Mackenzie Arnold
Arnold during training with Australia in 2021
Personal information
Full name Mackenzie Elizabeth Arnold
Date of birth (1994-02-25) 25 February 1994
Place of birth Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
Height 1.81 m (5 ft 11+1⁄2 in)[1]
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team
 West Ham United
Number 1
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2011–2012 Perth Glory 10 (0)
2012–2013 Canberra United 10 (0)
2013–2014 Western Sydney Wanderers 3 (0)
2014–2016 Perth Glory 22 (0)
2016–2020 Brisbane Roar 48 (0)
2018 Arna-Bjørnar 15 (0)
2019 Chicago Red Stars 0 (0)
2020– West Ham United 61 (0)
International career‡
2013 Australia U-20 8 (0)
2012– Australia 44 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 06:50, 24 November 2023 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 1 November 2023

Mackenzie Elizabeth Arnold (born 25 February 1994) is an Australian professional soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for Women's Super League club West Ham United, whom she captains and the Australia national team. She previously played for Arna-Bjørnar in Norway's Toppserien as well as Brisbane Roar, Perth Glory, Western Sydney Wanderers, and Canberra United in Australia's W-League.

Early life

Arnold was born and raised on the Gold Coast.[2] She played junior football for Burleigh Heads as well as Robina City[3] and attended Palm Beach Currumbin State High School in her teenage years.[4]

Club career

In 2012, Arnold joined Canberra United from Perth Glory ahead of the 2012–13 W-League.[5]

Arnold joined Western Sydney Wanderers in 2013. However, she was later ruled out for a significant amount of the season after suffering a deep cut to the leg in the carpark following a match in the 2013 AFC U-19 Women's Championship.[6]

Arnold returned to Perth Glory in August 2014.[7]

Arnold was approached to switch codes and play Australian rules football in the newly formed AFL Women's in 2016, but chose to remain in soccer.[8]

In October 2016, Brisbane Roar announced that they had signed Arnold.[9]

In March 2018, she signed with Arna-Bjørnar in the Toppserien.[10]

In July 2019, she played for the Chicago Red Stars, in the NWSL.

On 9 July 2020, Arnold signed for English club West Ham United of the FA Women's Super League.[11] On 18 April 2021, Arnold was handed a surprise 20-minute cameo in midfield during an 11–0 win over Chichester & Selsey in the fourth round of the Women's FA Cup.[12]

International career

Arnold received her first call-up to the Australian national team for a tour of the United States in 2012.[13] She made her debut in November that year, keeping a clean sheet in a win over Chinese Taipei in the 2013 EAFF Women's East Asian Cup preliminary round 2.[14] She soon began to feature regularly in national squads in 2013, with previous incumbent goalkeepers Melissa Barbieri and Lydia Williams unavailable.[15] Following their returns, Arnold was not included in the national setup for some time, before returning for the 2015 Cyprus Cup in March 2015.[16]

Mackenzie was included as one of three goalkeepers in the Matildas squad for the 2015 World Cup in Canada.[17]

Arnold was selected in the Australia squad for the 2016 Summer Olympics as one of two goalkeepers in the squad along with Lydia Williams.[18] She played one match in the tournament, a group stage win over Zimbabwe.[19]

Arnold was named to the Matildas squad for the 2019 World Cup in France.[20]

Arnold was a member of the Matildas Tokyo 2020 Olympics squad. The Matildas qualified for the quarter-finals and beat Great Britain before being eliminated in the semi-final with Sweden. In the playoff for the Bronze medal they were beaten by the USA.[21]

Arnold is a member of the Matildas 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup squad, goalkeeping for all of Australia's Group B matches. She was named player of the match after saving three spot kicks in the quarter-final penalty shoot out to see the Matildas progress to the final four for the first time.[22][23] This led to many internet memes praising her performance, with some online describing her as the "Brick Wall" and the "Minister for Defence".[24] Other nicknames she has been given include "Macca"[24] and "Kenz".[25]

Personal life

Arnold has been dating fellow West Ham player Kirsty Smith[26] since 2022. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Arnold discovered she has significant hearing loss and she now wears hearing aids off the pitch.[22] She is also a supporter of the Brisbane Broncos.

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 22 November 2023[27]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup[lower-alpha 1] League Cup[lower-alpha 2] Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Perth Glory 2011–12 W-League 100——100
Canberra United 2012–13 W-League 100——100
Western Sydney Wanderers 2013–14 W-League 30——30
Perth Glory 2014–15 W-League 140——140
2015–16 W-League 80——80
Total 220——220
Brisbane Roar 2016–17 W-League 110——110
2017–18 W-League 130——130
2018–19 W-League 12 0 — — 12 0
2019–20 W-League 12 0 — — 12 0
Total 480——480
Arna-Bjørnar 2018 Toppserien 15000—150
Chicago Red Stars 2019 NWSL 00——00
West Ham United 2020–21 Women's Super League 1602030210
2021–22 Women's Super League 1803000210
2022–23 Women's Super League 20 0 2 0 5 0 27 0
2023–24 Women's Super League 7 0 0 0 0 0 7 0
Total 61 0 7 0 8 0 76 0
Career total 169070801840

