Wikipedia

Croix Bethune

Croix Collette Bethune (/ˈkrɔɪ bəˈθuːn/ CROY bə-THOON;[4] born March 14, 2001) is an American professional soccer player who plays as an attacking midfielder for the Washington Spirit of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) and the United States national team.

Croix Bethune
Bethune playing for USC in 2021
Personal information
Full name Croix Collette Bethune[1]
Date of birth (2001-03-14) March 14, 2001 (age 23)[2]
Height 5 ft 3 in (1.60 m)[3]
Position(s) Attacking midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Washington Spirit
Number 7
Youth career
Concorde Fire
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2021–2022 USC Trojans 48 (26)
2023 Georgia Bulldogs 15 (4)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2024– Washington Spirit 17 (5)
International career‡
United States U-15
2017–2018 United States U-17 15 (7)
2024– United States 3 (0)
Medal record
Women's soccer
Representing the  United States
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2024 Paris Team
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of August 25, 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of July 31, 2024

Bethune played college soccer for the USC Trojans and the Georgia Bulldogs, twice being named first-team All-American, before being selected by the Spirit third overall in the 2024 NWSL Draft. She tied the league's single-season assist record in her first season and was named NWSL Rookie of the Year and Midfielder of the Year.

After representing her country at the under-15 and under-17 level, Bethune made her senior debut for the United States in 2024. She won a gold medal with the team at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Early life

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Bethune was raised in Alpharetta, Georgia, the daughter of United States Air Force members Richard and Jean Bethune, and has a brother.[5][6] She started playing soccer at age three or four.[7] When she was four, her parents were stationed Stratford-upon-Avon, England, for three and a half years, where she played with boys because there was no girls' team.[6][8] She played club soccer for the ECNL's Concorde Fire Soccer Club in Atlanta and was named to the national Best XI in 2017 and 2018.[2] She played one season of high school soccer at Alpharetta High School.[5] She also played basketball in high school but chose to focus on soccer after recovering from an ACL tear while training with the national under-17 team.[6][9] She committed to the University of Southern California over schools including Florida State, Duke, and UCLA.[8]

College career

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USC Trojans

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Bethune played three seasons for the USC Trojans. She missed her freshman 2019 season due to a second ACL tear.[6] On her debut for the Trojans, she provided two assists in a 4–3 overtime win over BYU in spring 2021.[6][10] She scored 16 goals in the fall 2021 season, the third most in a season in program history, including a nine-minute hat trick in the first round of the NCAA tournament.[5][11] In both 2021 and 2022, as captain of the Trojans, she was named first-team All-Pac-12, first-team All-American, and the Pac-12 Midfielder of the Year.[2][6]

Georgia Bulldogs

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Bethune transferred to the Georgia Bulldogs for the 2023 season, reuniting with former USC coach Keidane McAlpine, after tearing her ACL for a third time while finishing her undergraduate degree at USC.[12][13] She led Georgia to its first postseason title in program history at the SEC tournament in 2023, where she scored an equalizer against Kentucky in the quarterfinals and a last-minute winner over Texas A&M in the semifinals, and was named the tournament's most valuable player.[12] She was named second-team All-SEC and second-team All-American.[2]

Club career

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Washington Spirit

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Bethune tied the NWSL's single-season assist record in 2024; half of her assists were to Ouleymata Sarr, the most between one pair since 2019.[14]

The Washington Spirit selected Bethune third overall in the 2024 NWSL Draft; the Spirit acquired the pick by trading Sam Staab to the Chicago Red Stars.[15] She signed a three-year contract with an option to extend.[16] She was part of the starting lineup from the opening matchday on March 17, filling the role that belonged to recently traded Ashley Sanchez.[17] She scored her first professional goal in late stoppage time to defeat Bay FC 2–1 on March 23.[18] On May 2, she assisted on three goals in a 4–2 win over the Chicago Red Stars, becoming the youngest NWSL player to record that many assists in one match.[19] She broke the rookie assist record with her seventh assist of the season on May 10; she also scored that day in a 3–2 win over the Seattle Reign.[20] Her strike in late stoppage time on June 15, salvaging a 1–1 draw against San Diego Wave FC, was voted NWSL Goal of the Week.[21][22]

Bethune provided her tenth assist of the season in a 4–1 win over the Kansas City Current on August 25, tying the league record for assists in a season set by Tobin Heath in 2016.[23] Four days later, she tore her meniscus while throwing the first pitch at a Washington Nationals baseball game, ending her rookie season prematurely; she scored 5 goals in 17 appearances.[24] Bethune was named NWSL Rookie of the Month a record four times (March/April, May, June, and August).[25] Despite missing the last two months of the season, she was voted NWSL Rookie of the Year and Midfielder of the Year and selected to the NWSL Best XI.[26][27]

