Sydney Leroux
Born: May 7, 1990
Birthplace: Surrey, British, Columbia, Canada
Zodiac Sign: Taurus
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Sydney Rae Leroux Dwyer is a professional soccer player and Olympic gold medalist who currently plays as a forward for Orlando Pride in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).
Born in Canada to a Canadian mother and an American father, Sydney came up through the Canadian system and represented Canada at various youth levels, until she chose to play for the United States women's national under-20 soccer team starting in 2008 and later began playing for the U.S. senior national team in 2012. Leroux has earned over 75 caps with the senior national team and was part of the Americans' winning squads at the 2012 London Olympics and 2015 Women's World Cup.
Leroux played collegiate soccer in NCAA Division I for UCLA Bruins women's soccer and at the semi-professional level for the Vancouver Whitecaps. She made her debut for the Whitecaps at the age of fifteen, becoming the youngest player ever to play for the team. Leroux was the number one pick by the Atlanta Beat during the 2012 WPS Draft on January 13, 2012. Following the suspension of the league in early 2012, she played for the Seattle Sounders Women during the summer of the same year.
Leroux played collegiate soccer for UCLA from 2008 to 2011, under head coaches Jill Ellis (2008–10) and B. J. Snow (2011). During her freshman season, she started 18 of the 19 games in which she played. She was the sixth-highest scorer on the team with five goals and six assists for a total of 16 points on the season, and was named to the All-Freshman Team in the Pacific-10 Conference (Pac-10). During her second year, she led UCLA in scoring with 48 points (23 goals, two assists) and was a semi-finalist for the Hermann Trophy. Her 23 goals ranked second in the Pac-10 and tied with teammate Lauren Cheney for a new single-season record at UCLA. Leroux earned Soccer America MVP second team, Second-team All-Pac-10, and 2009 NCAA All-Tournament Team honors the same year. During the first round of the NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Tournament, she tied the school's record for most goals scored in a single match after scoring four during the team's 7–1 defeat of Boise State.
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As a junior, Leroux ranked fifth in UCLA history for career points (91) as well as fourth in goals (41) and game-winning goals (15). She ranked third in the Pac-10 for goals (13) and second in game-winning goals (6) earning her First-team Soccer America MVP, Third-team NSCAA All-American, First-team NSCAA All-Pacific Region, and First-team All-Pac-10 honors the same year. During the Bruins' first game of her junior season in 2010, she scored four goals against Cal Poly Pomona helping her team win 7–0. She was subsequently named Pac-10 Player of the Week. Leroux scored the game-winning goal during the second round of the 2010 NCAA Tournament helping the Bruins defeat the UCF Knights 2–1 and advance to the third round where they lost to Stanford.
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During her final year with the Bruins in 2011, she led the team in scoring for the third straight season with 16 goals and three assists for a total of 35 points. She was named First-team NSCAA All-American, Soccer America's MVP First Team, and was a semi-finalist for the Hermann Trophy. She scored eight game-winning goals, more than any other player in the newly renamed Pac-12 Conference. She scored her first hat trick of the season (the third of her collegiate career) in 21 minutes during a 6–1 win over Arizona State in October 2011. At the Bruins' next game against Colorado, Leroux scored another hat trick helping her team win 8–0. She finished her collegiate career ranked fourth in UCLA's record books for points (126), goals (57), and game-winning goals (23).
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Leroux played for the Vancouver Whitecaps during the 2005 W-League season, becoming the youngest player to ever play for the team aged 15 years and seven days. She returned to the Whitecaps for the 2011 season. She ranked second in the league for goals scored with 11 finishing the regular season with 24 points in 11 appearances. After helping the Whitecaps advance to the W-League Championship Final Four with a goal during the team's 4–3 defeat of Santa Clarita Blue Heat in the Western Conference Final, Leroux was named to the All-Western Conference team. Post-season, she was named 2011 W-League Rookie of the Year.
