Crystal Dunn facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Crystal Dunn

Dunn with Gotham FC in 2024
Personal information
Date of birth	(1992-07-03) July 3, 1992 (age 32)
Place of birth	New Hyde Park, New York, United States
Height	5ft1in
Playing position	Forward, attacking midfielder, left back
Club information
Current club	NJ/NY Gotham FC
Number	19
Youth career
2006–2009	South Side High School
2006–2009	Eastern New York Youth Soccer
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2014–2016	Washington Spirit	54	(17)
2017–2018	Chelsea	15	(3)
2018–2020	North Carolina Courage	35	(15)
2020–2023	Portland Thorns FC	34	(7)
2024–	NJ/NY Gotham FC	0	(0)
National team‡
2008–2009	United States U-17	13	(1)
2009–2010	United States U-18	14
2010–2012	United States U-20	33
2013–	United States	155	(25)
Honours Women's soccer Representing the  United States CONCACAF W Gold Cup Winner 2024 United States Olympic Games Gold 2024 Paris Team Bronze 2020 Tokyo Team FIFA Women's World Cup Gold 2019 France Team CONCACAF W Championship Winner 2018 United States
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of June 23, 2023. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of August 10, 2024

Crystal Alyssia Soubrier (born July 3, 1992), known by her maiden name Crystal Dunn, is an American professional soccer player. She plays for NJ/NY Gotham FC in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) and for the U.S. national team. Crystal is a very flexible player. She often plays as an attacking midfielder or forward for her club team. For the national team, she usually plays as a left back.

Crystal played college soccer for the North Carolina Tar Heels from 2010 to 2013. In 2012, she won the Hermann Trophy, which is given to the best college soccer player. She was also part of the team that won the 2012 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Japan. After college, Crystal was the first player picked in the 2014 NWSL College Draft by the Washington Spirit. The next year, she won the NWSL Most Valuable Player award and the NWSL Golden Boot (for scoring the most goals). At 23, she was the youngest player to win both awards.

Crystal first played for the U.S. national team in a friendly game against Scotland on February 13, 2013. She has played over 100 games for the team. She helped the team win the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup. She also won a bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and a gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Crystal Dunn's Early Life and High School Soccer

Crystal Dunn was born in New Hyde Park, New York. She grew up in Rockville Centre, New York with her brother, Henry. She went to South Side High School. There, she was a starter for four years as a forward and midfielder. She was also team captain in 2008 and 2009. Her high school team lost only two games in three seasons. She helped them win New York state championships in 2006, 2007, and 2009. In 2008, she played in the 2008 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in New Zealand. As captain in 2009, she scored four goals in the first 20 minutes of the state championship game.

Crystal scored 46 goals and had 35 assists in three high school seasons. She missed the 2008 season because she was playing for the national team. She won many awards in high school, like Parade All-American and New York Gatorade Player of the Year. She was also named First-team All-State and All-Long Island in 2006, 2007, and 2009. Her teams in 2007 and 2009 were undefeated and ranked number one in the country.

In her senior year, she was named Newsday Long Island Player of the Year. She also won the Mike Clark Award for the best all-around athlete in Nassau County. Besides high school, Crystal played for club teams like Albertson Fury, the RVC Tornadoes, and the RVC Power. She won a state title with the RVC Power.

College Soccer at North Carolina (2010–2013)

Crystal Dunn went to the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. She studied sociology there. As a freshman in 2010, Crystal started 23 games. She was the team's top scorer with 26 points, including nine goals and eight assists. She scored four goals during the NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Championship. This included a winning goal against Jackson State and two goals against James Madison. She was the first freshman to win the ACC Defensive Player of the Year award.

In 2011, as a sophomore, Crystal started 19 games. She missed only one game while training with the United States under-20 women's national soccer team. She scored three goals and made six assists that season. She was named to the first-team All-ACC.

During her junior year in 2012, Crystal missed some college games. She was playing for the United States under-20 women's national soccer team at the 2012 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Japan. When she returned, she helped the Tar Heels win the NCAA Women's Soccer Championship. In the tournament's quarter-final, Crystal scored both goals in a 2–1 win against BYU. She also saved her team from losing by heading the ball away from the goal line. Crystal won the Hermann Trophy in 2013. She was also named the ACC Athlete of the Year and ACC Defender of the Year.

