Marleen Schimmer earned a spot with San Diego Wave FC in 2022 while overcoming some steep odds.
She was a youth German international and featured briefly in the women’s club system before moving stateside to play NCAA ball, but Grand Canyon University are not yet a powerhouse program and so getting noticed at all was her first hurdle cleared, even with her pedigree.
The attacker was San Diego’s second NWSL College Draft pick, selected No. 9 overall, and she seemed pleasantly surprised by being taken at all. From there, she needed to earn a contract, which can be especially tough for international draftees.