Sydney Collins

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Sydney Collins

| fullname = Sydney Jane Collins{{cite magazine |location=Berkeley, California |url=https://storage.googleapis.com/ucb-commencement/documents/K15176_Commencement_22_program_v4_PDF_ONLY.pdf |title=The Class of 2022, University of California, Berkeley: Bachelor's Degree Candidates |magazine=Class of 2022 Commencement |publisher=University of California, Berkeley |page=13 |date=May 14, 2022 |access-date=April 12, 2023 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230115222718/https://storage.googleapis.com/ucb-commencement/documents/K15176_Commencement_22_program_v4_PDF_ONLY.pdf |archive-date=January 15, 2023}}

| image = NC Courage vs Seattle Reign (Apr 2024) 136.jpg

| caption = Collins in 2024

| height = {{height|ft=5|in=8}}

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|mf=yes|1999|9|8}}

| birth_place = Hillsboro, Oregon, United States

| position = Defender

| currentclub = North Carolina Courage

| clubnumber = 18

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 = Hillsboro SC

| youthyears2 =

| youthclubs2 = FC Portland Soccer Academy

| youthyears3 = 2017–2018

| youthclubs3 = Portland Thorns

| collegeyears1 = 2018–2022

| college1 = California Golden Bears

| collegecaps1 = 85

| collegegoals1 = 1

| years1 = 2023– | clubs1 = North Carolina Courage | caps1 = 4 | goals1 = 0

| nationalyears1 = 2022

| nationalteam1 = United States U23

| nationalcaps1 =

| nationalgoals1 =

| nationalyears2 = 2023–

| nationalteam2 = Canada

| nationalcaps2 = 6

| nationalgoals2 = 0

| pcupdate = October 2, 2023

| ntupdate = December 5, 2023

}}

Sydney Jane Collins (born September 8, 1999) is a professional soccer player who plays for the North Carolina Courage in the National Women's Soccer League. Born in the United States, she represents Canada at international level.

Early life

Collins began playing soccer at age eight with Hillsboro SC.{{Canada Soccer player|id=56257}} She later played for the FC Portland Soccer Academy and the Portland Thorns Development Academy.

She attended Jesuit High School in Oregon, where she was a four-year starter on the varsity soccer team, serving as team captain for her final two years.{{Cite web|url=https://www.jesuitportland.org/our-community/news/news-details/~board/school-news/post/sydney-collins-18-chosen-first-round-in-nwsl-draft|title=Sydney Collins '18 Chosen First Round in NWSL Draft|work=Jesuit High School|date=January 13, 2023}} She was a two-time state champion in 2015 and 2017, a two-time First Team All-State, voted to the TopDrawerSoccer Best XI for the High School Girls All-American Game, and was a 2017 United Soccer Coaches All-Region Team.{{Cite web|url=https://calbears.com/sports/womens-soccer/roster/sydney--collins/21341|title=Sydney Collins California Golden Bears profile|work=California Golden Bears}} She was also named the 2017-18 Oregon Girls Soccer Player of the Year.{{cite web|url=https://playeroftheyear.gatorade.com/winner/sydney-collins/36702|title=2017-18 Oregon Girls Soccer Player of the Year - Sydney Collins|work=Gatorade Player of the Year}}

