Manon Melis

Manon Melis
Personal information
Full name Gabriëlla Maria Melis
Date of birth (1986-08-31) 31 August 1986
Place of birth Rotterdam, Netherlands
Height 1.64 m (5 ft 4 1⁄2 in)[1]
Playing position Forward
Club information
Current team
 Seattle Reign FC
Number 14
Youth career
RVVH
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2006–2007 Be Quick '28
2007–2011 LdB FC Malmö 83 (74)
2012–2013 Linköpings FC 21 (16)
2013–2014 LdB FC Malmö 21 (11)
2014–2015 Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC 41 (23)
2016–2016 Seattle Reign FC 16 (7)
National team‡
2004–2016 Netherlands 135[2] (59)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 12:00, 8 November 2016 (UTC).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 12:17, 6 March 2016 (UTC)

Gabriëlla Maria "Manon" Melis (Dutch pronunciation: [ɣaːbriˈɛlaː maːˈriaː maːˈnɔn ˈmeːlɪs]; born 31 August 1986) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a forward for the Seattle Reign FC in the National Women's Soccer League. Melis has spent most of her career playing in the Swedish Damallsvenskan. At international level, since making her debut in 2004, she has won over 100 caps and is the all-time top scorer for the Netherlands women's national football team.[3] She is the daughter of former Feyenoord and ADO Den Haag player Harry Melis.[4]

Playing career

Club

Damallsvenskan, 2010–2015

Melis was the Damallsvenskan top-scorer in 2010 and 2011,[5] playing for LdB Malmö. She won the Damallsvenskan's awards for top footballer and top forward in 2010.[6]

In November 2011 she announced she was moving from Malmö to Sky Blue FC in the American Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) league.[7] In her last match she helped LdB secure a spot in Champions League quarterfinals with a goal.[8] Before Melis could play for Sky Blue the WPS suspended operations, so she returned to Sweden to sign for Linköpings FC.[9] Two seasons with Linköpings both yielded 16 goals in 21 Damallsvenskan appearances. Melis agreed a return to Malmö in December 2012.[10]

Melis collected another league winner's medal with Malmö in 2013, before receiving a lucrative contract offer from Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC which she felt unable to turn down.[11]

Seattle Reign, 2016–present

After two seasons at Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC, Melis signed with Seattle Reign FC in the National Women's Soccer League for the 2016 season.[12] Of her signing, Reign FC head coach Laura Harvey said, “Manon is a fantastic talent who will bring something new to our attack next season. We’re thrilled to have a player with her experience and consistent record of success at the highest levels of club and international football join our club next season.”[13]

International

Melis scored on her debut for the senior Netherlands women's national football team in April 2004, a 3–0 win over Belgium in Leuven. She represented the Netherlands in the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup qualifying rounds[14] and the UEFA Women's Euro 2009 finals.[15] In August 2010 Melis scored twice against Belarus, her 29th and 30th international goals, which made her the national team's all-time top goalscorer.[16]

Melis scored four goals in the 6–0 won UEFA Women's EURO 2013 qualification opening match for The Netherlands against Serbia on 21 September 2011, stating, "It is a great feeling to score four goals, I had never done that before for the national team."[17]

In June 2013, national team coach Roger Reijners selected Melis in the Netherlands squad for UEFA Women's Euro 2013 in Sweden.[18]

In March 2016, Melis announced her retirement from international play.

International goals

Scores and results list the Netherlands goal tally first.

References

  1. ↑ 2015 World Cup
  2. ↑ "Profile" (in Dutch). Onsoranje.nl. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  3. ↑ "New Zealand and Netherlands clash for first World Cup win". Reuters. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  4. ↑ "Melis leads Dutch charge for glory". FIFA. 14 June 2012. Retrieved 27 September 2014.
  5. ↑ "Damallsvenskan top scorers". svenskfotboll.se. Retrieved 12 October 2011.
  6. ↑ "Manon Melis gekozen tot beste speelster" (in Dutch). Vrouwen Voetal Nederland. 16 November 2010.
  7. ↑ Ingen Melis i LFC Östgöta Correspondenten
  8. ↑ Avskedsmatch ledde LdB FC Malmö till avancemang Damfotboll.com
  9. ↑ Albert Sigurdsson (2012-02-16). "Manon Melis to Linköping FC (Confirmed)". WSoccerNews.com. Retrieved 2012-02-16.
  10. ↑ Törner, Ole (2012-12-04). "Manon Melis återvänder" (in Swedish). Skånska Dagbladet. Retrieved 2012-12-04.
  11. ↑ "Manon Melis lämnar Malmö" (in Swedish). Sveriges Television. 26 November 2013. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
  12. ↑ "Seattle Reign sign Netherlands' all-time leading scorer". Sounder at Heart. 24 November 2015. Retrieved 23 March 2016.
  13. ↑ "Reign ink Netherlands international Manon Melis". The Equalizer. 24 November 2015. Retrieved 23 March 2016.
  14. ↑ Manon Melis – FIFA competition record
  15. ↑ Profile at UEFA.com
  16. ↑ "Melis topscorer aller tijden Oranje-vrouwen" (in Dutch). Algemeen Dagblad. 21 August 2010. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
  17. ↑ "Netherlands 'not underdogs' against England By Berend Scholten on UEFA.com". UEFA.com. Retrieved 22 October 2011.
  18. ↑ "Trio miss cut in Netherlands squad". UEFA.com. UEFA. 30 June 2013. Retrieved 24 July 2013.
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