The United States may not have competed in the 2010 U17 FIFA Women’s World Cup, but that didn’t mean that U.S. players didn’t participate in the tournament. An example of such a player is Jill Maloney (#6 2013 South Atlantic Top 20), a 15-year-old goalkeeper who participated in the world cup with the Republic of Ireland.

“It was a great learning opportunity to see what it’s like playing at a high level,” Jill said. “I was scared at first, but I settled and stepped up.”

She plays for the Gwinnett Soccer Association based in Georgia, and was in the U.S. U14 and U15 GNT pool, before finding better opportunities overseas.

“I was with the U.S. last summer and went to camp. After a while I didn’t hear anything from them,” Jill explained. “So eventually I started looking at the Irish team and over time they asked me to joined them.”

Jill holds dual citizenship with Ireland and the U.S., allowing her to be able to play for a foreign country. With Ireland, she has been able to play against elite competition, not just with her 17-year-old teammates, already two years older than her, but also various U19 squads in Europe.

Leading up to the tournament in Trinidad and Tobago, Jill and the Ireland team faced the U19 Women’s Denmark and England teams, posting victories in both bouts. She even tallied a 4-0 shutout against New Zealand. To have fabulous performances against players much older than her, Jill had to make adjustments and improvements.

“The players here are more physical, faster, and their shots are a lot harder. They have different drills and practice in various formations, all which has helped me step up to a new level,” she explained. “Training and preparation is also different, as it’s more relaxed. They focus more on the tactics of the opposing team than what we’re doing.”

Ireland performed admirably, progressing to the quarterfinals before being eliminated by Japan. Sending Jill back to her club, GSA, with loads of experience she will take advantage of.

“I moved to GSA because it’s a superior club that can help me get into college, and I can bring the experience I learned from the tournament with me,” Jill said. “I have learned a lot about communicating, how to read other players. Hopefully I can use that to become a better keeper.”

A better keeper not just to continue onto college, but also to stay noticed on the national stage. Still two years left in her U17 eligibility and the experience she’s gained, playing in another U17 Women’s World Cup isn’t out of the question. But the question lies: will she play for Ireland, or the U.S., if they knock on her door?

“I am not exactly sure. I love the Ireland system, the atmosphere, and the attitude towards the game,” she said. “I would say the U.S. is a more prestigious and harder team to break into, and the rest of the teams agreed that if the U.S. had played at the world cup, they were going to win. It would be a long conversation between my parents and I.”