Viviana Villacorta Bio
Viviana Venezia Villacorta (born February 2, 1999) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for Orlando Pride of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). Born and raised in Southern California, she developed through high school and college programs before being drafted into the professional ranks in 2021. A technically sound central midfielder, she is known for her passing range, composure under pressure, and consistent availability during her college years at UCLA.
Early Life and Background
Villacorta was born in Torrance, California, in the Los Angeles area. She grew up in a family with deep ties to the game. Her father, Julio, won a state championship with El Camino College’s soccer team, and her two older sisters, Vanessa and Veronica, both played college soccer at UC Merced. That family environment gave her an early and constant connection to the sport.
She attended Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach, where she played four years of varsity soccer and earned Bay League first-team honors three times. Outside of high school, she starred for Cal South Olympic Development Program (ODP) teams, winning the USYS National Championships in 2015 and 2016. She also played club soccer with the United Women’s Soccer (UWS) team Santa Clarita Blue Heat, winning the National Championship in the league’s inaugural 2016 season and back-to-back West Conference titles.
Path to Soccer
Villacorta’s club path ran through the Santa Clarita Blue Heat from 2016 to 2019, where she gained senior-level experience while still in her teens. The Blue Heat’s national title in 2016 and consecutive West Conference crowns helped establish her as a prospect ready for the college game.
Between 2017 and 2021, she played four seasons of college soccer at the University of California, Los Angeles, while earning a degree in sociology. As a freshman in 2017, she appeared in all 25 games, including 15 starts, as UCLA finished second in the Pac-12 Conference and reached the final of the 2017 College Cup, where they lost to Stanford. Her consistency and vision in midfield quickly marked her as a player to watch.
Viviana Villacorta Career
Early Career (2017–2021)
Villacorta’s college career at UCLA built her reputation as a reliable two-way midfielder. In 2018, she played in all 22 games, starting every match except the season opener, and was named second-team All-Pac-12. She scored four goals that season, with her first collegiate goal coming away at Stanford in a 3–2 defeat. UCLA again finished second in the Pac-12 and reached the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals, where they were eliminated by North Carolina in a penalty shootout.
In 2019, Villacorta was an ever-present starter in all 24 games, scoring three goals and posting a career-high eight assists. She earned second-team All-Pac-12 honors for a second straight year as UCLA finished second behind Stanford and reached the College Cup semifinals, losing 4–1 to their conference rivals. After the 2019 season, she elected to return for her senior year in 2021 rather than turn pro immediately, taking advantage of a COVID-19 era NCAA waiver that allowed draftees to play the rescheduled spring season.
UCLA Senior Year and Draft (2021)
On January 13, 2021, Villacorta was selected in the first round, ninth overall, by Orlando Pride in the 2021 NWSL Draft. She planned to join the team after the delayed college spring season but suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament just 18 minutes into UCLA’s opening game against Pepperdine on February 7, ending her collegiate career prematurely. Having never missed a game for UCLA since arriving as a freshman, her final appearance came in heartbreaking fashion.
Orlando Pride Era (2021–Present)
On August 6, 2021, Villacorta signed a one-year contract with an option year with Orlando Pride and was immediately placed on the season-ending injury list as she recovered from her knee surgery. She did not appear during the 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup but was named to a matchday squad for the first time in the final game of that tournament on April 23, 2022. Her professional debut came in the next match, entering as a 72nd-minute substitute in the regular-season opener, a 3–0 defeat to NJ/NY Gotham FC.
Wearing jersey number 14, she has continued to work her way back into the NWSL picture. While out with a season-ending injury, she renewed her contract with Orlando Pride on July 16, 2024, extending through 2025 with an option for 2026, signaling the club’s confidence in her long-term role.
Driving Style and Strengths
Villacorta is a central midfielder whose strengths lie in distribution, ball retention, and reading of the game. At UCLA she posted career-high totals of eight assists in a single season, reflecting her ability to break lines and create chances. Her durability through three full college seasons also pointed to a professional profile built on consistent availability, until injury interrupted that run.
Notable Events and Milestones
Her most notable milestones include being named a first-round NWSL Draft pick in 2021, reaching the 2017 College Cup final as a UCLA freshman, and winning the USYS National Championship with Cal South ODP in 2015 and 2016. Her professional debut in 2022 and her 2024 contract extension through 2025 mark key steps in her senior career.
Viviana Villacorta Career Wins
Villacorta’s verified honors span youth, club, and college levels. She is a two-time USYS National Champion with Cal South ODP and a UWS National Champion with the Santa Clarita Blue Heat, along with two West Conference titles at the club level. At UCLA, she earned second-team All-Pac-12 honors in 2018 and 2019 and reached the 2017 College Cup final.
Club and College Highlights
With the Santa Clarita Blue Heat, her standout result was the 2016 UWS National Championship in the league’s inaugural season, paired with consecutive West Conference titles. At UCLA, she helped the Bruins reach the 2017 College Cup final, the 2018 NCAA Tournament quarterfinals, and the 2019 College Cup semifinals, while earning two All-Pac-12 selections.
Other Wins and Performances
At the international level, she represented the United States at the under-18, under-19, and under-20 levels. In 2018, she was part of the U.S. squad at the CONCACAF Women’s U-20 Championship, where the team finished as runners-up to Mexico, and at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in France, where she started all three group games. In 2019, she was selected for the U.S. team at the Summer Universiade.
Viviana Villacorta Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Soccer runs through Villacorta’s family. Her father, Julio, won a state championship playing for El Camino College. Her two older sisters, Vanessa and Veronica, both played college soccer at UC Merced. Through her parents, Villacorta is also eligible to represent Peru and El Salvador internationally, in addition to the United States.
Personal Life
Villacorta’s partner is Orlando Pride teammate and goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse. The couple share a dog named Betty. She earned her degree in sociology from UCLA during her time with the Bruins.
2025 Season Performance
Villacorta enters 2025 coming off a contract extension signed in July 2024 that runs through 2025 with an option for 2026, suggesting she remains part of Orlando Pride’s long-term midfield plans. Her progress back from injury has been measured, and the new deal reflects the club’s patience with her development.
With NWSL competition continuing to grow, her 2025 outlook centers on earning regular minutes in central midfield and contributing to Orlando Pride’s push up the standings. Her passing range and two-way work rate, both polished at UCLA, give her a clear role when fully fit. If she can stay healthy, 2025 offers a chance to build on a professional career that began with a debut in 2022.