College career

In 2018, she began attending the University of California, Berkeley, where she played for the women's soccer team.{{cite web|url=https://calbears.com/news/2018/2/6/womens-soccer-bears-ink-four-on-signing-day|title=Bears Ink Four On Signing Day|date=February 7, 2018|work=California Golden Bears}} In her sophomore season in 2019, she was named a Pac-12 Academic Honor Roll Selection and CoSIDA Academic District 8 First Team Honoree. In her junior season, she was named team captain, and was named to the Pac-12 Academic Honor Roll once again. She also scored her first collegiate goal on March 5, 2021, against the Colorado Buffaloes.{{cite web|url=https://calbears.com/news/2021/3/5/womens-soccer-no-6-bears-fall-in-home-opener.aspx|title=No. 10 Bears Fall in Home Opener|date=March 5, 2021|work=California Golden Bears}} In her senior season, she was named to the Third Team All-Pac-12, the CoSIDA Academic All-District Second Team and the Pac-12 Academic Honor Roll.{{Cite web|url=https://calbears.com/news/2021/11/11/womens-soccer-eight-bears-named-to-cosida-academic-all-district-team.aspx|title=Eight Bears Named To CoSida Academic All-District Team|date=November 11, 2021|work=California Golden Bears}}{{Cite web|url=https://calbears.com/news/2021/11/12/womens-soccer-five-bears-earn-pac-12-honors.aspx|title=Five Bears Earn Pac-12 Honors|date=November 12, 2021|work=California Golden Bears}} In 2022, she was named Pac-12 Defender of the Week for two consecutive weeks.{{Cite web|url=https://calbears.com/news/2022/9/12/womens-soccer-collins-anderson-take-home-weekly-honors.aspx|title=Collins, Anderson Take Home Weekly Honors|date=September 12, 2022|work=California Golden Bears}}{{cite web|url=https://calbears.com/news/2022/9/19/womens-soccer-collins-named-pac-12-defender-of-the-week.aspx|title=Collins Named Pac-12 Defender of the Week|date=September 19, 2022|work=California Golden Bears}} She was also an Academic All-District Team for the third time,{{Cite web|url=https://calbears.com/news/2022/11/15/womens-soccer-cal-places-six-on-academic-all-district-team.aspx|title=Cal Places Six On Academic All-District Team|date=November 15, 2022|work=California Golden Bears}} was named to the All-Pacific Region Second Team,{{cite web|url=https://calbears.com/news/2022/11/29/womens-soccer-cal-trio-earns-all-region-honors.aspx|title=Cal Trio Earns All-Region Honors|date=November 29, 2022|work=California Golden Bears}} and the All-Pac-12 Second Team.{{cite web|url=https://calbears.com/news/2022/11/8/womens-soccer-three-bears-earn-conference-honors.aspx|title=Three Bears Earn All-Conference Honors|date=November 8, 2022|work=California Golden Bears}}

Club career

At the 2023 NWSL Draft, Collins was selected in the first round (8th overall) by the North Carolina Courage.{{cite web|url=https://dailycal.org/2023/01/16/defensive-power-duo-collins-anderson-drafted-into-nwsl|title=Defensive power duo Collins, Anderson drafted into NWSL|date=January 16, 2023|first=Jovana|last=Camberos|work=The Daily Californian}}{{cite web|url=https://calbears.com/news/2023/1/12/womens-soccer-collins-anderson-selected-in-2023-nwsl-draft.aspx|title=Collins, Anderson Selected in 2023 NWSL Draft|date=January 12, 2023|work=California Golden Bears}}{{cite news|url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/article/Sydney-Collins-Izzy-D-Aquila-and-Sierra-Enge-17714782.php|title=Sydney Collins, Izzy D'Aquila and Sierra Enge lead strong Bay Area group taken in NWSL draft|date=January 12, 2023|first=Marisa|last=Ingemi|work=San Francisco Chronicle}} In March 2023, she signed a three-year contract with the club.{{cite web|url=https://couragecountry.com/courage-sign-2023-draftees-three-year-contracts/|title=NC Courage Sign All 2023 Draftees to Three-Year Contracts with Team|date=March 13, 2023|work=Courage Country}} She made her professional debut on April 1 against the San Diego Wave.{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/canadians-in-nwsl-europe-heating-up-before-france-1.6799340|title=Canadians thriving in NWSL, Europe ahead of April friendly against France|date=April 3, 2023|work=CBC Sports|first=Ben|last=Steiner}}

International career

Collins was eligible to play for the United States (where she and her father were born) and Canada (where her mother was born). In April 2016, she was called up to a camp with the United States U17 team.{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/FCPORTLANDACADEMY/posts/1163380547062229|title=Sydney Collins Invited to U17 National Camp!|date=April 11, 2016|work=FC Portland Academy}} In February 2022, she played with the United States U23 team at the Portland Thorns Preseason Tournament, where they faced professional teams from the NWSL.{{cite web|url=https://calbears.com/news/2022/4/11/womens-soccer-bears-excel-on-international-stage.aspx|title=Bears Excel On International Stage|date=April 11, 2022|work=California Golden Bears}}{{cite web|url=https://calbears.com/news/2022/2/23/womens-soccer-sydney-collins-earns-us-u23-call-up.aspx|title=Sydney Collins Earns U.S. U23 Call-Up|date=February 23, 2022|work=California Golden Bears}}

