Ashley Lawrence Explained

Ashley Lawrence
Fullname:Ashley Elizabeth Marie Lawrence[1]
Birth Date:11 June 1995
Birth Place:Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Height:1.68 m[2]
Position:Full-back, midfielder
Currentclub:Chelsea
Clubnumber:12
Youthclubs1:Brams United SC[3]
Youthclubs2:Erin Mills SC
Collegeyears1:2013–2016
College1:West Virginia Mountaineers
Collegecaps1:91
Collegegoals1:17
Years1:2013
Clubs1:Toronto Lady Lynx
Caps1:7
Goals1:1
Years2:2014
Clubs2:Ottawa Fury
Caps2:1
Goals2:0
Years3:2016
Clubs3:Vaughan Azzurri
Caps3:1
Goals3:0
Years4:2017–2023
Clubs4:Paris Saint-Germain
Caps4:178
Goals4:11
Clubs5:Chelsea
Caps5:18
Goals5:1
Years5:2023–
Nationalteam1:Canada U17
Nationalyears1:2010–2012
Nationalcaps1:11
Nationalgoals1:0
Nationalteam2:Canada U20
Nationalyears2:2014
Nationalcaps2:4
Nationalgoals2:0
Nationalteam3:Canada U23
Nationalyears3:2015
Nationalcaps3:4
Nationalgoals3:0
Nationalteam4:Canada
Nationalyears4:2013–
Nationalcaps4:136
Nationalgoals4:8
Pcupdate:May 18, 2024
Nationalteam-Update:July 28, 2024

Ashley Elizabeth Marie Lawrence (born June 11, 1995) is a Canadian professional soccer player who plays as a full-back or a midfielder for Women's Super League club Chelsea and the Canada national team. She has been described as "one of the best attacking full-backs in the world."[4]

College career

Lawrence played college soccer at West Virginia University for the Mountaineers, where she co-captained the team, and won numerous accolades.[5]

Club career

Early career

While playing for West Virginia University from 2013 to 2016, Lawrence played for the W-League franchises Toronto Lady Lynx in 2013[6] and Ottawa Fury in 2014.[7] In June 2016, Lawrence signed with Vaughan Azzurri of League1 Ontario to get more game action prior to the 2016 Rio Olympics.[8] She made her debut on June 26 alongside national teammate Kadeisha Buchanan in a 9–0 win over Darby FA.[9]

Paris Saint-Germain

Upon graduating from West Virginia University, Lawrence was a highly rated prospect prior to the 2017 NWSL College Draft.[10] In January 2017, Lawrence signed with Paris Saint-Germain in Division 1 Féminine, with a two-year contract.[11] [12] With PSG she reached the final of the UEFA Champions League in her first season, where they only lost on penalties against league rivals Olympique Lyon. She was one of the successful shooters on her team.[13]

As third place in the league, PSG missed the 2017/18 Champions League. In December 2018, Lawrence signed a multi-year contract extension with PSG.[14] In 2018/19, PSG was able to compete again as league runners-up, but were eliminated in the quarter-finals against Chelsea. Lawrence appeared in four of the six games.

In 2020/21 they beat Lyon in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, and were also able to replace Lyon as French champions after 14 championship titles in a row.[15]  Lawrence was used in 20 of 22 league games and in 6 Champions League games, which ended with elimination in the semi-finals against eventual winners FC Barcelona.

Chelsea F.C.

On July 1, 2023, Lawrence signed a three-year deal with Chelsea in the Women's Super League until the summer of 2026.[16] She joined the London-based club after she had represented the Parisians for the past six years.[17] She scored her first goal for Chelsea against Aston Villa on November 4, 2023.[18]

International career

Lawrence was part of the U-17 and U-20 Canadian youth national teams and took part in the U-17 World Cup in 2010 and 2012 as well as the U-20 World Cup in 2014.

She made her debut for the Canada senior team against China PR during the 2013 Four Nations Tournament on January 12. She took part in the 2013 Cyprus Cup. On November 26, 2014, she was in the starting line-up for the first time in the 1–1 draw against Sweden. She played in the 2015 Four Nations Tournament. She made another starting appearance in the 2015 Cyprus Cup final against England, which was lost 1–0.

She was called up to the squad for the 2015 World Cup hosted by her own country, where she was in the starting line-up for the opening game and also played in the subsequent games. In the last group game against the Netherlands she scored 1-0 and thus her first international and World Cup goal. She and her team were eliminated in the quarter-finals against England.

After the 2015 World Cup, Lawrence took part in the 2015 Pan American Games with the U-23 team, which also took place in her home country and where the Canadians took fourth place. In December 2015, she took part in the four-nation tournament in Brazil with the senior national team, where Canada took second place. She was also part of the squad for the 2016 Summer Olympics qualifying tournament, where Canada qualified. She was used in all games and was only not in the starting line-up in the 10–0 win against Guatemala, when some regular players were rested. In the first game against Guyana, she scored three of Canada's five goals. She was named to the tournament's all-star team as the best left midfielder.[19]

In 2016, she was named to the Olympic team squad for the Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro in August, where she played in all six games (one substitution) and won the bronze medal with the national team.[20]

On May 25, 2019, she was nominated for the 2019 World Cup.[21]  She was used in the Canadians' four games and didn't miss a minute, but her team was eliminated in the round of 16 against Sweden, who later came third.

