Cheyna Matthews facts for kids
Matthews with Jamaica in 2019
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Cheyna Lee Matthews | ||
| Birth name | Cheyna Lee Williams | ||
| Date of birth | 10 November 1993 | ||
| Place of birth | Lynn, Massachusetts, U.S. | ||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2012–2013 | Vanderbilt Commodores | 35 | (22) |
| 2014–2015 | Florida State Seminoles | 51 | (24) |
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2016–2020 | Washington Spirit | 55 | (11) |
| 2021–2022 | Racing Louisville | 17 | (1) |
| 2023 | Chicago Red Stars | 14 | (1) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2015 | United States U23 | 2 | (0) |
| 2019–2023 | Jamaica | 18 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 16 October 2023 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 16 October 2023 |
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Cheyna Lee Matthews (born Williams on 10 November 1993) is a former professional footballer. She played as a forward, which means she was usually at the front of the team, trying to score goals. Cheyna was born in the United States but played for the Jamaican national team.
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College Soccer Journey
Cheyna Matthews played college soccer before becoming a professional. She played for two different universities, showing her skills on the field.
Playing for Vanderbilt
In 2012, Cheyna, then known as Cheyna Williams, started playing soccer at Vanderbilt University. In her first year, she played in 17 games. She scored six goals and helped her teammates score six times.
Her second year in 2013 was even better. She started all 18 games and scored 16 goals. She also helped with five assists. Because of her great performance, she was named to the First-Team All-SEC. This means she was one of the best players in her college sports conference.
Playing for Florida State
In 2014, Cheyna moved to Florida State University. She continued to play very well there. She started 24 games and played in 26 overall. She helped her team, the Seminoles, win their first-ever NCAA National Championship. This is a huge tournament for college sports teams.
In her final year, she played 25 more games and scored 10 goals. Her time in college helped her get ready for professional soccer.
Professional Club Career
After college, Cheyna Matthews joined professional soccer teams. She played for several teams in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).
Washington Spirit (2016–2020)
The Washington Spirit team chose Cheyna in the first round of the 2016 NWSL College Draft. This draft is where professional teams pick college players. She officially joined the Spirit in April 2016.
In her first year, Cheyna played in 17 regular season games. She started 8 of those games and scored three goals. She scored her first professional goal on July 31, 2016. Her team made it to the NWSL Championship game that year. They lost the final game after a penalty shootout.
In the 2017 season, the Spirit team had a tough year. However, Cheyna played in 21 games and scored 5 goals. This made her one of the top scorers on her team.
Cheyna did not play in the 2018 season because she was expecting her first child. Before the 2020 season, she took a break to focus on her family. In October 2020, she left the Washington Spirit.
Racing Louisville FC (2021–2022)
In November 2020, Racing Louisville FC picked Cheyna up. She played for them for two seasons.
Chicago Red Stars (2023)
Cheyna signed with the Chicago Red Stars in March 2023. On October 13, 2023, Cheyna Matthews announced that she was retiring from professional football.
Playing for Her Country
Cheyna Matthews also played for national teams. She represented the United States at the under-23 level in 2015.
She was also able to play for Jamaica. This was because her mother was born in Jamaica. In January 2019, she was called to join the Jamaican team, known as the Reggae Girlz. They were getting ready for their first-ever FIFA Women's World Cup appearance.
Cheyna played her first game for Jamaica on February 28, 2019. It was a friendly game against Chile, which Jamaica won 1–0. She was chosen for Jamaica's team for the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup. She played in her first World Cup game against Brazil.
Personal Life
Cheyna Matthews married Jordan Matthews in February 2018. Jordan is a wide receiver who played in the NFL. They met when they were both students at Vanderbilt University.
Cheyna and Jordan have two sons named Josiah and Lionel. In March 2022, they shared that they were expecting their third son. Cheyna is a Christian.
See also
In Spanish: Cheyna Matthews para niños
