On the last day of January, two NWSL clubs announced the signing of internationals, both via transfers:
- The Orlando Pride have acquired Zambian international Prisca Chilufya from FC Juárez of Liga MX Femenil. Chilufya inked a three-year deal that runs through the 2027 NWSL season.
- Meanwhile, Japanese international Miyabi Moriya has transferred to Angel City after ten years with INAC Kobe Leonessa. She is signed for one season and has a club option for 2026.
Earlier this week, the San Diego Wave have apparently added another non-roster invitee: Midfielder Jordan Fusco, who recently wrapped up her NCAA career at Penn State after three seasons with the Tennessee Volunteers.
Additionally, the Houston Dash now have enough non-roster invitees for one side of an 11-v-11 scrimmage after adding six more recent collegiate players.
Orlando Pride: Zambian international Prisca Chilufya acquired from Mexico’s FC Juárez
On Friday, the Pride announced (press release) its acquisition of forward Prisca Chilufya via a transfer from Liga MX Femenil club FC Juárez. Chilufya, who played for Zambia in the 2024 Paris Olympics, was signed to a three-year contract that runs through the 2027 NWSL season. One day earlier, Juárez announced that Chilufya was being traded to an NWSL team (Juárez press release).
With Juárez, Chilufya scored 14 goals over three half-seasons. She played in a club friendly against Angel City in August 2024 (Alamy photo), but was not a starter (YouTube). ACFC won that match 7-nil (match recap).
Chilufya, who will turn 26 in June, played in her native Zambia until 2021, when she joined the Kazakhstani club BIIK Kazygurt, where fellow Zambian Rachael Kundananji, who currently plays for Bay FC, was one of her teammates. Chilufya later played for Tomiris-Turan of Kazakhstan and Fatih Karagümrük of Turkey before signing with FC Juárez in the summer of 2023.
According to the Pride’s press release, Chilufya’s name is pronounced “Priss-ka Chuh-loof-e-yah”.
Angel City: Miyabi Moriya transfers from INAC Kobe Leonessa
Also on Friday, Angel City announced (press release) the addition of Japanese defender/winger Miyabi Moriya (守屋都弥), who signed a one-year contract with a 2026 club option. Moriya was acquired from INAC Kobe Leonessa of Japan’s WE League.
Moriya is primarily a winger, playing that position in the three-back systems of INAC Kobe and the Japan Women’s National Team. So, if Angel City’s interim head coach Sam Laity uses a back four, Moriya will likely be utilized as an outside-back. She also has experience at center-back.
The 28-year-old Moriya had been with INAC Kobe since 2015 and played nine seasons. For the last eight seasons, Moriya was a consistent starter for the Leonessa. Her minutes were limited in 2018 and 2019 seasons due to an ACL injury that was suffered in June 2018 (x.com post). Over her entire professional career, Moriya has averaged about 84 minutes of playing time per match.
Across 129 league matches, Moriya has scored eight goals, with six of those coming in her last two full seasons. She also has tallied 3 goals in 40 cup appearances. For the 2022-23 season, she was named to the WE League’s Best 11 (Wayback Archive). Most recently, she was among 30 players given “Outstanding Player” awards for the 2023-24 season (WE League website).
Table: Career Statistics for Miyabi Moriya (source link)
|--------- League ----------|----------- Cups-----------|
Season | Matches Minutes Goals | Matches Minutes Goals |
2015 0 0 0 0 0 0
2016 7 472 1 7 564 0
2017 18 1,620 0 9 765 0
2018 9 791 0 4 360 1
2019 8 720 1 6 257 0
2020 18 1,620 0 cancelled
2021-22 18 1,146 0 — — —
2022-23 19 1,710 3 4 360 1
2023-24 21 1,874 3 3 270 0
2024-25 11 963 0 7 527 1
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Totals 129 10,916 8 40 3,103 3
(For the past two seasons, the WE League has 12 teams and each teamed played 22 matches per season. During the previous two seasons, it had 11 teams, so teams played a total of 20 matches. Before that, the old Nadeshiko League had 10 teams and each played 18 matches a season.)
For Nadeshiko Japan, Moriya has played in the 2024 Paris Olympics, including going the full 120 against the United States Women’s National Team in the quarterfinals, and the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. She made her debut in 2023 at the age of 26 and has 15 caps and two goals (JFA profile).
Moriya is a former youth international with the Young Nadeshiko and played in the 2016 FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup. That year, Japan claimed third-place by beating the USA.
San Diego Wave: Jordan Fusco added as non-roster invitee
According to a January 30th Penn State Women’s Soccer x.com post, midfielder Jordan Fusco has been invited by the San Diego Wave.
Fusco transferred to Penn State (player profile) for her final year of NCAA eligibility after graduating from the University of Tennessee (player profile), where she played three seasons.
In her one season with the Nittany Lions, Fusco registered 12 assists, which is more than double the number of assists she tallied as a Volunteer.
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