Marisa Viggiano called up to U-23 USWNT

The American national women’s soccer program called, and Marisa Viggiano answered.

For the first time in her career, the ex-Wildcat will be competing with the USWNT on the international stage, becoming a part of head coach B.J. Snow’s 23-player roster for the upcoming Nordic Games.

The starting midfielder for the NWSL’s Orlando Pride is continuing what has been an incredible calendar year. After finishing up her tremendous Northwestern career by helping lead the Wildcats to a fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance in the fall, she was drafted by the Pride in the 4th round of the ensuing draft.

From there, her rise has been meteoric. After becoming a starter relatively quickly, Viggiano has impressed for a struggling Orlando side along legends like Marta and Alex Morgan, scoring her first career goal on this impressive strike about a month ago.

Now, she will be heading to England to compete. The Nordic Games will run from August 28th to September 2nd, allowing Viggiano to continue to play for the Pride in the meantime.

Namely, she will be eligible to play tonight as the Pride take on a current playoff team in the Chicago Red Stars, who feature two of her former teammates, center backs Kayla Sharples and Hannah Davison. Sharples has appeared in two games this season, and has been eligible as a substitute in most of the Red Stars’ contests.

Viggiano’s return to the Chicago area kicks off at 6:30 p.m. CST at Seatgeek Stadium. The game can be watched live locally on NBC Sports Chicago. Don’t miss it!