Lisa De Vanna


Lisa Marie De Vanna is an Australian professional soccer player who plays as a forward for Serie A team Fiorentina, and has played for the Australian national team. She is noted for her pace and dribbling skills. She is regularly considered one of the greatest female footballers in the world; football analyst and former Socceroo Craig Foster stated that she "ran on jet-fuel; burning up twice as fast, but with incredible impact."

Early life

De Vanna was born in Perth, Western Australia. She was born and raised in the small port city of Fremantle, located about 30 minutes southwest of Perth. De Vanna developed her love for the game of football at a young age and has said that she slept with her soccer ball and spent much of her time as a youth playing soccer in the street with her brother.

Club career

Doncaster Rovers Belles L.F.C., 2006–07

In October 2006 De Vanna signed for Doncaster Rovers Belles, departing the English Premier League club in March 2007.

AIK Fotboll Dam, 2008

De Vanna played for Swedish club AIK for the 2008 Damallsvenskan season. De Vanna had a very successful season, being the 5th highest goalscorer with 15 goals, helping AIK to their most successful season.

Perth Glory, 2008–09

In November 2008, De Vanna was signed to Perth Glory in the Australian W-League and made her first appearance for the club on 8 November 2008 against the Melbourne Victory.

Washington Freedom / magicJack, 2009–11

In September 2008, De Vanna was selected by Washington Freedom in Women's Professional Soccer. She was the 18th overall selection in the 2008 WPS International Draft. She officially signed for the Freedom in late March 2009. Through the next three years, she played for Washington Freedom and its successor magicJack in the WPS as well as Perth Glory, Brisbane Roar and Newcastle Jets in the W-League in Australia.

Linköping FC, 2012

After the WPS suspended operations, De Vanna signed for Damallsvenskan club Linköpings FC. She scored five goals in her first eight games including a hat trick against Piteå IF on 3 June 2012. During a match against Kopparberg/Göteborg FC on 14 October 2012, she scored the game-winning goal in the 82nd minute helping her team win 3–2. Linköping finished third during the regular season with an 11–6–5 record. De Vanna finished the 2012 season having started in 18 of the 22 matches in which she played and scored seven goals.

Sky Blue FC, 2013

On 1 February 2013, it was announced that De Vanna signed with Sky Blue FC for the inaugural season of the National Women's Soccer League, the top division in the United States. In June 2013, De Vanna scored a bicycle kick goal and was named the league's Player of the Week. Her goal garnered international attention and went viral on websites like YouTube and soccer-related websites. She was also voted NWSL Fans' Choice MVP for Week 8. During a game against the Western New York Flash on 21 July 2013, De Vanna was sidelined with a hamstring injury. De Vanna started in 16 of the 17 games in which she played and scored five goals. Sky Blue finished in fourth during the regular season with a 10–6–6 record.

Melbourne Victory, 2013–14

In October 2013, it was confirmed that De Vanna had signed for Melbourne Victory for the 2013–14 W League season.

Boston Breakers, 2014

On 3 March 2014, Sky Blue FC traded De Vanna to the Boston Breakers in exchange for a 2014 international roster spot and the Breakers' first-round 2015 college draft pick, which became Sarah Killion.

Washington Spirit, 2014

On 18 June 2014, the Boston Breakers traded De Vanna to Washington Spirit in exchange for defender and Mexican international Bianca Sierra and the Spirit's fourth and fifth round 2015 college draft picks.
, 2015.

Melbourne Victory, 2014–15

In September 2014 it was confirmed that De Vanna signed to play with Melbourne Victory again.

Melbourne City, 2015–16

Having played a season with the Victory, De Vanna was lured across the city to Victory's A-League rivals, Melbourne City, becoming the brand new W-League side's very first signing.

Orlando Pride, 2016

On 29 August 2016, De Vanna joined Orlando Pride. After playing three matches in the 2016 National Women's Soccer League season, she was waived by Orlando Pride before the 2017 National Women's Soccer League season.

Canberra United, 2016–17

In December 2016, De Vanna joined Canberra United as a guest player for the remainder of the 2016–17 W-League season.

South Melbourne, 2017

On 7 April 2017, De Vanna joined South Melbourne to play in the Women's National Premier League. She finished the season with 18 goals in 16 matches, including a 4-goal haul on 28 August 2017 in a 7–0 rout of Bulleen Lions.

Sydney FC, 2017–2019

On 2 October 2017, De Vanna joined Sydney FC.

International career

De Vanna played four games at the 2004 Olympic Football Tournament.
She scored four goals for Australia in the 2007 World Cup — one in a 1–1 draw against Norway, two in a 4–1 victory against Ghana, and one against Brazil in her team's 2–3 loss in the quarterfinals. Each goal she scored at the World Cup was dedicated to her father, who died three months before the tournament began.
On 1 October 2007 Lisa was named in the FIFA's Women's World Cup All Star Team and she was also nominated for the 2007 FIFA World Player of the Year award. She was named Western Australian Sportswoman of the Year in 2007. After returning home after the World Cup De Vanna returned to a job at a petrol station.
In May 2011 De Vanna was sent home from a training camp held to prepare the national team for the World Cup. Australian coach Tom Sermanni stated that the expulsion was for an unacceptable standard of behaviour. The previous September, De Vanna had been subject to a complaint after photographs involving a large inflatable penis were posted to her Facebook page. She was censured by Football Federation Australia and instructed to remove the offending pictures. De Vanna moved to Sweden for the 2012/13 season, but discussed that her desire to play for The Matildas was then stronger than ever.
On 8 June 2015 De Vanna captained the Matilda's in her 100th game, scoring their only goal in a 3–1 defeat to the United States in the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup. During a match against Brazil in the 2016 Olympics, a moment of De Vanna and teammate Elise Kellond-Knight went viral when during a short break, De Vanna absentmindedly tried to drink from the wrong end of a water bottle, prompting Kellond-Knight to quickly flip it in her hand.
Presently, De Vanna is the highest goal scorer in Matildas history, with 47.

