Grace Jale
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Grace Joana Ella Jale[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 10 April 1999 | ||
| Place of birth | Auckland, New Zealand | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Wellington Phoenix | ||
| Number | 7 | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2019 | Wake Forest Demon Deacons | 6 | (0) |
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2021–2022 | Wellington Phoenix | 12 | (6) |
| 2022–2023 | Canberra United | 17 | (3) |
| 2023–2024 | Perth Glory | 19 | (3) |
| 2024– | Wellington Phoenix | 21 | (2) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2016 | New Zealand U-17 | 3 | (0) |
| 2016 | New Zealand U-20 | 6 | (0) |
| 2018– | New Zealand | 31 | (9) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 12 may 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 18 September 2024 | |||
Grace Joana Ella Jale (born 10 April 1999) is a New Zealand professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Wellington Phoenix and the New Zealand national team. She has previously played for Perth Glory and Canberra United.
Early life
[edit]Born and raised in Auckland to a Fijian father and New Zealand mother, Jale started playing football (soccer) at age 7.[2][3] She attended Mt Albert Grammar School where she helped the team to a national First XI championship. She also played for the Eastern Suburbs premier women's team.[4] During her first year playing for the Bay Olympic Club Team, she was named Player of the Year and was awarded a Variety Gold Heart Scholarship.[4]
Club career
[edit]In August 2018, Jale was offered a contract with Czech first-division club AC Sparta Praha,[5] but opted to attend and play for Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina in the United States.[6]
On 19 October 2021 Jale signed with the newly formed Wellington Phoenix team to play in their inaugural season of the 2021–22 A-League Women league.[7]
In July 2022, following a successful season with Wellington Phoenix, Jale joined for Australian A-League Women club Canberra United on a two-year contract.[8]
In August 2023, Jale was signed by A-League Women club Perth Glory.[9] At the end of the season she departed the club.[10]
In August 2024, Jale returned to Wellington Phoenix.[11]
International career
[edit]Jale made her debut for the senior national team and scored her first international goal during a match against Tonga at the 2018 OFC Women's Nations Cup.[2] She previously represented New Zealand on the under-17 and under-20 national teams.[2] She competed at the 2016 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in Jordan and 2016 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Papua New Guinea.
2023 FIFA Women's World Cup
[edit]In June 2023, Jale was selected as part of the 23 player Football Ferns squad for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, which was co-hosted in Australia and New Zealand. She played two matches in the group stage.[12]
2024 Summer Olympics
[edit]On 4 July 2024, Jale was called up to the New Zealand squad for the 2024 Summer Olympics.[13]
International goals
[edit]| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 19 November 2018 | Stade Numa-Daly Magenta, Nouméa, New Caledonia |  Tonga |
11–0 | 11–0 | 2018 OFC Women's Nations Cup |
| 2. | 22 November 2018 |  Cook Islands |
6–0 | 6–0 | ||
| 3. | 7 February 2024 | FFS Football Stadium, Apia, Samoa | Tonga |
1–0 | 3–0 | 2024 OFC Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament |
| 4. | 3–0 | |||||
| 5. | 16 February 2024 |  Fiji |
3–0 | 7–1 | ||
| 6. | 6–0 | |||||
| 7. | 7–0 | |||||
| 8. | 19 February 2024 |  Solomon Islands |
4–0 | 11–1 | ||
| 9. | 8–1 |
References
[edit]- ^ "List of Players - 2018 FIFA Women's U20 World Cup" (PDF). Fédération Internationale de Football Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 August 2019. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
- ^ a b c "Grace Jale relishing senior debut tournament". WN.com. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
- ^ "Football Fern's Grace Jale looking for more game time in Noumea". OFC Football. 21 November 2018. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
- ^ a b "Exams first for schoolgirl star". New Zealand Herald. 14 November 2015. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
- ^ "Grace Jale offered European football contract". Mount Albert Grammar School. 2 August 2018. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
- ^ "Da Luz Welcomes Seven on Signing Day". Wake Forest University. 15 November 2018. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
- ^ "Wellington Phoenix women sign New Zealand midfielders Chloe Knott and Grace Jale". Stuff. 18 October 2021.
- ^ "Jale, Burrows and Taranto sign for United". Canberra United. 15 July 2022.
- ^ Morgan, Gareth (15 August 2023). "Glory land Women's World Cup striker". Perth Glory.
- ^ "Women's football squad announced for Paris 2024". New Zealand Football. 4 July 2024.
Grace Jale* (31 caps) Unattached
- ^ "Football Ferns forward lured back to the Nix". Wellington Phoenix. 27 August 2024.
- ^ "Grace Jale National Team Match Logs". FBref.com. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
- ^ "Women's football squad announced for Paris 2024". New Zealand Football. 4 July 2024.
External links
[edit]- Grace Jale at Soccerway
New Zealand squads | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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- 1999 births
- Living people
- New Zealand women's association footballers
- Association footballers from Auckland
- New Zealand women's international footballers
- Women's association football midfielders
- New Zealand people of Fijian descent
- New Zealand Māori sportspeople
- New Zealand Māori women
- Wellington Phoenix FC (women) players
- Canberra United FC players
- Perth Glory FC (women) players
- Expatriate women's soccer players in Australia
- New Zealand expatriate sportspeople in Australia
- New Zealand expatriate women's association footballers
- 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup players
- Footballers at the 2024 Summer Olympics
- Olympic association footballers for New Zealand
- 21st-century New Zealand sportswomen