International career

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Youth national team

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Bethune was first called up to a youth national team training camp with the United States national under-15 team at age 13 in March 2015.[5][28] She helped win the 2016 CONCACAF Girls' U-15 Championship, where she was named to the tournament's Best XI team.[29] She was the youngest player on the under-17 team in November 2016.[30] She played for the winning team at the 2018 CONCACAF Women's U-17 Championship and competed at the 2018 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup.[31][32] She played friendlies for the under-23 team in 2022.[33]

Senior national team

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Bethune was called into her first senior national team camp as a training player in June 2024.[34] Later that month she was named as an alternate to the national team for the 2024 Summer Olympics in France.[35] Bethune made her first USWNT appearance on July 13, 2024, in the 81st minute of a friendly Olympic sendoff against Mexico.[36] She was elevated to the main roster at the Olympics because of an injury to Jaedyn Shaw and made her Olympic debut in the 79th minute of the third group stage game against Australia on July 31.[37][38] The United States went on to win the gold medal, defeating Brazil 1–0 in the final on a goal from Mallory Swanson.[39]

Style of play

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A creative attacking midfielder, Bethune possesses excellent vision and technical skill which make her an exceptional passer.[40] She often made use of backheel passes and chip shots during college.[6]

Career statistics

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Club

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As of August 25, 2024
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup[a] Playoffs[b] Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Washington Spirit 2024 NWSL 17 5 0 0 0 0 17 5
Career total 17 5 0 0 0 0 17 5
  1. ^ Includes the NWSL Challenge Cup.
  2. ^ Includes NWSL playoffs.

International statistics

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As of match played July 31, 2024
National team Year Apps Goals
United States
2024 3 0
Total 3 0

Honors

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USC Trojans[2]

Georgia Bulldogs[2]

  • SEC women's soccer tournament: 2023
  • United Soccer Coaches second-team All-American: 2023
  • Second-team All-SEC: 2023
  • SEC women's soccer tournament all-tournament team: 2023
  • SEC women's soccer tournament most valuable player: 2023

