Hucles Mangano said the ability to have Phair join the team environment was crucial — and still rare. There, Angel City saw how she interacted with her would-be teammates, taking their advice but playfully dishing out rebuttals to their jokes.
“I think that was just really the critical piece,” Hucles Mangano said. “We still have not gotten to the stage where we’re seeing in person all of our players that we bring in. That is our next level before we sign them. We’ve seen them either on video or we’ve seen some players if we’ve played against them within the league. But for her specifically, that’s why training was so important because that’s probably — without putting her in an actual game — the best way to actually see [her skills].”
Manchester City forward Erling Haaland and retired Swedish forward Zlatan Ibrahimović are two of Phair’s biggest influences as a No. 9. Phair watches YouTube videos of Haaland to study his positioning and how he uses his strength on the ball. She likes to watch Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne, too, for his “magic on the ball,” even though he plays a different position. (Ironically, she supports Manchester United.)
The player who first inspired Phair to thrive as a forward, however, will be an opponent in the NWSL: Mallory Swanson. Weeks before Swanson’s 19th birthday, the U.S. women’s national team and Chicago Red Stars forward ultimately skipped college to turn professional in 2017.
“She was one of my biggest influences growing up and I idolized her a little bit,” Phair said of Swanson. “To play in the same league as her now just feels so full circle but also so mind-blowing to me that at such a young age I can do that.”
Angel City signed Phair as a striker, but her adaptability could lead to other opportunities. The key in everything will be balance, Hucles Mangano said — balancing the need for Phair to produce with her ongoing development, and not pigeonholing her into a single type of player.
“I think what is great about where she is in [this] stage of her career is that she might start in one way and, based on the needs of the team and the ability that she does have, be able to play maybe in a couple of different positions,” Hucles Mangano said.
“We brought her in to develop as a No. 9 — that is how we are looking at her. However, right now, we’re still looking at who we’ll be using in that No. 10 role, and what does that look like? So, I think that is part of when I say, allowing some room for growth, but also her ability to develop over time.”
Calling Angel City home
Virtual schooling was already part of Phair’s life because of the travel demands created by playing for South Korea. She has traveled there every month since the World Cup for camps and competitions, which has allowed her to see her mom’s side of the family more frequently.
For now, Phair said the plan is for her mom and dad to rotate time with her in the L.A. area before the entire family — her two younger brothers also play for PDA — moves there at the beginning of the next school year.
Playing in the NWSL will allow Phair’s family to be close to her throughout the process, a decision she made intentionally. She already spends enough time on the road playing for South Korea, she said.
In a couple of months, Phair will have her first opportunity to experience an Angel City game in a game-day environment that sets the standard in the NWSL. A rescheduled match meant that Phair did not get to attend a home game at BMO Stadium during her time training with the team. She has mostly experienced the sellout crowds in a very Gen Z way: through Instagram reels.
Her first experience will come with a view from the field, looking up at the stands filled nearly to capacity, her parents likely among the nearly 22,000 fans. There will be external pressure and expectations that she and those close to her will need to temper. She is 16, after all, and she will need time and patience to adjust to the professional level.
Phair’s view of what lies ahead is a window into her maturity, the type of humility that can set her apart from her peers. From her early days in New Hampshire to the World Cup, Phair is a team-first player. It shows when she talks about things like the hat trick she scored against Thailand in October in Olympic qualifying. Phair doesn’t even mention it in conversation about the training camp because she is disappointed that South Korea did not ultimately qualify for the Olympics.
That is the attitude that Angel City hopes will pay dividends for the player and the club in the near future.
“I just want to help the team as best as I can,” Phair said. “I know everyone on the team wants to win the NWSL championship, so I just do whatever it takes, whatever I can give to the team to help us reach that goal. And then also develop as a player, but just from a team perspective, to really win a lot of games, hopefully the championship and just contribute what I can to the team.”