In her senior year in 2013, Crystal scored her first "hat-trick" (three goals in one game) in college. This helped the Tar Heels win 4–0 against the Miami Hurricanes. She was the team's top scorer with 14 goals. Six of her goals were game-winning goals. Crystal was named ACC Offensive Player of the Year. She was also named NSCAA All-American and First-team All-ACC for the fourth year in a row.

Crystal Dunn's Club Career

Washington Spirit (2014–2017)

In January 2014, the Washington Spirit chose Crystal Dunn as the first pick in the 2014 NWSL College Draft. She started 19 games out of 22 for the Spirit in the 2014 season. The team finished fourth and made it to the playoffs. However, they lost to Seattle Reign FC in the semi-final. Crystal finished third in the voting for NWSL Rookie of the Year.

Crystal returned to the Spirit for the 2015 season. On April 26, 2015, she scored two goals as a defender against Sky Blue FC. This helped the Spirit win 3–1. She was named NWSL Player of the Week. On August 1, 2015, Crystal scored the team's first "hat trick" by scoring three goals in the first half against the Houston Dash. She ended the month with six goals, earning her the league's Player of the Month award. Crystal finished the regular season with 15 goals, the most in the league. This earned her the NWSL Golden Boot. She also won the league's NWSL Most Valuable Player award. She was the youngest player to win both awards at 23. She said that not being chosen for the national team in the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup motivated her even more.

In 2016, Crystal played her third season with the Spirit. She scored four goals and had a career-high five assists. Two of her goals were scored in the team's first-ever NWSL Championship game. The Western New York Flash won that game in a penalty shootout after a 2–2 tie.

Chelsea (2017–2018)

Dunn playing for Chelsea in October 2017.

On January 3, 2017, Crystal joined the FA WSL 1 club Chelsea. On March 19, she scored her first goal for the club just 12 minutes into her first game. This was in a 7–0 FA Cup win. She played her first FA WSL game in April, scoring her first league goal in a 6–0 win. At first, she played as a striker for Chelsea. Later, she switched to the wing-back position. During her time at Chelsea, Crystal scored five goals in 20 games. She helped Chelsea win the FA WSL Spring Series. She also helped the club reach the quarter-finals in the 2017–18 UEFA Women's Champions League. This was the first time they reached that stage. Crystal enjoyed her time at Chelsea. She even named one of her pet chickens after the club! However, she decided to return to the United States. This was so the national team staff could see her play more often.

North Carolina Courage (2018–2020)

Dunn playing for North Carolina Courage against Orlando Pride in May 2018.

After playing in England, Crystal returned to North America. She was traded to the North Carolina Courage. This move was confirmed by Chelsea on February 25, 2018.

She played her first game for the North Carolina Courage in a 1–0 win over Portland Thorns FC. This was the first game of the 2018 NWSL season. Crystal was named Player of the Week twice in 2018. She was also named Player of the Month for June. Crystal played in 22 regular season games for the Courage, scoring eight goals. She helped North Carolina win the NWSL Shield. The Courage broke many records that season, including most goals scored and most wins. Crystal was named to the 2018 NWSL Best XI team. She started in the semi-final game against the Chicago Red Stars, which North Carolina won 2–0. She also started in the final, where North Carolina won 3–0 against the Portland Thorns.

Portland Thorns (2020–2023)

On October 22, 2020, Crystal Dunn was traded to OL Reign. Later that day, she was traded to the Portland Thorns FC. The 2020 Summer Olympics were moved to 2021. This meant Crystal was away from the club for much of July and August 2021. She played in 15 games for the Thorns that season. She helped them win an NWSL Shield, which was her third time winning this award.

After the 2021 season, Crystal announced she was pregnant. She missed most of the 2022 NWSL season. However, she returned to the field less than four months after her son, Marcel, was born. She came into the game as a substitute in a 2–0 win against the Orlando Pride on September 9, 2022. Crystal scored a very important goal for the Thorns after her pregnancy. It was a game-winning goal in the 93rd minute of their semi-final match against the San Diego Wave. Crystal came on as a substitute late in the NWSL Championship final. She won the trophy with the Thorns.

