{{Short description|Puerto Rican-American soccer defender}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2019}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Michelle Cruz | image = | image_size = | fullname = Michelle Olivia Cruz<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.uefa.com/teamsandplayers/players/player%3D250074118/profile/index.html |title=Michelle Olivia Cruz |website=UEFA |publisher=Union of European Football Associations |date=October 13, 2016 |access-date=June 26, 2022 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201017083737/https://www.uefa.com/teamsandplayers/players/player=250074118/profile/index.html |archive-date=October 17, 2020}}</ref> | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1992|5|14}} | birth_place = Long Beach, California, United States | height = {{height|ft=5|in=6}} | position = Defender | currentclub = | clubnumber = | collegeyears1 = 2010–2013 | college1 = Portland Pilots |collegecaps1 = 76 |collegegoals1 = 9 | clubs1 = Apollon Limassol | years1 = 2014–2015 | caps1 = 5<!-- LEAGUE APPEARANCES & GOALS ONLY--> | goals1 = 0 | clubs2 = Seattle Reign FC | years2 = 2015–2016 | caps2 = 3 <!-- LEAGUE APPEARANCES & GOALS ONLY--> | goals2 = 0 | totalcaps = | totalgoals = | nationalteam1 = Puerto Rico U17 | nationalyears1 = 2008 | nationalcaps1 = | nationalgoals1 = | nationalteam2 = United States U18 | nationalyears2 = | nationalcaps2 = | nationalgoals2 = }}
'''Michelle Olivia Cruz''' (born May 14, 1992) is a Puerto Rican-American soccer defender who most recently played for Seattle Reign FC in the National Women's Soccer League. She previously played for Apollon Limassol in Cyprus.
==Early life== Born in Long Beach, California, Cruz attended Thousand Oaks High School where she was a four-year varsity player.<ref name=up_bio>{{cite web|title=Michelle Cruz|url=http://www.portlandpilots.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=3292|publisher=University of Portland|accessdate=November 15, 2014}}</ref> Cruz helped lead the team to three consecutive league titles from 2007 to 2009.<ref name=up_bio /> During her senior year in 2010, she was named Parade Magazine High School All-American, ESPN Rise Winter All-American and was ranked by TopDrawer Soccer as one of the top 100 high school players in the nation.<ref name=up_bio /><ref>{{cite web|title=Michelle Cruz|url=http://www.topdrawersoccer.com/college-soccer/college-player-profile/michelle-cruz/cpid-11126|publisher=Top Drawer Soccer|accessdate=November 28, 2014}}</ref>
In 2004, she was on the Jetix Kids Cup championship team in Paris that was televised on ABC Family.<ref name=vcstar>{{cite news|last1=Potkey|first1=Rhiannon|title=Soccer has taken Thousand Oaks High's Michelle Cruz around the globe|url=http://www.vcstar.com/sports/a-world-of-talent|accessdate=November 28, 2014|work=Ventura County Star|date=January 6, 2009}}</ref>
Cruz was a member of the Cal South Olympic Development Pool from 2006 to 2007 and won the Region IV Championship. In 2008, she was named to the NSCAA/Adidas Youth Girls All-Region IV team and was an Adidas Elite Soccer Program national selection.<ref name=up_bio />
==Playing career==
===Club=== Played for Real So Cal (2004–07, 2009), winning multiple championships in 2006: Gothia Cup Youth World Cup, Surf Cup, and Manchester United Premier Cup ... also led Real So Cal to titles at the San Diego Surf Girls Cup (2007), San Diego Surf Cup XXIX (2009), and Fall Far West Regional League Championships (2009) ... played one year for Slammer FC (2008), winning the U17 Premier Championships.<ref name=up_bio/>
===Collegiate===
====University of Portland Pilots, 2010–2013==== Cruz attended the University of Portland from 2010 to 2013 where she was a four-year starting defender for the Portland Pilots.<ref name=up_bio /><ref name=ol_102013>{{cite news|last1=Daschel|first1=Nick|title=Women's soccer: Portland Pilots' Amanda Frisbie great at scoring goals, but now she's good at stopping them|url=http://www.oregonlive.com/pilots/index.ssf/2013/10/womens_soccer_portland_pilots_2.html|accessdate=November 28, 2014|work=The Oregonian|date=October 3, 2013}}</ref> Following her freshman season in 2010, Cruz earned an All-West Coast Conference (WCC) Honorable Mention. Her performance during the 2011 season earned her Academic All-Region Second Team and WCC All Academic Honorable mention honors.<ref name=up_bio /> In 2012, she ranked second on the team in assists (6) and points (16). Her five goals ranked third.<ref name=up_bio />
