(May 2, 2008) -- Keeley Dowling is steadfast on keeping her dream of playing in a professional soccer league alive.
When professional soccer was last played domestically, Dowling was entering her junior season at the University of Tennessee. With the launch of Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) finally less than a year away, the now 25-year old Dowling is hoping to get in on the fun before her time runs out.
“That is definitely something I would like to do,” Dowling said of playing in WPS next year. “I would like to play a little longer as long as my body can handle it.”
(University of Tennessee)
An All-American at the University of Tennessee, Keeley Dowling helped the U.S. win the inaugural FIFA U-19 Women's World Championship in 2002.
So far, the 5’8” central defender has made the most of her time in soccer since graduating from Tennessee. She played a season for the Carolina Lady Eagles of the W-League and then embarked on a two-year stay at KIF Örebro in Örebro, Sweden, a city of about 125,000 and a two hour drive from Stockholm.
“I had a college internship for about four months and then I went over there and pretty much got my butt handed to me for the first few months,” Dowling said matter-of-factly. “The style over there is very different from what I was used to here. The style is extremely physical, but they have really smart players, really smart and technical players.”
Dowling, who played against the likes of Tiffeny Milbrett and Marta in Sweden, added that the physical element of the game was exacerbated by the referees’ penchant for using their whistles sparingly, usually allowing the players to dictate the flow of a match.
In Sweden, Dowling commuted mostly by bicyle—“everyone bikes”—learned a bunch of Swedish phrases and relished the importance placed on soccer.
“Soccer is just more part of the culture there,” she said. “It was nice to be a part of that.”
It was for good reason that Dowling did not return to Sweden in 2008. She signed a full contract with the United States Women’s National Team instead. After an unsuccessful attempt to crack the team full-time in 2007, Dowling was part of Pia Sundhage’s first camp as head coach and was offered a spot on the team for 2008. Dowling has yet to dress for a match, but she is keeping herself prepared and hoping her time will come.
“I’m a central defender so I’m playing behind Cat Whitehill, Christie Rampone, and Kate Markgraf,” Dowling said. “They have so much experience and they are great players. So I just have to bide my time.
“Obviously we’re all competitive and we all want to play. At this level no one is really used to sitting on the bench. I’d like to think if anything did happen that I would be next in line to step in.”
This week Dowling’s National Team experience hit a slight road block when she aggravated an old back injury that dates to high school. Instead of traveling with the team from Cary, N.C. to Birmingham, Ala. for Saturday’s match against Australia, she returned home for treatment to Knoxville, Tenn.—she remained there after college and last month was named an assistant coach by the Lady Vols. As of Wednesday evening her status for the remainder of the three-game domestic series remained in doubt.
“I’m still kind of pending,” she said. “We have a camp starting May 19 and I would like to be healthy for that. I’d like to get back to 100% instead of having something lingering for awhile.”
Dowling’s long term National Team status will go a long way towards deciding how she will spend 2009. Her first choice is to play in WPS and train with the National Team. But if that falls through, she would be just as happy to return to Sweden or find somewhere else to ply her trade.
“I’ll play wherever,” she said. “I’m a person of opportunity. I’m always looking for my next opportunity. You can’t play soccer (professionally) when you’re older so I may as well make the most of it while I can.”
Dowling, who broke ground at Tennessee by becoming the school’s first female soccer All-American, does not have a city of choice among the ones confirmed for WPS, and reiterated her willingness to play anywhere.
And when it’s all over? Dowling is already taking steps toward life after soccer. She is planning on going back to school for her Masters, and would like to start her own non-profit organization.
First though, she has a soccer career to finish. And she would love to finish it in WPS.
“It will be just great for women’s soccer,” Dowling said. “We’re all really excited for it to start.”
Dan Lauletta is a freelance writer and can be reached at thirtymtp@aol.com . The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author's, and not necessarily those of Women’s Professional Soccer or womensprosoccer.com.