Sydney Leroux facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Sydney Leroux

Leroux with Angel City in 2024
Personal information
Full name	Sydney Rae Leroux
Date of birth	(1990-05-07) May 7, 1990 (age 35)
Place of birth	Surrey, British Columbia, Canada
Height	5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
Position(s)	Forward
Team information
Current team	Angel City FC
Number	2
Youth career
2002–2004	Coquitlam City Wild
2004–2008	Sereno FC
College career
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2008–2011	UCLA Bruins	?	(57)
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2005	Vancouver Whitecaps	3	(0)
2011	Vancouver Whitecaps	11	(11)
2012	Seattle Sounders Women	2	(2)
2013	Boston Breakers	19	(11)
2014	Seattle Reign FC	22	(5)
2015	Western New York Flash	3	(1)
2016–2017	FC Kansas City	23	(6)
2018–2022	Orlando Pride	53	(16)
2022–	Angel City FC	41	(9)
International career‡
2004	Canada U19	2	(0)
2008–2010	United States U20	39	(24)
2011–2017	United States	77	(35)
Medal record Olympic Games Gold 2012 London FIFA Women's World Cup Winner 2015 Canada
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of November 1, 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of August 3, 2017

Sydney Rae Leroux (born May 7, 1990) is a professional soccer player. She plays as a forward for Angel City FC in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).

Sydney was born in Canada. Her mother is Canadian and her father is American. She played for Canadian youth teams first. Later, she chose to play for the United States women's national under-20 soccer team starting in 2008. She then joined the U.S. senior national team in 2012. Leroux has played over 75 games for the U.S. national team. She helped the U.S. win gold at the 2012 London Olympics. She also won the 2015 Women's World Cup.

Leroux played college soccer for UCLA Bruins women's soccer. She also played semi-professionally for the Vancouver Whitecaps. She was only 15 when she first played for the Whitecaps. This made her the youngest player ever for the team. In 2013, she started her professional career with the Boston Breakers in the NWSL. She later played for Seattle Reign FC, Western New York Flash, FC Kansas City, and Orlando Pride.

Early Life and Soccer Dreams

Sydney Leroux was born in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. Her mother, Sandi Leroux, played for the Canadian national softball team. Her father, Ray Chadwick, was a professional baseball player. Sydney grew up playing baseball for a while.

Sydney attended Johnston Heights Secondary School in Surrey. She was a top scorer on the soccer team. She also ran track and field. She played club soccer with Coquitlam City Wild. Her team won Provincial Cup Championships several times. In 2003, her team won the under-14 national championship. At age 15, she became the youngest player to play for the Vancouver Whitecaps. She also won a championship with a team from British Columbia in 2005.

Leroux knew from a young age that she wanted to play for the United States women's national soccer team. To achieve this, she moved to Scottsdale, Arizona when she was 15. She lived with host families and attended Horizon High School. It was tough to be away from her family. But she helped Sereno Soccer Club win state titles in 2007 and 2008. She said it was one of the hardest things she ever did, but it was worth it.

College Soccer Journey

Leroux played college soccer for UCLA from 2008 to 2011. In her first year, she played in 19 games and scored five goals. She was named to the All-Freshman Team in the Pacific-10 Conference.

In her second year, she led UCLA in scoring with 23 goals. This tied a new single-season record for UCLA. She was a semi-finalist for the Hermann Trophy, a top award in college soccer. She scored four goals in one game against Boise State. This tied a school record.

By her junior year, Leroux was one of UCLA's top scorers. She scored 13 goals that season. In 2010, she scored four goals in one game against Cal Poly Pomona. She was named Pac-10 Player of the Week.

In her final year at UCLA in 2011, she led the team in scoring again with 16 goals. She scored eight game-winning goals. She also scored two hat tricks (three goals in one game) that season. She finished her college career as one of UCLA's all-time top scorers.

Professional Club Career

Early Professional Years

Sydney Leroux playing for Boston Breakers in 2013.

Leroux first played for the Vancouver Whitecaps in 2005. She was only 15, making her the youngest player to ever play for the team. She returned to the Whitecaps in 2011. She scored 11 goals that season. She was named the 2011 W-League Rookie of the Year.

In 2012, Leroux was the first pick in the WPS Draft by the Atlanta Beat. However, the league stopped playing before she could join. She then played for the Seattle Sounders Women in 2012. She played alongside other U.S. national team stars like Hope Solo and Alex Morgan.

Boston Breakers and Seattle Reign FC

Sydney Leroux (Boston Breakers) playing against Washington Spirit.

In 2013, Leroux joined the Boston Breakers for the first season of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She scored her first goal in the very first game. On May 4, she scored the league's first ever hat trick in a 4–1 win. She scored 11 goals that season, tying for second in the league.

In 2014, Leroux was traded to Seattle Reign FC. The Reign had an amazing season, going unbeaten for 16 games. They won the NWSL Shield for finishing first in the regular season. They reached the championship final but lost. Leroux scored five goals that season.

Later Club Teams

In 2015, Leroux moved to Western New York Flash. She played only three games due to the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup and an ankle injury.