Matches and goals scored at World Cup and Olympic tournaments

Lisa De Vanna has competed in three FIFA Women's World Cup tournaments: China 2007, Germany 2011 and Canada 2015; and two Olympics: Athens 2004 and Rio 2016; altogether played 21 matches and scored 8 goals at those five global tournaments.

Managerial

De Vanna was appointed as a Technical Assistant for the FFV National Training Centre in September 2018.

Career statistics

International goals


Goal		DateLocationOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.4 March 2004Govind Park, Ba, Fiji2004 Olympics qualifying
2.4 March 2004Govind Park, Ba, Fiji
2004 Olympics qualifying
3.2 July 2004Chinese Football Association National Training Centre, Beijing, China
Friendly
4.20 August 2004Panthessaliko Stadium, Volos, Greece
2004 Olympics
5.28 January 2005Quanzhou Sports Center, Quanzhou, China
2005 Four Nations Tournament
6.
2005 Four Nations Tournament
7.23 July 2005Tokyo, Japan
Friendly
8.28 May 2006Bob Jane Stadium, Melbourne, Australia
Friendly
9.16 July 2006Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide, Australia
2006 AFC Women's Asian Cup
10.18 July 2006Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide, Australia
2006 AFC Women's Asian Cup
11.24 July 2006Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide, Australia
2006 AFC Women's Asian Cup
12.22 July 2007BCU International Stadium, Coffs Harbour, Australia
Friendly
13.16 August 2007Tianjin Olympic Center Stadium, Tianjin, China
Friendly
14.12 September 2007Yellow Dragon Stadium, Hangzhou, China2007 FIFA Women's World Cup
15.12 September 2007Yellow Dragon Stadium, Hangzhou, China2007 FIFA Women's World Cup
16.15 September 2007Yellow Dragon Stadium, Hangzhou, China
2007 FIFA Women's World Cup
17.23 September 2007Tianjin Olympic Center Stadium, Tianjin, China
2007 FIFA Women's World Cup
18.29 May 2008Thống Nhất Stadium, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
2008 AFC Women's Asian Cup
19.31 May 2008Thống Nhất Stadium, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
2008 AFC Women's Asian Cup
20.31 January 2009Parramatta Stadium, Sydney, Australia
Friendly
21.17 February 2010North Harbour Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand
Friendly
22.20 February 2010Bill McKinlay Park, Auckland, New Zealand
Friendly
23.3 March 2010Spencer Park, Brisbane, Australia
Friendly
24.21 May 2010Chengdu Sports Centre, Chengdu, China
2010 AFC Women's Asian Cup
25.3 July 2011Ruhrstadion, Bochum, Germany
2011 FIFA Women's World Cup
26.11 September 2011Shandong Provincial Stadium, Jinan, China
2012 Olympics qualifying
27.16 September 2012Home Depot Center, Los Angeles, United States
Friendly
28.19 September 2012Dick's Sporting Goods Park, Denver, United States
Friendly
29.20 November 2012Bao'an Stadium, Shenzhen, China2013 EAFF Women's East Asian Cup preliminary round 2
30.20 November 2012Bao'an Stadium, Shenzhen, China2013 EAFF Women's East Asian Cup preliminary round 2
31.27 November 2013Parramatta Stadium, Sydney, Australia
Friendly
32.14 May 2014Thống Nhất Stadium, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
2014 AFC Women's Asian Cup
33.11 March 2015Paralimni Stadium, Paralimni, Cyprus
2015 Cyprus Cup
34.21 May 2015Jubilee Oval, Sydney, AustraliaFriendly
35.21 May 2015Jubilee Oval, Sydney, AustraliaFriendly
36.8 June 2015Winnipeg Stadium, Winnipeg, Canada
2015 FIFA Women's World Cup
37.16 June 2015Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton, Canada
2015 FIFA Women's World Cup
38.29 February 2016Kincho Stadium, Osaka, Japan
2016 Olympics qualifying
39.7 June 2016Docklands Stadium, Melbourne, Australia
Friendly
40.9 August 2016Itaipava Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador, Brazil
2016 Summer Olympics
41.3 August 2017StubHub Center, Carson, United States2017 Tournament of Nations
42.3 August 2017StubHub Center, Carson, United States2017 Tournament of Nations
43.16 September 2017Penrith Stadium, Sydney, Australia
Friendly
44.26 March 2018nib Stadium, Perth, Western AustraliaFriendly
45.26 March 2018nib Stadium, Perth, Western AustraliaFriendly
46.3 March 2019Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane, Australia
2019 Cup of Nations
47.4 April 2019Dick's Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, United States
Friendly

Honours

Club

; Brisbane Roar
;Melbourne Victory
;Melbourne City
;Sydney FC
; Australia

Television and film

Leading up to the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup, De Vanna was the focus of an ESPN documentary, Unstoppable, directed by award-winning filmmaker, Safina Uberoi. In 2013, she was featured in an hour-long episode of ESPN's Aussies Abroad entitled, The Matildas, which profiled four Australian national team players and their experience playing internationally.