Karina LeBlanc
![]() LeBlanc in 2022 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Full name | Karina Chenelle LeBlanc[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Date of birth | March 30, 1980 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of birth | Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Position(s) | Goalkeeper | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
College career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
1997–2000 | Nebraska Cornhuskers | 80 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
2001–2003 | Boston Breakers | 2 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
2004 | Montreal Xtreme | 1 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
2005–2006 | New Jersey Wildcats | 18 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
2009 | Los Angeles Sol | 19 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
2010 | Philadelphia Independence | 14 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
2011 | magicJack | 1 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
2012 | Sky Blue FC | 0 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
2013 | Portland Thorns FC | 21 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
2014–2015 | Chicago Red Stars | 29 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
International career‡ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1998–2015 | Canada | 110 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of September 6, 2015 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of May 31, 2015 |
Karina Chenelle LeBlanc CM[2] (born March 30, 1980) is an American-born Canadian former professional soccer goalkeeper and current general manager of the Portland Thorns FC.[3] She played for the Canadian national team[4] and multiple professional women's teams in the United States over her fourteen-year career.
Early life
[edit]LeBlanc was born in Atlanta, Georgia, to a Dominica father (from Portsmouth)[5] and a Jamaican mother,[6] Vans LeBlanc and Winsome LeBlanc, who had temporarily relocated to Atlanta to avoid the dangers of Hurricane David.[7] LeBlanc grew up in Dominica until age eight when her family moved to Maple Ridge, British Columbia. LeBlanc began playing soccer at age 12 and was named one of the top 20 Division I recruits by USA Today in 1997, even though Maple Ridge Secondary School did not have a girls soccer team. She was also an all-provincial basketball player and was voted British Columbia's Most Defensive Player in basketball in 1997.[8]
University of Nebraska
[edit]LeBlanc attended the University of Nebraska and earned a degree in business administration. She played goalkeeper for the Nebraska Cornhuskers from 1997 to 2000 and became one of the school's most decorated goalkeepers in the history of the program. She was a finalist for the Hermann Trophy in 2000 and named to the 2001 Umbro Select All-Star Classic Women's Elite College Team.[8] She was also a two-time All-Big 12 selection and was named an All-American.[9]
Club career
[edit]Boston Breakers
[edit]LeBlanc played for Boston Breakers in the Women's United Soccer Association, the first women's professional soccer league in the United States.
Montreal Xtreme, New Jersey wildCat
[edit]In 2004, she played for the Montreal Xtreme of the W-League followed by the New Jersey Wildcats from 2005 to 2006.
Los Angeles Sol
[edit]In 2009, she was acquired in the first round (fifth overall) of the 2009 WPS General Draft by the Los Angeles Sol. She started and played in 19 regular-season matches for the team, saving 78 of 93 shots. LeBlanc was named to the 2009 WPS All-Star Team Starting XI.
Philadelphia Independence
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d2/Karina_LeBlanc2010.jpg/220px-Karina_LeBlanc2010.jpg)
In 2010, she was selected in the first round (second overall) of the 2010 Los Angeles Sol Dispersal Draft by the Philadelphia Independence.
magicJack
[edit]In August 2011, it was reported that LeBlanc had signed with magicJack[10] and stepped in as goalkeeper after Hope Solo was sidelined with an injury.[11]
Sky Blue FC
[edit]In December 2011, she was signed to the Sky Blue FC for the 2012 season; however, the WPS league folded before the season began.[12]
Portland Thorns FC
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6d/Karina_LeBlanc_2013-05-04_Spirit_-_Thorns-142.jpg/220px-Karina_LeBlanc_2013-05-04_Spirit_-_Thorns-142.jpg)
On January 11, 2013, it was announced that LeBlanc was one of two Canadian national team members selected to join the Portland Thorns FC by way of weighted allocation.[13] On January 13, 2014, Portland Thorns FC announced that LeBlanc had been traded to the Chicago Red Stars in exchange for the 2nd round draft pick in the 2015 NWSL College Draft.[14]
Chicago Red Stars
[edit]LeBlanc finished her 2014 season with 76 saves and a goal against per game average of 1.0, in 21 matches; just behind league leaders Alyssa Naeher's 106 saves, and Hope Solo's .90 goal against average.
