By NAN Sports Editor
News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Mon. June 10, 2018: The Reggae Girlz may have lost their debut making match at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup Sunday but their goalkeeper Sydney Schneider has left many an impression globally, even catching the eye of Jamaican sprinter and Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt, who sent out a tweet applauding her. So who is Sydney Schneider? Here are five facts about this new rising star.
1: Sydney Michelle Schneider, 19, was born and raised in the Dayton section of South Brunswick, New Jersey by her mother Andrea and Greek roots stepfather David.
2: Her lineage to Jamaica actually comes through her mother’s parents, making her part of the third generation of Jamaicans in the US Diaspora. Her father is German.
3: She attended South Brunswick High School and in February 2017, signed a letter of intent to join the UNC Wilmington Seahawks of North Carolina. In her freshman year she started all 19 games, becoming only the second goalkeeper in school history to play every minute in a season.
4: Schneider qualified to play for the United States her birthplace and her mother’s; Germany – her biological father’s birthplace and Jamaica her maternal grandparents’ birthplace. She turned down the chance to play the Jamaica U-17 team in 2015 but accepted in 2016 and represented Jamaica at the 2016 CONCACAF Women’s U-17 Championship. But at the 2018 CONCACAF Women’s U-20 Championship, Schneider played all three group games for Jamaica.
5: Schneider was named to the Jamaican squad for the 2018 CONCACAF Women’s Championship. In their second group match against Costa Rica, Schneider was named player of the match as she made some key saves, helping Jamaica secure an upset 1-0 victory over the 34th ranked team. She was chosen by coach Hue Menzies as the first choice in Jamaica’s goal at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup debut against Brazil. She saved a penalty kick and had a prominent participation during the match, despite having lost it by 0-3.
