Avani Brandt

Avani Brandt
Brandt with Stanford in 2024
Personal information
Full name Avani Kimberly Brandt[1]
Date of birth (2003-08-26) August 26, 2003
Place of birth Manhattan, New York, U.S.
Height 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)
Position(s) Defender, midfielder
Team information
Current team
 HB Køge
Number 18
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– HB Køge 0 (0)
International career‡
2022 United States U20 2 (0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 03:47, August 5, 2025 (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 A-Liga club HB Køge. 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]

HB Køge

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]

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.[12][13]

Career statistics

Club

As of August 3, 2025
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup Playoffs Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
HB Køge 2025–26 A-Liga 0 0 0 0 — 0 0
Career total 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Honors

Stanford Cardinal

Individual

  • Pac-12 all-freshman team: 2021

References

  1. ^ "Stanford University Commencement Bulletin 2025" (PDF). Stanford University. p. 46. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 6, 2025. Retrieved August 3, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Avani Brandt - Women's Soccer 2021". Stanford Cardinal. Retrieved August 3, 2025.
  3. ^ "SHS Senior selected to play in All-American soccer game". Syosset Advance. March 11, 2021. Retrieved August 5, 2025.
  4. ^ a b O'Brien, Owen (April 28, 2021). "Avani Brandt helps Syosset win Nassau Class AA girls soccer championship". Newsday. Retrieved August 5, 2025.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ "Undefeated FSU wins Women's College Cup final". ESPN. December 5, 2023. Retrieved August 5, 2025.
  7. ^ "Run Ends in Semifinal". Stanford Cardinals. December 7, 2024. Retrieved August 5, 2025.
  8. ^ "Thorns Announce 2025 NWSL Preseason Roster - Portland Thorns". Portland Thorns FC. Archived from the original on July 25, 2025. Retrieved August 5, 2025.
  9. ^ "Kansas City Current II Set to Compete at The Soccer Tournament". Kansas City Current. June 4, 2025. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
  10. ^ 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.
  11. ^ Dalsgaard, Rudi (July 16, 2025). "Nyt navn støder til storsatsende klub" [New name joins ambitious club]. Sjællandske Nyheder (in Danish). Retrieved August 5, 2025.
  12. ^ "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.
  13. ^ "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.
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