Mallory Swanson returned to the field on Saturday for the first time in over 18 months after giving birth to her first child in November.
Swanson entered the Chicago Stars’ match against the North Carolina Courage in the 76th minute.
“I don’t feel like it was journey to the finish line; I feel like it was a journey to the start line almost,” Swanson told reporters after the match. “Just because I feel like I’m a whole new person.
“Anytime motherhood comes, I feel like you are stepping into a whole new role. So, I feel like it was more of a journey to starting something new.”
Swanson’s return was a silver lining for Chicago in the 4-0 loss to the Courage on Saturday.
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Chicago also lost goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher to a suspected hamstring injury early in Saturday’s match. Naeher was substituted off in the 21st minute.
Swanson’s appearance was her first in 559 days. She was a starting forward for the United States in its run to a 2024 Olympic gold medal. Swanson led the team with four goals at the tournament, including the game-winning goal in the gold-medal match against Brazil.
Her return on Saturday came a few weeks ahead of the USWNT’s trip to Brazil for a pair of friendlies, and just over a year before the 2027 World Cup.
“I think for me, it’s just checking the next box, checking the next progression and just continuing to feel everything as it comes.” Swanson said.
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“I’m such a feeler, so every opportunity that I get, just continuing to feel better and better, and just continuing the progression and continuing to try and make an impact on the field. Just enjoying the journey.”
Swanson has scored 23 goals for Chicago since arriving at the club via trade in 2021. She tallied 11 goals and six assists in 2022 to drag Chicago into the playoffs. Swanson was a finalist for MVP that season.
“Mal is Mal and now she’s back, which will be huge for us,” Stars head coach Martin Sjögren said after the match. “But we also need to understand that now she made her first minutes after being away for a very, very long time, so we can’t put too much pressure on her.
“But when Mal is back at a hundred percent — which she will be — she will have a huge impact on this team, of course. She’s one of the best players in the league. So, of course she’s going to be crucial for us.”
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Chicago sits last in the NWSL with six points out of 10 games. The Stars’ minus-18 goal difference is three times worse than the next worst in the league.
“It sucks, more or less, I can say that,” Sjögren said about being in last place.
Chicago has two more matches before the NWSL’s five-week break for the FIFA Men’s World Cup.
The 28-year-old Swanson has scored 38 goals in 103 appearances for the United States.
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She debuted for the USWNT as a 17-year-old in 2016 and made the team’s Olympic roster later that year.
Swanson turned professional in 2017, eventually skipping college altogether. At the time, she was a rare teenager in the NWSL.
She first signed with the Washington Spirit before being traded to Sky Blue FC (now Gotham FC) in January 2020. Swanson was then traded to Chicago later that year, which did not feature a regular season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
