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Mallory Weber joined Utah Royals FC via the NWSL Waiver Wire after the Portland Thorns player was waved in May of 2019. The 25 year old attacker played 44 games for Portland from 2016-2019, but only registered one goal.
Upon arriving in Utah, she was quickly moved to an outside back position as Becca Moros and Kelley O’Hara were either absent or injured for much of the season. This move signaled that head coach Laura Harvey believed that she could play in a similar mold as O’Hara, being an attacker moved back into a defensive position who can sprint up and down the field to offer help in both the defense and attack.
In this new role, Weber did quite well, though not perfect. She proved able to contribute to both sides of the ball, providing an assist in the Royals’ 3-0 win over Sky Blue. Her defending was surprisingly good for a winger, even if she would occasionally get beat, as seen in Utah’s 2-1 loss to the Dash where she loses her mark and that mistake results in a goal.
Weber is currently playing with Adelaide United in the W-League. She’s back in her attacking role with United and has scored one goal. She’s started all 5 of their games, but Adelaide have yet to win a game and are the bottom of the 9 team W-League table. Joining Adelaide during the NWSL offseason has been a good move for Weber. It’s likely she is not the starting left back for the Royals in 2020, and if she wants to be a regular next season, she’s most likely to find minutes in the attack. This loan gives her a chance to prove she can contribute in that role.
2020 should see Weber rejoin Utah Royals. She probably won’t displace Moros and O’Hara, and she’s not likely to start over Christen Press or Amy Rodriguez if Harvey continues with the 4-3-1-2 formation. Weber is a value depth player who is certainly able to start and play in multiple positions. If Utah starts the season with a healthy squad, Weber will be pushed to the bench, and it will be interesting to see if Harvey uses her in attack or defense next season.