====Apollon Limassol, 2014==== Cruz signed with Apollon Limossol in the Cypriot First Division for the 2014 season.<ref>{{cite web|title=Apollon Limassol [Women] " Squad 2014/2015|url=https://www.worldfootball.net/teams/te29645/apollon-limassol/squad/|publisher=worldfootball.net|access-date=November 28, 2014}}</ref> She made five appearances for the club during the 2014–15 UEFA Women's Champions League before the team was eliminated in the Round of 32.<ref>{{cite web|title=REIGN FC SIGN CRUZ, RE-SIGN NOGUEIRA AND FRISBIE|url=http://www.nwslsoccer.com/home/847641.html|publisher=National Women's Soccer League|accessdate=November 28, 2014|date=November 14, 2014}}</ref>
====Seattle Reign FC, 2015–16==== In November 2014, it was announced that Cruz had signed with Seattle Reign FC for the 2015 season of the National Women's Soccer League.<ref name=srfc_signing>{{cite web|title=Reign Add Defender Michelle Cruz, Re-Sign Frisbie and Noguiera|url=http://www.sounderatheart.com/seattle-reign/2014/11/14/7223395/reign-add-defender-michelle-cruz-re-sign-frisbie-and-noguiera|publisher=Sounder at Heart|accessdate=November 15, 2014|date=November 14, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Kassouf|first1=Jeff|title=Reign trade Deines to FC Kansas City for Mathias|url=http://womens.soccerly.com/2014/11/12/seattle-reign-trade-kate-deines-fc-kansas-city-merritt-mathias/|publisher=Equalizer Soccer|accessdate=November 15, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141115005935/http://womens.soccerly.com/2014/11/12/seattle-reign-trade-kate-deines-fc-kansas-city-merritt-mathias/|archive-date=November 15, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> Of her signing, Reign FC head coach Laura Harvey said, "Michelle was someone we looked at towards the end of last season and felt could benefit our group. Having gained experience playing overseas, we are pleased she has decided to come to the NWSL."<ref>{{cite web|title=Reign FC Signs One, Re-Signs Pair|url=http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=4894561|publisher=Our Sports Central|accessdate=November 28, 2014|date=November 14, 2014}}</ref> Cruz was waived by the team after the 2016 season.<ref>{{cite web|title=Reign Waive Cruz, Extend Eleven Contracts|url=https://www.sounderatheart.com/seattle-reign/2016/10/19/13336878/reign-waive-cruz-extend-eleven-contracts|website=Sounder at Heart|accessdate=August 21, 2017|date=October 19, 2016|archive-date=August 21, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170821125400/https://www.sounderatheart.com/seattle-reign/2016/10/19/13336878/reign-waive-cruz-extend-eleven-contracts|url-status=dead}}</ref>
===International=== Cruz has represented the United States on the under-15 and under-18 national teams.<ref name=up_bio /><ref name=uss_bio>{{cite web|title=Michelle Cruz|url=http://www.ussoccer.com/players/2014/03/14/22/48/michelle-cruz|publisher=U.S. Soccer Federation|accessdate=November 28, 2014}}</ref><ref name=vcstar/> She played for the Puerto Rico under-17 national football team at the 2008 CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship in Trinidad.<ref name="up_bio" />
==See also== * List of University of Portland alumni {{Portal bar|Women's association football|Sports|Association football|Biography}}
==References== {{reflist|30em}}
==External links== * {{UEFA player|250074118}} * [http://www.portlandpilots.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=3292 Portland Pilots player profile] * {{Twitter}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cruz, Michelle}} Category:1992 births Category:Living people Category:American people of Puerto Rican descent Category:Sportspeople of Puerto Rican descent Category:American women's soccer players Category:Puerto Rican women's footballers Category:Seattle Reign FC players Category:Apollon Ladies F.C. players Category:Expatriate women's footballers in Cyprus Category:National Women's Soccer League players Category:Soccer players from Long Beach, California Category:Portland Pilots women's soccer players Category:Parade High School All-Americans (girls' soccer) Category:Women's association football defenders Category:21st-century American sportswomen