Because of participation in 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup LeBlanc played eight matches for Red Stars in 2015. At the end of 2015 season, LeBlanc called it a career and retired from professional soccer.[15] For her performance in her last professional match LeBlanc was named NWSL Player of the week of week 21.[16]
International career
[edit]LeBlanc represented Canada at five FIFA Women's World Cups, at the 2008 Olympics and at two Pan American Games, winning the gold medal with the national team at the 2011 Pan Am Games by stopping two penalty shots in the final.[17] She made her one hundredth appearance for Canada in March 2012[18] and later that year was part of the Canadian team that won the bronze medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics. Prior to 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, LeBlanc announced her retirement from international soccer at the end of the tournament.[18]
Coaching career
[edit]LeBlanc served as an assistant coach at Rutgers University from 2005 to 2009. She has also served as a goalkeeper coach with the Canadian under-15 national team, and developed goalkeeping clinics throughout the United States and Canada.[9]
Management career
[edit]CONCACAF hired LeBlanc to be the head of women's soccer in July 2018.[19] She left that position in 2021 to become general manager of the Portland Thorns FC.[3] Her predecessor, Gavin Wilkinson, was removed because of the 2021 NWSL abuse scandal.[3]
Honours
[edit]Portland Thorns FC
Individual
- Canada Soccer Hall of Fame (2022)[20]
- She received the Order of Canada (2022) "for her contributions to the sport of soccer worldwide, and for her use of soccer as a tool for social change."[2]
Personal life
[edit]LeBlanc was raised Roman Catholic but later became a Baptist while studying in college.[21] LeBlanc married Jason Mathot in October 2016.[22] On March 24 2020, she gave birth to their daughter, Paris.[23]
See also
[edit]- List of Olympic medalists in football
- List of women's footballers with 100 or more international caps
- List of players who have appeared in multiple FIFA Women's World Cups
- List of 2012 Summer Olympics medal winners
- List of UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors
- List of Canadian sports personalities
- List of Canada women's international soccer players
- List of 2011 Pan American Games medalists
- List of Los Angeles Sol players
- List of Chicago Red Stars players
- List of Philadelphia Independence players
- List of Portland Thorns FC players
References
[edit]- ^ a b "FIFA Women's World Cup Canada 2015 – List of Players: Canada" (PDF). FIFA. July 6, 2015. p. 4. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 8, 2019. Retrieved December 27, 2019.
- ^ a b "Order of Canada appointees – December 2022". The Governor General of Canada. December 29, 2022. Retrieved December 29, 2022.
- ^ a b c Peterson, Anne M. (November 1, 2021). "Karina LeBlanc named GM of NWSL Thorns, reuniting ex-Canadian keeper with Sinclair". CBC. Retrieved November 3, 2022.
- ^ "Canadians Karina LeBlanc, Candace Chapman join Sky Blue FC of WPS". The Globe and Mail. November 16, 2011. Retrieved January 16, 2012.
- ^ "Karina LeBlanc, "From Dominica to Canada"". Dominica News Online. October 31, 2012. Retrieved July 24, 2017.
- ^ Karina LeBlanc at the Canadian Soccer Association
- ^ "Karina Leblanc: World Class Goal Keeper". The Dominican. Retrieved November 13, 2012.
- ^ a b "Karina LeBlanc biography". Karina LeBlanc. Retrieved November 13, 2012.
- ^ a b "Karina LeBlanc assistant coach profile". Rutgers University. Archived from the original on December 18, 2012. Retrieved November 13, 2012.
- ^ "LeBlanc joins magicJack, Maron and Rasmussen move onto Sweden". Equalizer Soccer. August 2011. Retrieved November 13, 2012.
- ^ "MagicJack riding high into super semifinals". ESPN. Archived from the original on January 25, 2013. Retrieved November 13, 2012.
