Avani Brandt
![]() Brandt with Stanford in 2024 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Avani Kimberly Brandt[1] | ||
| Date of birth | August 26, 2003 | ||
| Place of birth | Manhattan, New York, U.S. | ||
| Height | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) | ||
| Positions | |||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Feyenoord | ||
| Number | 5 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| SUSA Academy | |||
| East Meadow SC | |||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2021–2024 | Stanford Cardinal | 77 | (0) |
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2025–2026 | HB Køge | 19 | (0) |
| 2026– | Feyenoord | 0 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2022 | United States U20 | 2 | (0) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 21:21, August 4, 2026 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 03:47, August 5, 2025 (UTC) | |||
Avani Kimberly Brant (born August 26, 2003) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defender or midfielder for Vrouwen Eredivisie club Feyenoord. She played college soccer for the Stanford Cardinal and has previously appeared for the United States under-20 national team.
Early life
Brandt was born in Manhattan, New York, but was raised in the suburban neighborhood of Syosset.[2] She played youth soccer for SUSA in the Elite Clubs National League and East Meadow SC. Brandt attended Syosset High School, where she was named two-time all-state, three-time all-county, and two-time team captain.[2] In 2021, she was recognized as a high school All-American.[3] Brandt was a versatile player throughout her high school career,[4] starting as a midfielder before moving up to the forward line.[5] In her final high school game, she scored a brace to help Syosset win a conference championship; earlier on in her high school career, Brandt had also helped the school win the title for the first time in program history.[4]
College career
Brandt began playing college soccer with the Stanford Cardinal in the 2021 fall season. She earned her first collegiate goal contribution in her second game as a Cardinal, tallying an assist against San Diego State. Over the course of the season, she consistently challenged for playing time, starting in all but 3 of her 19 appearances. Her performances earned her a spot on the Pac-12 All-Freshman team.[2]
As a sophomore, Brandt helped Stanford win a Pac-12 Championship and subsequently make a deep run into the NCAA Tournament, where the team was eventually defeated in the final by Florida State.[6] During conference play, Brandt had helped combine with Stanford's defensive unit to produce 12 shutouts.[2] The following year, the Cardinal backline continued to show defensive solidity, increasing the number to 14.[2] In her final season with Stanford, Brandt helped the team make another deep run into the college cup, where its journey ultimately ended in the semifinals.[7]
Club career
Brandt was named as a non-roster invitee on Portland Thorns FC's 2025 preseason squad, but she ultimately did not make the final roster.[8] In June 2025, she joined the Kansas City Current II squad that competed at the Soccer Tournament 2025.[9]
On July 15, 2025, Brandt signed her first professional contract with Danish club HB Køge.[10] Her move to Køge bolstered a strong American contingent within the squad, which included her former Stanford and Current II teammate Samantha Williams.[11] During her season at HB Køge, she won both the A-liga title and the Danish cup.
On August 4, 2026, Brandt's move to Feyenoord was announced.[12]
International career
In 2022, Brandt received a call-up to the United States under-20 national team for two fixtures against Costa Rica.[2] She started both matches as the United States recorded a pair of shutout victories.[13][14]
Career statistics
Club
- As of August 4, 2026
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Playoffs | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| HB Køge | 2025–26 | A-Liga | 19 | 0 | 6 | 0 | — | 25 | 0 | |
| Career total | 19 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 0 | ||
Honors
Stanford Cardinal
- Pac-12 Conference: 2022
HB Køge
Individual
- Pac-12 all-freshman team: 2021
References
- ↑ "Stanford University Commencement Bulletin 2025" (PDF). Stanford University. p. 46. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 6, 2025. Retrieved August 3, 2025.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Avani Brandt - Women's Soccer 2021". Stanford Cardinal. Retrieved August 3, 2025.
- ↑ "SHS Senior selected to play in All-American soccer game". Syosset Advance. March 11, 2021. Retrieved August 5, 2025.
- 1 2 O'Brien, Owen (April 28, 2021). "Avani Brandt helps Syosset win Nassau Class AA girls soccer championship". Newsday. Retrieved August 5, 2025.
- ↑ O'Brien, Owen (May 14, 2021). "Newsday's All-Long Island girls soccer team for the 2021 season". Newsday. Archived from the original on September 28, 2022. Retrieved August 5, 2025.
- ↑ "Undefeated FSU wins Women's College Cup final". ESPN. December 5, 2023. Retrieved August 5, 2025.
- ↑ "Run Ends in Semifinal". Stanford Cardinals. December 7, 2024. Retrieved August 5, 2025.
- ↑ "Thorns Announce 2025 NWSL Preseason Roster - Portland Thorns". Portland Thorns FC. Archived from the original on July 25, 2025. Retrieved August 5, 2025.
- ↑ "Kansas City Current II Set to Compete at The Soccer Tournament". Kansas City Current. June 4, 2025. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
- ↑ Gøttsche, Sebastian (July 15, 2025). "HB Køge Women henter amerikansk midtstopper" [HB Køge Women signs American midfielder]. HB Køge (in Danish). Retrieved August 5, 2025.
- ↑ Dalsgaard, Rudi (July 16, 2025). "Nyt navn støder til storsatsende klub" [New name joins ambitious club]. Sjællandske Nyheder (in Danish). Retrieved August 5, 2025.
- ↑ Gøttsche, Sebastian (August 4, 2026). "Feyenoord V1 strengthen squad with Avani Brandt". Feyenoord. Retrieved August 4, 2026.
- ↑ "U.S. Under-20 Women's Youth National Team Defeats Costa Rica 3-0 In Friendly Match In San Diego". US Soccer. Archived from the original on August 3, 2024. Retrieved August 5, 2025.
- ↑ "U.S. Under-20 Women's Youth National Team Defeats Costa Rica 5-0 To Finish Two-Game Set Of Friendly Matches In San Diego". US Soccer. Retrieved August 5, 2025.
External links
- Living people
- 2003 births
- Soccer players from New York (state)
- Sportspeople from Syosset, New York
- American women's soccer players
- Women's association football defenders
- Women's association football midfielders
- Stanford Cardinal women's soccer players
- HB Køge (women) players
- A-Liga players
- American expatriate women's soccer players
- Expatriate women's footballers in Denmark
- American expatriate sportspeople in Denmark
- United States women's youth international soccer players
- 21st-century American sportswomen
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