Position: Defender
Birthdate: Nov. 20, 1989
Hometown: Whangarei, New Zealand
Height: 5-foot-10
Pronunciation: Abby Erceg
Previous Team: North Carolina Courage (NWSL)
2024: Completing her second-straight ironwoman season with the club, the center back helped lead the club to five clean sheets while also providing a pair of assists.
2023: The defender started at center back every game in 2023, playing every minute for Racing Louisville in her first season with the club. Erceg scored twice, matching her career-high in goals, and ranked among the league’s best in headed clearances (4th), possession won in the defensive third (4th), clearances (6th) and passing accuracy (8th).
Erceg was named to the UKG NWSL Challenge Cup All-Tournament Team after leading the back line for seven of eight matches and earned NWSL Team of the Month honors twice.
Before Racing Louisville FC: Erceg, a center back with 160 NWSL and Challenge Cup appearances, is one of the most accomplished players in league history. She won three regular-season NWSL Shields, three NWSL Championships and an NWSL Challenge Cup with the Western New York Flash and the Courage.
In eight-plus years in the league, the New Zealander has claimed the 2018 NWSL Defender of the Year award as well as 2018 Best XI and 2017 and 2019 Second XI honors. She was also named to the 2020 Challenge Cup Best XI.
International: On the international stage, Erceg made 146 appearances for the New Zealand national team, scoring six goals and leading the Football Ferns to four World Cups and four Olympic Games. She was first New Zealander to reach 100 caps for either the men’s or women’s national teams.