In February 2023, Collins joined the Canada women's team as a training player for the 2023 SheBelieves Cup.{{Cite web|url=https://canpl.ca/article/canwnt-reveals-squad-ahead-of-2023-shebelieves-cup|title=CanWNT reveals squad ahead of 2023 SheBelieves Cup|date=February 13, 2023|work=Canadian Premier League|first=Benedict|last=Rhodes}} She was then subsequently named to the roster in April for a friendly against France, making her debut on April 11.{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/canada-france-womens-soccer-friendly-recap-apr-11-1.6807227|title=Canada comeback bid falls short in loss to France during women's World Cup tune-up|website=CBC Sports|date=April 11, 2023|access-date=September 27, 2023}}

After not making the Canadian roster for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, where the team would go on to suffer a disappointing group stage exit, Collins was called up for the team's next fixtures in September, a two-leg CONCACAF Olympic qualification playoff against Jamaica. Following training camp, she said "I think we have a really good energy about the group coming together and trying to move forward."{{Cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/soccer/article-canada-women-looking-forward-not-back-as-they-take-on-reggae-girlz-in/ |title=Canada women looking forward not back as they take on Reggae Girlz in Olympic playoff |last=Davidson |first=Neil |newspaper=The Globe & Mail |date=September 21, 2023 |access-date=September 27, 2023}} Despite having only played fourteen minutes in her lone prior international appearance, with Canada seeking to reorganize following the World Cup, coach Bev Priestman opted to start Collins in the first match, citing her strong camp performance.{{Cite news|url=https://www.tsn.ca/ahead-of-crucial-olympic-qualifier-composed-collins-turning-heads-with-canwnt-1.2012718 |title=Ahead of crucial Olympic qualifier, 'composed' Collins turning heads with CanWNT |last=Johnson |first=Meaghen |website=TSN |date=September 26, 2023 |access-date=September 27, 2023}} This was widely cited as a "surprise" move, but Collins' performance was generally assessed positively, and she ultimately started both matches, which saw Canada defeat Jamaica and qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympics.{{Cite news|url=https://www.tsn.ca/soccer/canadian-national-women-s-team-beats-jamaica-to-take-lead-into-second-leg-of-olympic-qualifier-1.2011388 |title=CanWNT beats Jamaica to take lead into second leg of Olympic qualifier |website=TSN |date=September 22, 2023 |access-date=September 27, 2023}}{{cite news|url=https://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/article/maturing-canadians-headed-to-olympics-with-dreams-of-defending-crown/|title=Maturing Canadians will get chance to defend Olympic title|last=Molinaro|first=John F.|website=Sportsnet|date=September 27, 2023|access-date=September 27, 2023}} She was originally named to the squad for the Olympics, but was forced to withdraw after suffering a fractured leg in a warmup match ahead of the tournament.{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/canada-soccer-player-sydney-collins-to-miss-olympics-1.7270402|title=Canada women's soccer player Sydney Collins to miss Olympics with fractured leg|date=July 20, 2024|work=CBC Sports}}

Personal life

Collins is the daughter of former National Football League and Canadian Football League player Brett Collins.{{Cite web|url=https://canadiansoccerdaily.com/2023/01/13/sydney-collins-selected-in-2023-nwsl-draft-as-the-lone-canadian-drafted/|title=Sydney Collins lone Canadian selected in 2023 NWSL Draft|date=January 13, 2023|work=Canadian Soccer Daily}}

Career statistics

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" \|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition ! rowspan="2" \|Club ! rowspan="2" \|Season ! colspan="3" \|League ! colspan="2" \|Playoffs ! colspan="2" \|National cup ! colspan="2" \|Other ! colspan="2" \|Total
Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
\|North Carolina Courage \|2023	National Women's Soccer League \|4	0	0	0	colspan="2"\|—	6Appearances in the NWSL Challenge Cup	0	10	0
colspan="3" \|Career total !4	0	0	0	0	0	6	0	10	0

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"

|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

! rowspan="2" |Club

! rowspan="2" |Season

! colspan="3" |League

! colspan="2" |Playoffs

! colspan="2" |National cup

! colspan="2" |Other

! colspan="2" |Total

Division

Apps

Goals