Crystal played 19 games for the Thorns in the 2023 season. She scored five goals and had two assists. After the 2023 season, Crystal became a free agent. This means she could choose which team to play for next. She announced she would not return to the Thorns. She later said she felt the club did not value her enough.

NJ/NY Gotham FC (2024–Present)

During the 2023 off-season, many clubs were interested in Crystal. These included the Orlando Pride, the Washington Spirit, and Gotham FC. On December 31, 2023, Gotham FC announced that Crystal had signed with their club until 2026. Crystal is from Long Island and has family in the New York area, making this a good move for her.

Crystal Dunn's International Career

Youth National Teams

Dunn celebrates with her teammates during the 2012 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup awards ceremony in Japan.

Crystal Dunn played for different U.S. youth national teams from 2008 to 2012. She played in the 2008 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup. In 2010, she played in 14 international games for the U-20 national team. She played every minute of the U.S. team's five games at the 2012 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup. The U.S. team won that tournament. She also played in the 2010 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Germany.

Senior National Team

Dunn competing in a friendly against Mexico in September 2014.

On January 22, 2013, Crystal was called to the senior team's training camp for the first time. She played her first game for the team on February 13, against Scotland. She was also on the team for the 2013 Algarve Cup.

Crystal played her first Algarve Cup game on March 6, 2013, against Iceland. She started as a left back and played the whole game. The United States won 3–0. Crystal played her third game for the senior team in the tournament final against Germany. The United States won the tournament by beating Germany 2–0.

In October 2014, Crystal was not chosen for the national team roster for the 2014 CONCACAF Women's Championship. This tournament was important because it decided which teams would play in the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup. Crystal came back from an injury in December 2014 and traveled with the team to Brazil, but she did not play.

Crystal was on the roster for friendly games in February 2015 against France and England. She came into the game as a substitute against England. She was also on the team for the 2015 Algarve Cup, but she did not play in that tournament. Crystal was on the first list of players for the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, but she did not make the final team of 23 players.

In September 2015, Crystal joined the national team for their World Cup victory tour. She was the first player not on the World Cup team to join the tour. She started her first game of 2015 against Haiti. She made her first two assists for the national team, both for Carli Lloyd's goals. She also scored her first national team goal in the last moments of that game.

Crystal played in the national team's first game of the 2016 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship. She scored her fifth international goal in a 5–0 win over Costa Rica. In the third group game against Puerto Rico, Crystal scored five goals and had one assist.

Dunn with the USWNT in 2018

In March 2019, each national team player wore a jersey with the name of a woman they were honoring. Crystal chose the name of Serena Williams.

On February 7, 2020, Crystal played her 100th game for the United States. This was in a 4–0 win against Mexico. Crystal was the only American player to start in all six games at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Japan. She played almost every minute of the tournament, helping the team win a bronze medal.

Crystal was chosen for the 18-player team for the 2024 Summer Olympics in France. In the first knockout game against Japan, she sent a long pass to Trinity Rodman. This led to a 1–0 win in extra time, sending the team to the semifinals. She started in the gold medal game against Brazil. The United States won 1–0 with a goal from Mallory Swanson.

Crystal Dunn's Style of Play

Crystal Dunn is known for being creative when attacking. She also works very hard on the field. Most importantly, she can play many different positions. She started her professional career as a forward for the Washington Spirit and the U.S. national team. Then, Emma Hayes used her as a wingback when she played for Chelsea. When she came back to the United States, she played as an attacking midfielder for the North Carolina Courage. While playing for the Courage, Crystal also became known as one of the best left backs in the world. This made her a regular starter in that position for the United States during the 2019 Women's World Cup. Crystal has said that she prefers to play in an attacking role.

Crystal Dunn's Personal Life

Crystal Dunn married Pierre Soubrier in December 2018. They met when she was playing for the NWSL's Washington Spirit. Pierre was working as an athletic trainer there. Pierre later became the head trainer for the Portland Thorns. This was one reason Crystal wanted to be traded to Portland. Together, they have five chickens named Quinn, Juke, Chelsea, Toulouse, and Rocky. They also have three cats.

On November 11, 2021, Crystal announced that she and Pierre were expecting their first child. Their baby boy, Marcel Jean, was born on May 20, 2022.

Crystal Dunn's Career Statistics

Club Games

Notes

International Games

Scores and results list United States's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Dunn goal.

