Yael Averbuch West facts for kids
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Averbuch in 2015
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Yael Averbuch West | ||
| Date of birth | November 3, 1986 | ||
| Place of birth | New York, New York, United States | ||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||
| Playing position | Defender | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | NJ/NY Gotham FC (general manager) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Monclair Kangaroos | |||
| Montclair Mavericks | |||
| Ramapo Wildcats | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2002–2004 | New Jersey Lady Stallions | 16 | (3) |
| 2009–2010 | Sky Blue FC | 41 | (1) |
| 2011 | Western New York Flash | 14 | (0) |
| 2012 | WFC Rossiyanka | ||
| 2012–13 | Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC | 30 | (8) |
| 2014 | Washington Spirit | 22 | (1) |
| 2015–2017 | FC Kansas City | 63 | (6) |
| 2018 | Reign FC | 1 | (0) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2002 | United States U-16 | ||
| 2003 | United States U-17 | ||
| 2003–2004 | United States U-19 | 15 | (2) |
| United States U-20 | |||
| United States U-21 | |||
| 2008 | United States U-23 | ||
| 2007–2013 | United States | 26 | (1) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2021 | NJ/NY Gotham FC (interim general manager) | ||
| 2021– | NJ/NY Gotham FC (general manager) | ||
† Appearances (Goals). |
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Yael Averbuch West (born Yael Friedman Averbuch on November 3, 1986) is a former professional soccer player from the United States. She used to play as a defender. Yael is now the general manager for NJ/NY Gotham FC. She also used to be in charge of the players' association for the National Women's Soccer League.
During her time playing soccer at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Yael was named the best player in the country by two different groups. She was chosen early in the 2009 WPS Draft by her home team, Sky Blue FC. Yael also played for teams in Sweden and Russia. She won two championships in the WPS league.
Yael played for the United States national soccer teams at many different age levels. She represented the main United States women's national soccer team from 2007 to 2013.
Contents
Early Life and Soccer Beginnings
Yael Averbuch was born in New York City. Her family is Jewish. Her parents are Gloria Averbuch and Paul Friedman. Her middle name is her father's last name, and her last name is her mother's maiden name. The name Yael comes from a Hebrew word. It means "mountain goat" or "to go up."
Yael grew up in Montclair, New Jersey. She went to Montclair High School and finished in 2005. She was a top student there. Yael focused on playing club soccer instead of high school soccer. She was named an All-American player multiple times during her high school years.
Playing Soccer at University
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Yael played as a midfielder for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She set a record by starting 105 games in a row. She was a team captain twice. Yael helped her team, the Tar Heels, win two national college championships in 2006 and 2008. She was recognized as a top player and student-athlete.
As a first-year student in 2005, Yael started every game. She scored goals from special free kicks. She was named one of the best first-year players in the country. Yael also earned academic awards for her studies.
In 2006, Yael was the second-highest scorer for her team. She scored seven game-winning goals. She was named the national player of the year. Yael also set an NCAA record for the fastest goal ever scored in a game. She scored just four seconds into a match against Yale with a direct kick from midfield.
During her third year in 2007, Yael played and started in every game. She was a top scorer and took many shots. She continued to receive awards for her soccer skills and her strong academic performance.
Professional Club Career
Early Professional Years
Yael played for the New Jersey Lady Stallions from 2002 to 2004. She was only 14 years old when she first played in the W-League. This made her the youngest player in the league at that time.
Sky Blue FC and Championships
In 2009, Yael was picked by Sky Blue FC in the WPS Draft. This was her home state team. She helped them win the 2009 WPS Championship. She played in most of their games.
In 2010, Yael continued to play for Sky Blue FC. She played in 23 games and scored one goal.
In 2011, Yael joined the Western New York Flash. She played 14 games and helped her team win the 2011 WPS Championship. She even scored the winning penalty kick in the final game.