- ^ "Sky Blue FC sign Karina LeBlanc for the WPS season 2012". Women's Soccer United. Archived from the original on February 9, 2013. Retrieved November 13, 2012.
- ^ "Alex Morgan, Christine Sinclair among first among seven players added to Portland Thorns FC through allocation process". Portland Timbers. Archived from the original on January 13, 2013. Retrieved January 11, 2013.
- ^ "Thorns FC acquire second-round pick in 2015 NWSL Draft from Chicago in exchange for goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc". Portland Timbers. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
- ^ "LeBlanc Announces Retirement From Professional Soccer". Chicago Red Stars. September 4, 2015.
- ^ "RED STARS' KARINA LEBLANC VOTED PLAYER OF THE WEEK; LeBlanC helped the Red Stars earn a point at home in a 1-1 draw". nwslsoccer.com.
- ^ "Canada wins gold at Guadalajara 2011". Canadian Soccer Association. October 27, 2011. Retrieved January 16, 2012.
- ^ a b Davidson, Neil (May 28, 2015). "Veteran goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc says retiring at home just feels right". The Vancouver Sun. Postmedia Network. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
- ^ "Concacaf Names Karina LeBlanc Head of Concacaf Women's Football". Concacaf. February 18, 2021. Retrieved November 3, 2022.
- ^ Davidson, Neil (February 5, 2020). "Karina LeBlanc, Brittany Timko Baxter named to Canada Soccer Hall of Fame". cbc.ca. The Canadian Press. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
- ^ Ollie Baines (June 8, 2015). "Former Canadian women's goalkeeper, Karina LeBlanc: "Be God Great"". Cross the Line. Retrieved September 20, 2017.
- ^ Harrison, Doug (May 4, 2020). "Retired goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc 'stronger' following separation from newborn daughter". CBC. Retrieved May 6, 2020.
- ^ "Karina LeBlanc: 'Holding my baby again was better than a World Cup game'". BBC Sport. May 2, 2020.
External links
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Official website
- Karina LeBlanc – FIFA competition record (archived)
- Karina LeBlanc at the Canadian Soccer Association / Canada Soccer Hall of Fame
- Chicago Red Stars player profile
- Portland Thorns FC player profile
- Los Angeles Sol player profile
- New Jersey Wildcats player profile
- Nebraska player profile
- 1980 births
- Living people
- Canada women's international soccer players
- Black Canadian women's soccer players
- Olympic soccer players for Canada
- Footballers at the 2008 Summer Olympics
- Footballers at the 2012 Summer Olympics
- Nebraska Cornhuskers women's soccer players
- Boston Breakers (WUSA) players
- Los Angeles Sol players
- Philadelphia Independence players
- MagicJack (WPS) players
- Expatriate women's soccer players in the United States
- 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup players
- 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup players
- 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup players
- 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup players
- 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup players
- Footballers at the 2011 Pan American Games
- USL W-League (1995–2015) players
- FIFA Women's Century Club
- National Women's Soccer League players
- Olympic medalists in football
- Olympic bronze medalists for Canada
- Portland Thorns FC players
- Medalists at the 2012 Summer Olympics
- Soccer players from Atlanta
- Soccer people from British Columbia
- People from Maple Ridge, British Columbia
- Canadian people of Dominica descent
- Canadian sportspeople of Jamaican descent
- Dominica emigrants to Canada
- Chicago Red Stars players
- Pan American Games gold medalists for Canada
- Pan American Games bronze medalists for Canada
- Canadian expatriate sportspeople in the United States
- Canadian soccer commentators
- Women's association football goalkeepers
- Canadian women's soccer players
- Pan American Games medalists in football
- New Jersey Wildcats players
- Converts to Baptist denominations from Roman Catholicism
- Canadian Baptists
- Women's Professional Soccer commentators
- Medalists at the 2011 Pan American Games
- Women's Professional Soccer players
- Members of the Order of Canada
- Women's United Soccer Association players
- Portland Thorns FC non-playing staff