In 2016, she was traded to FC Kansas City. She announced she was pregnant and missed the 2016 season. She returned to play in 2017, scoring 6 goals in 23 games. After FC Kansas City stopped playing, her rights went to the Utah Royals.

In 2018, Leroux joined the Orlando Pride. She signed a contract with them. In March 2019, while six months pregnant, she returned to pre-season training. She played again in September 2019, just three months after giving birth to her daughter. She signed a new contract with Orlando in 2021.

Angel City FC

On June 29, 2022, Angel City FC acquired Leroux. She played only three games in their first season due to ankle surgery.

In the 2023 season, Leroux scored her first goal for Angel City after her recovery. She scored a fantastic bicycle kick goal and had an assist in a big 5–1 win against Portland Thorns FC. Angel City made it to the playoffs for the first time that year.

On May 3, 2024, Leroux scored her 43rd career NWSL goal. This tied her for 10th place in the NWSL's all-time top scorers. On May 18, 2024, she scored her 44th goal, moving her into the top 10 alone. She also tied as Angel City's third all-time leading scorer. On June 19, 2024, she scored the winning goal in a 3–2 victory. Leroux played her 150th NWSL regular season game on June 30, 2024. On October 20, 2024, she scored Angel City's 100th goal in club history. Angel City announced on October 29, 2024, that they signed a new contract with Leroux until 2027. She said she plans to end her career with Angel City.

International Career

Youth Teams

Sydney Leroux could play for either Canada or the United States because of her parents. At age 14, she was the youngest player in the 2004 FIFA U-19 Women's World Championship for Canada. She was captain of Canada's under-15 team in 2005.

In 2006, she decided to play for the United States. She joined the United States under-16 national team. In 2008, she helped the under-20 national team win the 2008 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Chile. She scored in the final game. She also played in the 2010 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup. She became the all-time leading scorer for the U.S. in Under-20 Women's World Cup games with 10 goals. She is also the all-time leading scorer for the U.S. under-20 team with 30 goals. In 2012, she was named the U.S. Soccer Young Female Athlete of the Year.

U.S. Senior National Team

Leroux (fourth from left) celebrates with her national teammates after winning the 2012 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifiers.

Leroux joined the United States senior national team for the 2012 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament. In her second game, she scored five goals against Guatemala. The U.S. won 13–0. This tied the record for most goals scored by one player in a CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Tournament. It also tied the single-game record for the national team.

In 2012, Leroux set a new team record. She scored 12 goals while coming off the bench as a substitute. This was more than any other player in one year.

Olympic Gold and World Cup Win

Leroux (left) during a friendly match against China in 2012.

Leroux was the youngest player on the team that won the Olympic gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. She scored a goal against New Zealand in the quarter-final match. The U.S. won 2–0.

In 2013, Leroux helped the U.S. win the 2013 Algarve Cup. She scored a goal in a 5–0 win against China. The U.S. won the tournament by beating Germany 2–0 in the final.

In June 2013, during a friendly match against Canada, Leroux scored a goal. She celebrated by hushing the crowd and pointing to her U.S. jersey. She later explained that she had received negative comments in the past for choosing to play for the U.S.

In September 2013, Leroux scored a hat trick in nine minutes against Mexico. The U.S. won 7–0.

Leroux was part of the United States team for the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup. She played in four games and had an assist in the opening game against Australia. The U.S. team won the World Cup, defeating Japan in the final.

After the World Cup

After the 2015 World Cup, Leroux had ankle surgery. This meant she missed the rest of the 2015 NWSL season.

She announced her pregnancy in January 2016 and did not play that year.

In May 2017, Leroux was named to the U.S. roster for friendly games. This was her first time back with the team since giving birth to her son. She made her first appearance since the 2015 World Cup in July 2017 during the 2017 Tournament of Nations.

Personal Life

Leroux has dual citizenship in Canada and the United States. Her nickname is "Syd the Kid."

She was married to MLS player Dom Dwyer. They have two children, a son named Cassius Cruz and a daughter named Roux James. She returned to playing soccer just three months after her daughter was born. Leroux and Dwyer divorced in 2021.

Leroux has worked with several brands like Nike and Nestlé Nesquik. She was the first female endorser for the sports drink company BODYARMOR.

Honors and Awards

Seattle Reign FC

• NWSL Shield: 2014

United States

• FIFA Women's World Cup: 2015
• Olympic Gold Medal: 2012
• CONCACAF Women's Championship: 2014
• CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament: 2012
• Algarve Cup: 2013, 2015

United States U20

• FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup: 2008
• CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship: 2010

Individual Awards

• FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Golden Boot (top scorer): 2008
• FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Golden Ball (best player): 2008
• U.S. Soccer Young Female Athlete of the Year: 2011
• NWSL Best XI: 2013

Images for kids

• 

  Leroux (fourth from left) celebrates with her national teammates after winning the 2012 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifiers.

• 

  Leroux (left) during a friendly match against China in 2012.

• 

  Sydney Leroux on the ball in San Jose, California, 2015.

See also

In Spanish: Sydney Leroux para niños