International

As of match played 1 November 2023[28]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Australia 2012 2 0
2013 0 0
201400
201540
201640
201740
201870
201920
202010
202130
2022 2 0
2023 15 0
Total440

Honours

Australia

Perth Glory
Brisbane Roar

Individual

See also

References

  1. ↑ https://www.matildas.com.au/player/mackenzie-arnold
  2. ↑ "Roar goalie happy to be 'home'". Sunshine Coast Daily. 4 November 2016. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  3. ↑ "Matildas origins: The local clubs, upbringings of our Australian Women's World Cup players". Code Sports. 20 July 2023. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
  4. ↑ "Gold Coast quartet have helped the Matildas reach the World Cup quarter-finals in Canada". Gold Coast Bulletin. 23 June 2015. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
  5. ↑ "Big gloves to fill". The Women's Game. 15 August 2012. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
  6. ↑ "Mackenzie Arnold to miss first half of W-League". The Women's Game. 24 October 2013. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
  7. ↑ "Perth Glory announce signing of six Matildas". The Women's Game. 6 August 2014.
  8. ↑ Davutovic, David (1 September 2016). "Matildas stars approached by AFL to switch codes to join inaugural women's league". Herald Sun. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
  9. ↑ "Brisbane Roar release squad members for Season 9". The Women's Game. 21 October 2016.
  10. ↑ "MACKENZIE ARNOLD HEADED TO NORWAY". The Women's Game. 10 March 2018.
  11. ↑ "West Ham United catch Australian international goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold". WHUFC.com. 9 July 2020. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
  12. ↑ "'The disrespect'- Matildas goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold handed surprise midfield cameo in West Ham rout". Sporting Life. 19 April 2021. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
  13. ↑ "Goalkeepers Brianna Davey and Mackenzie Arnold get their chance on Matildas tour of US". News.com.au. 5 September 2012. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
  14. ↑ "Australia's Matildas down Chinese Taipei 7–0". News.com.au. 21 November 2012. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
  15. ↑ Guthrie, Nick (9 June 2013). "Keeper makes most of Matildas call". The Age. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
  16. ↑ "Stajcic names Matildas squad for 2015 Cyprus Cup". WomenSoccer.com.au. 27 February 2015. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
  17. ↑ Gaskin, Lee (12 May 2015). "Matildas squad for Women's World Cup announced". The Canberra Times. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
  18. ↑ Boswell, Tom (5 July 2016). "Gold Coast goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold to represent Australian Matildas at Rio Olympic Games". Gold Coast Bulletin. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
  19. ↑ Wetham, Beck (10 August 2016). "Australia win 6–1 over Zimbabwe for a quarter-finals spot in Rio". The Women's Game. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
  20. ↑ "World Cup Matildas: Goalkeepers". Beyond 90. 14 May 2019. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  21. ↑ "Australian Olympic Team for Tokyo 2021". The Roar. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  22. 1 2 Vinall, Marnie (13 August 2023). "Who is Mackenzie Arnold? Meet the goalkeeper with nerves of steel who sent the Matildas to the semi-finals". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  23. ↑ Monteverde, Marco (14 August 2023). "Mackenzie Arnold's confidence and form for the Matildas has risen to new level". The West Australian. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  24. 1 2 https://amp.theguardian.com/football/2023/aug/16/who-is-matildas-australia-goalkeeper-mackenzie-arnold-womens-world-cup-2023
  25. ↑ https://www.newidea.com.au/mackenzie-arnold-family
  26. ↑ https://celebrity.nine.com.au/latest/mackenzie-arnold-kirsty-smith-complete-relationship-timeline-everything-we-know/cfa13b79-99e1-46f6-bc14-64038eabaf58
  27. ↑ "Australia - M. Arnold - Profile with news, career statistics and history - Soccerway". int.soccerway.com.
  28. ↑ "Australia - M. Arnold - Profile with news, career statistics and history - Soccerway".
  29. 1 2 3 "Mackenzie Arnold". Soccerway. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  30. ↑ "Chicago Acquires Goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold". Our Sports Central. 1 August 2019. Retrieved 16 November 2020.

Further reading

  • Grainey, Timothy (2012), Beyond Bend It Like Beckham: The Global Phenomenon of Women's Soccer, University of Nebraska Press, ISBN 0803240368
  • Stay, Shane (2019), The Women's World Cup 2019 Book: Everything You Need to Know About the Soccer World Cup, Books on Demand, ISBN 1782551921
  • Theivam, Keiran and Jeff Kassouf (2019), The Making of the Women's World Cup: Defining stories from a sport’s coming of age, Little, ISBN 1472143310
  • Various (2019), Stand Up for the Future, Penguin Random House, ISBN 0143794396
  • Williams, Jean (2007), A Beautiful Game: International Perspectives on Women's Football , A&C Black, ISBN 1845206754
  • Williams, Lydia (2019), Saved!, Allen & Unwin, ISBN 9781760871628
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