Sofia Sakalis

Last updated

Sofia Sakalis
Personal information
Full name Sofia Sakalis
Date of birth (2002-07-11) 11 July 2002 (age 22)
Place of birth East Melbourne, Australia
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Perth Glory
Number 12
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2017–2021 Melbourne City 5 (0)
2021– Perth Glory 49 (3)
International career‡
2016–2017 Australia U-17 8 (12)
2018– Australia U-20 2 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 28 May 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 31 October 2018

Sofia Sakalis (born 11 July 2002) is an Australian soccer player currently playing for Perth Glory in the A-League Women. She has represented Australia in the Australia U-17 and Australia U-20. Sakalis plays in the attacking midfielder position.

Contents

Early life

Sakalis, who is of Greek-Australian background, showed interest in soccer at the age of three and began playing two years later. [1] [2] When she first started playing, coaches assigned her to teams with boys her age but advanced her to play with older boys. [1] At age 13, her performance at the National Championships earned her call-ups to three training camps with the Junior Matildas, Australia's under-17 national team. [1]

Playing career

Club

Melbourne City, 2017–2021

After training with Melbourne City FC in 2015–16, Sakalis signed with the team for the 2017–18 season at the age of 15. [3] She made her debut for the club during the team's 5–2 win over the Newcastle Jets on 12 November. [4] [5]

Perth Glory, 2021–present

Sofia signed a 2-year deal with Perth Glory ahead of the 2021–22 season. [6]

International

Sakalis competed with the Junior Matildas [7] [8] at the 2017 AFC U-16 Women's Championship qualification tournament in Vietnam where they finished first in their group with an undefeated record. [9] During the team's first group match against Palestine, Sakalis scored five goals, [10] and scored a total of 11 goals over 5 games. [11] She was the top scorer at the qualifying tournament, helping Australia secure a place at the 2017 AFC U-16 Women's Championship in Thailand. [9] [12]

National Premier League

Sakalis was awarded Football Victoria's Gold Medal Award for the best player of 2022.

Honours

Sakalis was named 2016 Sport Stars of the Year with Olympic boxer Jason Whateley by the Whitehorse Leader. [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aivi Luik</span> Australian soccer player

Aivi Belinda Kerstin Luik is an Australian soccer player who plays as a midfielder for Swedish club BK Häcken FF. She represented the Australia national team, making over 30 appearances.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lisa De Vanna</span> Australian soccer player

Lisa Marie De Vanna is an Australian former professional soccer player who played as a forward. She played for Adelaide Sensation, Western Waves, Doncaster Rovers Belles, AIK, Perth Glory, Washington Freedom, Brisbane Roar, magicJack, Newcastle Jets, Linköping, Sky Blue FC, Melbourne Victory, Boston Breakers, Washington Spirit, Melbourne City, North Shore Mariners, Orlando Pride, Canberra United, South Melbourne, Sydney FC, and Fiorentina as well as representing the Australian national team 150 times. She is noted for her pace and dribbling skills. She has been regularly considered one of the greatest female footballers in the world; football analyst and former Socceroo Craig Foster stated that she "ran on jet-fuel; burning up twice as fast, but with incredible impact."

Ashleigh Sykes is an Australian international football player, who plays for Canberra United FC in the W-League (Australia) and has previously played for Portland Thorns FC in the National Women's Soccer League.

Perth Glory Football Club is an Australian professional soccer club based in Perth, Western Australia. It competes in the country's premier women's competition, A-League Women. The team was established in 2008, with the founding of the new league.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laura Brock</span> Australian soccer player (born 1989)

Laura Colleen Gloria Brock is an Australian soccer player who played for EA Guingamp in the Division 1 Féminine in 2020/21. She made her debut for the national team in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caitlin Foord</span> Australian footballer (born 1994)

Caitlin Jade Foord is an Australian professional football player who plays as a forward for FA Women's Super League club Arsenal and the Australia national team. She became the youngest Australian to play at a World Cup in 2011 at the age of 16.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steph Catley</span> Australian soccer player (born 1994)

Stephanie-Elise Catley is an Australian professional soccer player who plays as a defender for Arsenal and the Australia national team. She can play in many positions in defence, such as left-back, centre-back or sweeper.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Teigen Allen</span> Australian soccer player

Teigen Jacqueline Allen is a retired Australian soccer player who played for Sydney FC, Western Sydney Wanderers, Melbourne City, Melbourne Victory, and Newcastle Jets in the Australian A-League Women, for the Western New York Flash in the American National Women's Soccer League, for Vålerenga in the Norwegian Toppserien, and for the Australia women's national soccer team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alanna Kennedy</span> Australian football (soccer) player (born 21 January 1995)

