University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
Leroux, Cheney Named to U.S. Olympic Soccer Team
May 27, 2012
LOS ANGELES - Former UCLA women's soccer players Lauren Cheney and Sydney Leroux were both chosen to represent the United States in London this summer, as U.S. Soccer announced its 18-player Olympic roster on Sunday.
It marks the first Olympic selection for Leroux, who at 22 is the youngest player named to the team. She is also the least-capped player on the squad, having appeared in just nine games for the USA, but has scored seven goals in those matches. Leroux, a forward, was a four-year letterwinner at UCLA from 2007-10. She finished her college career ranked in the top 5 at UCLA in several offensive categories, including points (126 - 4th), goals (57 - 4th) and game-winning goals (23 - 4th).
Cheney, a midfielder, is one of 11 players named to this year's Olympic roster who also participated in the 2008 Beijing Games, helping the U.S. win a gold medal. She was initially named as an alternate to the 2008 Olympic Team, but was moved into the 18-player roster after an injury to Abby Wambach. Cheney did not play in the first three matches of the 2008 Olympics, but then came off the bench in the final three games, eventually playing a part in the movement that led to the game-winning goal in the Olympic gold medal game. She is the only player in UCLA history to earn NSCAA/adidas First-Team All-America honors all four years of her career.
The U.S. will open Group G play at the Olympics with two matches at the famed Hampden Park in Glasgow, Scotland. The U.S. will first face France (5 p.m. local / 12 p.m. ET) on July 25 - two days before the Olympic Opening Ceremonies - and then take on Colombia on July 28 (5 p.m. local / 12 p.m. ET). The USA will finish group play against Korea DPR on July 31 (5:15 p.m. local / 12:15 p.m. ET) at the legendary Old Trafford in Manchester, home to Manchester United.
U.S. Olympic Women's Soccer Team Roster by Position
GOALKEEPERS (2): Nicole Barnhart, Hope Solo
DEFENDERS (6): Rachel Buehler, Amy LePeilbet, Heather Mitts, Kelley O'Hara, Christie Rampone, Becky Sauerbrunn
MIDFIELDERS (6): Shannon Boxx, Lauren Cheney, Tobin Heath, Carli Lloyd, Heather O'Reilly, Megan Rapinoe
FORWARDS (4): Sydney Leroux, Alex Morgan, Amy Rodriguez, Abby Wambach