The 17-year-old Wave defender turning heads in the NWSL

Legends aren’t born – they’re made.

As the clock hit the 95th minute in last night’s NWSL California derby between San Diego Wave and Bay FC, an unlikely hero arose. With honours even at 1-1 in the dying moments at Snapdragon, time froze as a Kenza Dali corner drifted perfectly into the six yard box. Among a sea of players, center half Trinity Armstrong leapt highest to head down with power, over the goalkeeper and into the back of the net for her first ever professional goal.

At 17-years-old, Armstrong’s composure, confidence and ability makes it seem like the Texan is an old hand. Below the surface, however, the defender’s post match interview lifted the lid on the hardships and tribulations the teenager has faced since turning professional. Her story is one of inspiration and courage:

“I dedicate this goal to my past self. For pushing through all of the different obstacles and trials I had to go through to get to this point and for not giving up on the sport I love.

“Not too long ago I had to quit soccer and I almost had this whole opportunity taken away from me because of my health. Having the opportunity on this field for Jonas and the girls on the field to trust me is such a blessing and I’m so honored that I was able to get that goal in front of our home fans.”

The most prominent of the obstacles Armstrong refers to was her meniscus tear almost exactly one year ago to date. During a regular mid-week training session last May, the US international’s knee gave way and a journey of self discovery ensued.

The former University of North Carolina defender forced her way back to both the All-ACC First Team and the ACC All-Freshman Team. Armstrong made history as she became the first Tar Heel since Alessia Russo in 2017 to earn both honors in the same campaign. Top Drawer Soccer ranked her fourth on its Midseason Top 100 Freshman list.

Armstrong’s goal last night marked the third latest scored in Wave history.

“I’m definitely speechless and honestly it means the world. I was like, what just happened. I ran to the corner and had everyone on me. I heard all of the different noises [from the crowd]and it was honestly amazing. I have no words for it.

“Something I was told by Anson Dorrance back at UNC was that instead of trying to just head it high into the corner, to hit it low so that the ball is able to bounce and becomes harder for the keeper to save. That’s why I hit it that way and I’m glad it pulled off.

“I consider myself a very versatile player with enough footballing IQ. I’m thankful to be athletic. I can play anywhere on the field. I have been a five, six and an eight, having played in midfield and up top. I just have a different type of vision that thankfully I can execute on the field.

“It’s so beautiful to see us build each other up with our passing and our IQ.”

Armstrong was the 11th different Wave player to score for the Wave this season. Head Coach Jonas Eidevall expressed the value he places on versatility and the quality of players at his disposal:

“You can see the bravery that Trinity Armstrong plays with. She has a winning mentality and she is brave in the way that she plays. It’s nice to see a 17-year-old not only scoring a goal, but taking her space on this stage here.

“I think we have really great depth in the squad. We speak about that a lot. We don’t call our substitutes bench players, we call them game changers. We see that game after game with the energy and quality that we have from whoever is coming off the bench. I think that’s a really really good advantage for us.

“We’re maturing as a team. There are still a lot of things we have left to develop and grow with. But I think we are more consistent as a team and there are more situations we are handling well. We were really pushing for a goal in the second half and it was great to see the mentality of how we want to play in the league. To not be satisfied with a tied result but to keep on going for it. I really think that made a difference.

“We started the season with a quote. If you want to go fast then go alone. But if you want to go far, then go together. If you want to go together then you have to involve people. We do things together, see things together and discuss things together. We then have our clarity on how to approach a situation.

“I don’t look at the table. It’s not my mentality to do that. We go game by game. We are going to stay humble, we are going to work really hard every single day to develop and grow. Our next opponent is Portland and that’s our next important game.”

The Wave return to Snapdragon and will host fifth placed Portland Thorns in the NWSL next Saturday.