Alanna Stephanie Kennedy is an Australian professional soccer player who plays as a defender for Women's Super League club Manchester City and the Australia national team. Kennedy is recognised as being a versatile, technical player and is a right-footed free kick specialist. Known on the international level as a centre back, Kennedy also plays in the midfielder position.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Olivia Price (soccer)</span> Australian footballer

Olivia Price is an Australian soccer player, currently playing as a midfielder for Western Sydney Wanderers and previously captained Australia for the Australian National U20 team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Remy Siemsen</span> Australian soccer player (born 1999)

Remy Dianne Siemsen is an Australian professional soccer player who plays for English Women's Super League club Leicester City and the Australia national team. She has represented Australia on the under-20 national team. Following her debut season in the W-League at the age of 16, she was named W-League Young Footballer of the Year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amy Sayer</span> Australian soccer player

Amy Joan Irene Sayer is an Australian soccer player for Kristianstads DFF in the Damallsvenskan, the Swedish first division. She primarily plays as an attacking midfielder but was also deployed as a defensive midfielder in the under-20s national team. She is known for her vision, passing, all round technical ability, and her ability to play and score with both feet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kyra Cooney-Cross</span> Australian soccer player

Kyra Lillee Cooney-Cross is an Australian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Women's Super League club Arsenal and the Australia women’s national team. She has previously played for Hammarby IF in the Damallsvenskan, as well as Western Sydney Wanderers and Melbourne Victory in the W-League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leticia McKenna</span> Australian soccer player

Leticia Lee McKenna is an Australian soccer player who currently plays as a midfielder for Melbourne City. She has previously played for Perth Glory and Brisbane Roar.

Isabella Wallhead is an Australian soccer player who plays for Perth Glory in the A-League Women competition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jamilla Rankin</span> Australian soccer player

Jamilla Sofia Rankin is an Australian soccer player who plays for Melbourne Victory in the A-League Women. She has previously played for Brisbane Roar.

Deborah-Anne de la Harpe is a footballer who plays for A-League Women club Brisbane Roar. She has previously played for A-League Women clubs Perth Glory and Sydney FC and for Danish Women's League club HB Køge. She has represented Australia and the Republic of Ireland at under-19 and senior levels, respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Courtney Nevin</span> Australian soccer player (born 2002)

Courtney Jade Nevin is an Australian professional soccer player who plays as a full-back for English Women's Super League club Leicester City, and the Australia women's national team. She has previously played for Western Sydney Wanderers and Melbourne Victory in the W-League, as well as Damallsvenskan side Hammarby IF.

Rasamee "Susan" Phonsongkham is a soccer player who plays as a midfielder or attacker for Perth Glory. Born in Thailand, she is an Australia youth international.

Morgan Aquino is an Australian soccer player who currently plays as goalkeeper for Power FC in the USL Super League in the United States.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Komarkowski, Antonia (21 June 2017). "Sofia Sakalis 15-year-old Soccer star". Greek City Times. Retrieved 2 December 2017.
  2. ↑ "City sign trio for Westfield W-League season". W-League. 24 September 2017. Retrieved 2 December 2017.
  3. ↑ "Complete preview for each W-League team for season 2017/18". News.com.au. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 2 December 2017.
  4. ↑ "S. Sakalis". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 2 December 2017.
  5. ↑ "A day to remember for Sakalis and Muldeary". Melbourne City FC. 17 November 2017. Retrieved 2 December 2017.
  6. ↑ "Midfield duo board w-league 2021/22 campaign". Perth Glory. 21 July 2021. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
  7. ↑ Stogiannou, George (5 August 2016). "Sakalis selected for Junior Matildas in AFC qualifying tournament in Vietnam". Neos Kosmos. Retrieved 2 December 2017.
  8. ↑ "Juric names squad for AFC U-16 qualifiers". Westfield Matildas. 3 August 2016. Retrieved 2 December 2017.
  9. 1 2 "Junior Matildas complete qualifiers with perfect record". The Women's Game. 3 December 2017. Retrieved 2 December 2017.
  10. ↑ "Junior Matildas' easy win in Vietnam". Westfield Matildas. 25 August 2016. Retrieved 2 December 2017.
  11. ↑ Turner, David (25 September 2016). "Vermont South's Sofia Sakalis is a rising soccer star with the world at her feet". Whitehorse Leader. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 2 December 2017.
  12. ↑ "World champions Korea DPR target Asian treble". FIFA. 8 September 2017. Archived from the original on 9 September 2017. Retrieved 2 December 2017.
  13. ↑ Naughtin, Paddy (22 November 2016). "Soccer star Sofia Sakalis and Olympic boxer Jason Whateley named 2016 Whitehorse Leader Sport Stars". Whitehorse Leader. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 2 December 2017.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.