trail with Orange County Blues FC. Nothing came of those. However I did play with Cal FC against Los Angeles Galaxy II in the Open Cup this past year. Unfortunately we got smashed 6-1. While I’m still trying to play professionally, I currently coach for Launch Soccer in Pasadena, something I enjoy doing more and more each time