List of International Goals Scored by Crystal Dunn

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition	Ref.
1	September 17, 2015	Detroit, Michigan	Haiti	5–0	5–0	Friendly
2	September 20, 2015	Birmingham, Alabama		3–0	8–0
3	October 25, 2015	Orlando, Florida	Brazil	2–1	3–1
4	December 13, 2015	Glendale, Arizona	China	1–0	2–0
5	February 10, 2016	Frisco, Texas	Costa Rica	3–0	5–0	2016 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying
6	February 15, 2016		Puerto Rico	1–0	10–0
7				3–0
8				6–0
9				8–0
10				9–0
11	March 3, 2016	Tampa, Florida	England	1–0	1–0	2016 SheBelieves Cup
12	April 6, 2016	East Hartford, Connecticut	Colombia	1–0	7–0	Friendly
13	July 9, 2016	Chicago, Illinois	South Africa	1–0	1–0
14	July 23, 2016	Kansas City, Kansas	Costa Rica	1–0	4–0
15	August 9, 2016	Manaus, Brazil	Colombia	1–1	2–2	2016 Summer Olympics
16	September 15, 2016	Columbus, Ohio	Thailand	6–0	9–0	Friendly
17	October 23, 2016	Minneapolis, Minnesota	Switzerland	4–1	5–1
18	November 13, 2016	Carson, California	Romania	2–0	5–0
19	April 6, 2017	Frisco, Texas	Russia	1–0	4–0
20				3–0
21	April 9, 2017	Houston, Texas		3–0	5–1
22				5–1
23	January 21, 2018	San Diego, California	Denmark	5–1	5–1
24	October 10, 2018	Cary, North Carolina	Trinidad and Tobago	4–0	7–0	2018 CONCACAF Championship
25	June 4, 2024	St. Paul, Minnesota	South Korea	1–0	3–0	Friendly

Crystal Dunn's Awards and Honors

University of North Carolina

• NCAA Women's Soccer Championship: 2012

Chelsea

• FA WSL Spring Series: 2017

North Carolina Courage

• NWSL Championship: 2018, 2019
• NWSL Shield: 2018, 2019

Portland Thorns

• NWSL Challenge Cup: 2021
• International Champions Cup: 2021
• NWSL Shield: 2021
• NWSL Championship: 2022

United States U20

• FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup: 2012
• CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship: 2012

United States National Team

• FIFA Women's World Cup: 2019
• Summer Olympic Games Gold Medal: 2024
• Summer Olympic Games Bronze Medal: 2020
• CONCACAF Women's Championship: 2018
• CONCACAF W Gold Cup: 2024
• CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament: 2016; 2020
• SheBelieves Cup: 2016; 2018; 2020, 2021; 2023,2024
• Tournament of Nations: 2018
• Algarve Cup: 2015

Individual Awards

• Hermann Trophy: 2012
• Honda Sports Award 2012–13
• ACC Player of the Year: 2012
• ACC Defensive Player of the Year: 2010
• ACC Offensive Player of the Year: 2013
• Soccer America Player of the Year Award: 2012
• Honda Sports Award: 2012
• NWSL Player of the Week: 2015 (Weeks 3, 8, 11, 16, 18, 20), 2018 (weeks 8, 13), 2021 (week 6)
• NWSL Player of the Month: August 2015, June 2018
• NWSL Most Valuable Player: 2015
• NWSL Best XI: 2015, 2018
• NWSL Second XI: 2016, 2019
• NWSL Golden Boot: 2015 (15 goals)
• CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament Golden Boot: 2016 (6 goals)
• IFFHS Women's World Team: 2019
• CONCACAF Women's Championship Best XI: 2018
• CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament Best XI: 2020
• CONCACAF Player of the Year: 2021
• FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup All-star team: 2010

Images for kids

• 

  Dunn playing for Chelsea in October 2017.

• 

  Dunn playing for North Carolina Courage against Orlando Pride in May 2018.

• 

  Dunn celebrates with her teammates during the 2012 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup awards ceremony in Japan.

• 

  Dunn competing in a friendly against Mexico in September 2014.

• 

  Dunn with the USWNT in 2018

See Also

• List of American and Canadian soccer champions
• List of foreign FA Women's Super League players
• List of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Olympians
• List of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alumni