Sydney Leroux shines in her first Women’s World Cup
FIFA Women’s World Cup winner and Olympic gold medalist, Sydney Rae Leroux Dwyer, 25, is making headlines. Playing in Sunday’s World Cup Finals, Leroux recently married Dom Dwyer, who plays for Sporting Kansas City in Major League Soccer. They married Valentine’s Day, 2/14. She wears No. 2; he wears No. 14.
Sydney Leroux, who currently plays for the Western New York Flash in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), as a forward, was once a tomboy. The daughter of a single mom, Sandi Leroux, Sydney’s father Ray Chadwick is a former pitcher with MLB’s California Angels. Her mother was also a talented athlete, she played third base for Canada’s national softball team. Sydney was born in Vancouver. Having a father in the U.S. gave her dual nationality, making her eligible to play for the U.S. national team.
At 15, she left mommy for the U.S., living first with a host family in Seattle, and then with six others in Scottsdale, Arizona, where she excelled in soccer.
In an interview with ESPN, when they asked if there’s she could tell her mom anything, what would it be?
“That, as a kid, she did everything to give me a better life than she had. And even though I’m grown up now, I’m 25 and I live on my own and have my own life, that no matter where I am, what’s going in the world or what’s going on in my world, she always has my heart and I know that I’ll always have her love. I hope she knows that I love her more than anything in the world.”
The UCLA graduate ended the season with 35 goals in 73 games for the U.S. Now Sydney Leroux is basking in the glow as the U.S. beats Japan in the World Cup Finals, 5 to 2. The United States, ranks No. 2 in the world, is a clear favorite over Japan, the No. 4 team. It’s the USA’s first win since 1999.