Playing in Europe
After the WPS league stopped playing, Yael went to Russia. She joined WFC Rossiyanka for a short time in 2012. She played in two games for them in the UEFA Champions League.
Later in 2012, Yael signed with Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC in Sweden. She scored 7 goals in 16 games. Her team won the Swedish Cup in 2012. She returned to Göteborg in 2013 and won the Swedish Supercup.
National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
Yael joined the Washington Spirit in the National Women's Soccer League in 2014. She played in 23 games. Her team made it to the NWSL playoffs for the first time. After the NWSL season, she played for Apollon in Cyprus for a short time.
In 2015, Yael signed with FC Kansas City. She played in 20 games and scored 2 goals. Her team won the NWSL championship in 2015. She played for FC Kansas City again in 2016 and 2017.
Yael was very important in starting the National Women's Soccer League Players Association in 2017. This group helps represent the players in the NWSL. She became its president.
Seattle Reign and Retirement
In 2018, Yael joined Seattle Reign FC. She was only able to play in one game due to an illness called ulcerative colitis. Before the 2019 season, she announced she was stopping her playing career because of her health. She continued to work with the NWSL Players Association as its Executive Director.
International Career with the USA
Yael played for the United States national teams at every youth level. She started with the U-16 team in 2002. Then she played for the U-17 and U-19 teams. She played in the 2004 FIFA U-19 Women's World Cup in Thailand. In 2008, she captained the U.S. U-23 team to win a tournament in Sweden.
Yael played her first games for the main United States women's national soccer team in 2007. She scored her first goal for the U.S. team in 2010. This was during a World Cup qualifying game against Costa Rica. She played for the senior team until 2013.
Managerial Role
NJ/NY Gotham FC
In 2021, Yael Averbuch was named the interim general manager for NJ/NY Gotham FC in the NWSL. In December 2021, she was made the permanent general manager. In this role, she helps manage the team and its coaches.
Other Work
Yael has also written articles for The New York Times and Our Game Magazine. She now writes her own blog.
Personal Life
Yael Averbuch is from Montclair, New Jersey. Her younger sister, Shira, also played soccer at Stanford University. Shira played for Team USA in the Maccabiah Games in Israel.
In 2016, Yael started Techne Futbol. This is a soccer training app that helps players practice on their own.
On April 27, 2019, Yael married Aaron West. He was also a college soccer player. Their daughter, Aria Adrienne West, was born in September 2020.
Career Statistics
 United States |
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|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals |
| 2007 | 2 | 0 |
| 2008 | – | – |
| 2009 | 1 | 0 |
| 2010 | 10 | 1 |
| 2011 | 3 | 0 |
| 2012 | – | – |
| 2013 | 10 | 0 |
| Total | 26 | 1 |
- Scores and results list the United States' goal tally first.
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | November 1, 2010 | Estadio Andrés Quintana Roo, Cancún, Mexico |  Costa Rica |
|
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2010 CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup |
Honors and Awards
- Set an NCAA record for the fastest goal scored in a game (4 seconds) in 2006.
- Named a first-team All-American by the Jewish Sports Review in 2006.
- Honored in the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame and Museum in 2007.
- Named ACC Scholar-Athlete of the Year for women's soccer in 2007 and 2008.
- Was a finalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy in 2006, an award for the top college player.
- Received the NCAA VIII award for athletic, academic, and community achievements.
- Her college jersey number at UNC was retired in 2009.
University of North Carolina
- NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Championship: 2006, 2008
Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC
- Svenska Cupen: 2012
- Svenska Supercupen: 2013
FC Kansas City
- NWSL Championship: 2015
United States
- Algarve Cup: 2010, 2011, 2013
See also
In Spanish: Yael Averbuch para niños
- List of select Jewish football (association; soccer) players
- All-time Sky Blue FC roster
- List of recipients of Today's Top 10 Award
- Fastest goals in association football
- List of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alumni