Washington Spirit

United States

References

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  1. ^ "Women's Olympic Football Tournament Paris 2024" (PDF). p. 11. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 11, 2024. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Croix Bethune – 2023 – Soccer". University of Georgia Athletics. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  3. ^ "Croix Bethune". Washington Spirit. Retrieved September 6, 2024.
  4. ^ "Bethune Croix". Olympics.com. 2024. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d "Croix Bethune – Women's Soccer". University of Southern California Athletics. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Nguyen, Thuc Nhi (October 26, 2022). "How USC soccer's Croix Bethune became one of the best players in the country". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  7. ^ Sylvs, Southern (February 9, 2024). "Croix Bethune: Ready for the World". All for XI. SB Nation. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  8. ^ a b Brooks Jr., Damon (June 13, 2024). "Spirit rookie Croix Bethune dazzles in first NWSL season". Monumental Sports Network. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
  9. ^ Dubey, Aaddya (August 24, 2021). "Bethune thrives in return to play". Daily Trojan. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  10. ^ Maria, Alixandria (February 15, 2021). "Trojans open their season with overtime win over BYU". USC Annenberg Media. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  11. ^ Almendarez, Hector (November 13, 2021). "USC thrashes Grand Canyon in first round of NCAA Tournament". Daily Trojan. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  12. ^ a b Tidwell, Sara (January 18, 2024). "'Dreams do come true': How this UGA star worked to become a first-round draft pick". Athens Banner-Herald. Archived from the original on March 13, 2024.
  13. ^ Warden, Owen (June 22, 2023). "Georgia soccer adds 5 transfers to 2023 recruiting class". The Red & Black. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  14. ^ OptaJack⚽️ [@OptaJack] (August 25, 2024). "10 – @WashSpirit's Croix Bethune has recorded 10 assists this season, equaling Tobin Heath's single season #NWSL record set in 2016. Five of those assists have set up Ouleymata Sarr, the most for a single player since Yuki Nagasato to Sam Kerr for Chicago in 2019 (8). Stellar" (Tweet). Retrieved September 4, 2024 – via Twitter.
  15. ^ Brockway, Ella (January 13, 2024). "Spirit gets busy, deals Ashley Sanchez, Sam Staab and loads up in draft". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  16. ^ "Washington Spirit Officially Signs 2024 Rookie Class to Professional Contracts". Washington Spirit. March 11, 2024. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  17. ^ Linehan, Meg; Rueter, Jeff (September 4, 2024). "Washington Spirit star rookie Croix Bethune suffers season-ending knee injury". The Athletic. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
  18. ^ Floyd, Thomas (April 20, 2024). "The Spirit bet big on Croix Bethune. The rookie has made that look wise". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
  19. ^ Rantz, Susie (May 2, 2024). "Barbra Banda's 2 goals keep Orlando Pride undefeated in NWSL". Associated Press. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
  20. ^ Brockway, Ella (May 24, 2024). "Croix Bethune strikes again, lifting Spirit to 3–2 win over Reign". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on May 25, 2024.
  21. ^ Shankar, Varun (June 15, 2024). "Croix Bethune nets late equalizer for Spirit before record crowd". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
  22. ^ National Women's Soccer League [@NWSL] (June 18, 2024). "What can't she do, she's Croix Bethune!!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  23. ^ OptaJack⚽️ [@OptaJack] (August 25, 2024). "10 – @WashSpirit's Croix Bethune..." (Tweet). Retrieved August 25, 2024 – via Twitter.
  24. ^ Goff, Steven (September 4, 2024). "A first pitch gone awry — and Spirit star Croix Bethune is out for season". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
  25. ^ a b "Washington Spirit Midfielder Croix Bethune Named August Rookie of the Month, Presented by Ally". National Women's Soccer League. September 5, 2024. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
  26. ^ a b c Anderson, Jason (November 19, 2024). "Croix Bethune reflects on NWSL Rookie of the Year season: 'This doesn't seem real'". Pro Soccer Wire. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
  27. ^ a b "Washington Spirit midfielder Croix Bethune named 2024 NWSL Midfielder of the Year" (Press release). National Women's Soccer League. November 21, 2024. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
  28. ^ "U.S. U15 GNT camp roster revealed". United States Soccer Federation. March 2, 2015. Retrieved March 11, 2024 – via TopDrawerSoccer.com.
  29. ^ "TSG reveals CU15G Best XI, Awards". CONCACAF. August 22, 2016. Archived from the original on August 24, 2016.
  30. ^ Yort, Caroline (November 16, 2015). "2019 Girls IMG Academy 150 rankings update". TopDrawerSoccer.com. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
  31. ^ "U.S. U17 WNT cruises past Bermuda". United States Soccer Federation. June 7, 2018. Retrieved March 11, 2024 – via TopDrawerSoccer.com.
  32. ^ "U17 WNT fall in second World Cup match". United States Soccer Federation. November 17, 2018. Retrieved March 11, 2024 – via TopDrawerSoccer.com.
  33. ^ "Under-23 WNT heads to Europe in June". United States Soccer Federation. June 15, 2022. Retrieved March 15, 2024 – via TopDrawerSoccer.com.
  34. ^ Anderson, Jason (May 22, 2024). "Bethune, Hershfelt talk USWNT call-ups amid standout NWSL rookie seasons". Pro Soccer Wire. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
  35. ^ Linehan, Meg (June 26, 2024). "Alex Morgan not selected to USWNT for Paris Olympics: Full roster for 2024 Games". The Athletic. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
  36. ^ Brockway, Ella (July 13, 2024). "USWNT moves past Mexico and takes another step toward the Olympics". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
  37. ^ Swanick, Megan (July 28, 2024). "Croix Bethune created NWSL history. Now she is ready for the Olympics". The Guardian. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
  38. ^ "U.S. Women's National Team Defeats Australia 2–1 to Claim Top Spot in Group B at 2024 Summer Olympics". United States Soccer Federation. July 31, 2024. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
  39. ^ a b Mathews, Max (August 10, 2024). "USWNT vs Brazil live updates: Mallory Swanson breaks deadlock in Paris Olympics 2024 women's soccer final". The Athletic. Retrieved August 10, 2024.
  40. ^ Swanick, Megan (July 28, 2024). "Croix Bethune created NWSL history. Now she is ready for the Olympics". The Guardian. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
  41. ^ "NWSL Announces March/April Best XI of the Month, Presented by Amazon Prime" (Press release). National Women's Soccer League. May 7, 2024. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
  42. ^ "NWSL Announces May Best XI of the Month, Presented by Amazon Prime" (Press release). National Women's Soccer League. June 7, 2024. Retrieved June 7, 2024.
  43. ^ "NWSL Announces June Best XI of the Month, Presented by Amazon Prime" (Press release). National Women's Soccer League. July 12, 2024. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
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