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Leroux was the number one pick by the Atlanta Beat in the 2012 WPS Draft, though the league folded before she could play for the team. During the summer of 2012, Leroux joined fellow U.S. national team players, Hope Solo, Alex Morgan, Stephanie Cox, and Megan Rapinoe on the Seattle Sounders Women in the W-League. Sounders Women head coach, Michelle French, said of the signing, "Sydney is the consummate goal scorer with an incredible attacking attitude. She not only shows tireless effort on the offensive side of the ball, but she is very unique in that she prides herself on her defensive recovery and ability to win the ball back. She makes an impact no matter where she plays on the field." Due to her national team commitments and preparation for the 2012 Summer Olympics, Leroux made only two regular season appearances for the club. She scored two goals and served one assist in her 168 minutes on the pitch. With the national teammates' presence on the team, the Sounders sold out nine of their ten home matches at the 4,500 capacity Starfire Stadium. Average attendance during the 2012 season for the Sounders Women was four times higher than the next closest team.
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In January 2013, Heather O'Reilly, Heather Mitts and Leroux were the three United States national team players allocated to the Boston Breakers for the inaugural season of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She scored her first goal of the season in the 91st minute of the Breakers' season opener against the Washington Spirit, tying the game 1–1 in stoppage time. Leroux scored the league's first ever hat trick during the Breakers' 4–1 win against the Chicago Red Stars on May 4 and was subsequently named NWSL Player of the Week. On July 3, she scored another equalizer against the Seattle Reign FC, resulting in a 1–1 draw. A few days later on July 6, she scored two goals against the Portland Thorns FC resulting in a 2–0 win for the Breakers in front of 12,436 fans at Jeld-Wen Field.
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Leroux's 11 goals scored during the season tied for second with national teammate Abby Wambach of the Western New York Flash. Lauren Holiday of FC Kansas City was in first place with 12. The Breakers finished the 2013 season fifth in the league with an 8–6–8 record.
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On November 18, 2013, it was announced that Leroux had been traded to the Seattle Reign FC for the 2014 NWSL season in exchange for Kristie Mewis, Michelle Betos and the Reign's first two picks in the 2015 draft. Ebullient Reign FC head coach Laura Harvey hailed the signing of Leroux: "One of the world's best forwards. She is a young, extraordinary talent with unlimited upside. Sydney will be the consistent goal-scoring threat that we struggled to find last season."
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During the 2014 season, the Reign set a league record unbeaten streak of 16 games during the first part of the season. During the 16 game stretch, the Reign compiled a 13–0–3 record. The Reign finished first in the regular season clinching the NWSL Shield for the first time. After defeating the Washington Spirit 2–1 in the playoff semi-finals, the Reign were defeated 2–1 by FC Kansas City during the championship final. Leroux finished the 2014 season with five goals in 22 games played. In March 2015, it was announced that she was traded to Western New York Flash.
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Due to her participation in the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup and an ankle injury, Leroux played only three games for the Flash. She scored once in those three games.
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On January 13, 2016, Leroux was traded to FC Kansas City. Leroux announced later that month that she was pregnant. Due to her pregnancy, she missed the 2016 NWSL season.
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She returned to play for FC Kansas City in 2017. She scored a goal in the first game of the season, a 2-0 win over the Boston Breakers. She played in 23 games for FCKC in 2017, and scored 6 goals. Kansas City finished the season in sixth place and did not qualify for the playoffs. After FCKC ceased operations following the 2017 season, her rights were transferred to the Utah Royals.
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On February 2, 2018, Leroux was traded to the Orlando Pride for Orlando's first round pick in the 2019 NWSL College Draft. Prior to the 2018 NWSL season, Leroux signed a contract with the Orlando Pride as she was no longer an allocated player by U.S. Soccer.
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In March 2019, at six months pregnant with her daughter, Leroux returned to pre-season training. Source.