In June 2021, Lawrence was nominated for the Olympic Games, which were postponed by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[22]  At the games she was used in the six games and was only substituted nine minutes before the end of the game in the third group game against Great Britain. On August 2, 2021, she played her 100th international match for Canada in the semi-final against the USA.[23] At 116:56 of the Olympic final, she cleared away a Swedish cross on her own goal line to prevent a header goal. Canada went on to win the match in the penalty shoot-out, winning the gold medal with her team.[24]

At the 2022 CONCACAF W Championship, she was used in the three group games, the semi-finals, and the final. By reaching the semi-finals, the Canadians qualified for the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. But in the final they lost again to the USA.

On July 9, 2023, Lawrence was nominated for the 2023 World Cup.[25] She played in each of her team's three games, and was eliminated with her team after the preliminary round by Australia.[26]

Personal life

Her mother, Tina, is originally from Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, while her father is from Jamaica.[27] [28]

Career statistics

Club

[29] [30]

ClubSeasonLeagueDomestic CupContinentalOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Paris Saint-Germain2016–17Division 1 Féminine1115050211
2017–1821060270
2018–191422040202
2019–2093315010184
2020–212011061272
2021–221705290312
2022–23200508010330
Total11272733712017711
Chelsea2023–24Women's Super League1813090301
Career total13083034612020712

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Canada201370
201440
2015151
2016203
2017100
2018121
2019150
202082
2021100
2022121
2023120
2024100
Total1368

Scores and results list Canada's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Lawrence goal.

List of international goals scored by Ashley Lawrence
No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1 15 June 2015 1–0 1–1 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup
2 11 February 2016 2–0 5–0 2016 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship
3 4–0
4 5–0
5 7 March 2018 2–0 2–0 2018 Algarve Cup
6 29 January 2020 Edinburg, United States 3–0 11–0 2020 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship
7 9–0
8 15 November 2022 1–1 1–2 Friendly

Honours

Paris Saint-Germain

Chelsea

Canada

Individual

2011, 2012

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Women's Olympic Football Tournament Tokyo 2020 Squad Lists. FIFA.
  2. http://www.fifadata.com/document/FWWC/2015/pdf/FWWC_2015_SquadLists.pdf 2015 World Cup
  3. Web site: Pro: First Youth Registration List.
  4. Web site: Chelsea land Ashley Lawrence! . 2023-11-17 . www.chelseafc.com . en-gb.
  5. Web site: Ashley Lawrence profile. West Virginia University. December 31, 2016.
  6. Web site: 2014-02-10 . United Soccer Leagues (USL) . 2023-11-16 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140210050349/http://www.uslsoccer.com/teams/2013/2466034.html . February 10, 2014 .
  7. Web site: 2014-08-10 . United Soccer Leagues (USL) . 2023-11-16 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140810225840/http://www.uslsoccer.com/teams/2014/2466030.html . August 10, 2014 .
  8. Web site: Ashley Lawrence profile . League1 Ontario . June 30, 2016.
  9. Web site: Vaughan Features Canada WNT Players In 9–0 Win Over Darby . League1 Ontario . June 27, 2016.
  10. Web site: Canadian soccer stars Kadeisha Buchanan, Ashley Lawrence mull over club futures. Neil Davidson. Vancouver Sun. December 30, 2016. January 27, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20170101090849/http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/canadian+soccer+stars+kadeisha+buchanan+ashley+lawrence+mull+over/12614992/story.html. January 1, 2017. dead.
  11. Web site: Ashley Lawrence signs for Paris Saint-Germain. PSG official website. PSG press. January 3, 2017. January 4, 2017. January 6, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170106121943/http://www.psg.fr/en/News/003001/Article/78459/Ashley-Lawrence-signs-for-Paris-Saint-Germain. dead.
  12. Web site: Canadian women's soccer star Ashley Lawrence signs with French club PSG. Laura Armstrong. Toronto Star. January 3, 2017.
  13. Web site: Olympique Lyonnais vs. PSG - 1 June 2017 - Women Soccerway . 2023-11-16 . www.women.soccerway.com.
  14. Web site: December 12, 2018 . Canada's Ashley Lawrence signs new deal with Paris Saint-Germain . Sportsnet.
  15. Web site: Däbritz und PSG beenden Regentschaft von Lyon . 2023-11-16 . weltfussball.de . de.
  16. Web site: Chelsea land Ashley Lawrence! . 2023-11-16 . www.chelseafc.com . en-gb.
  17. Web site: Chelsea land Ashley Lawrence . Chelsea official website . June 30, 2023 . June 30, 2023.
  18. Web site: Miranda . Fellipe . 2023-11-04 . WATCH: Ashley Lawrence's first ever Chelsea goal makes it 4-0 against Aston Villa! . 2023-11-17 . We Ain't Got No History . en.
  19. Web site: 2016-03-03 . TSG announces CWOQ Best XI, Awards . 2023-11-16 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160303153243/http://www.concacaf.com/article/tsg-announces-cwoq-best-xi-awards . March 3, 2016 .
  20. Web site: Canada defeats Brazil to win Olympic soccer bronze at Rio 2016 . olympic.ca . 19 August 2016 .
  21. Web site: 2019-05-25 . Ensemble, visons haut: Canada Soccer dévoile sa sélection pour la Coupe du Monde Féminine de la FIFA, France 2019 Canada Soccer . 2023-11-16 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190525174231/https://www.canadasoccer.com/together-we-rise-canada-soccer-announces-squad-for-the-fifa-women-s-world-cup-france-2019-p162195 . May 25, 2019 .
  22. Web site: Canada Soccer unveils Women's National Team roster for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games - Canada Soccer . 2023-11-16 . en-CA.
  23. Web site: A century to remember for Canada's Lawrence . FIFA . 2 August 2021 .
  24. Web site: 6 August 2021 . Canadian women's soccer team delivers thrilling Olympic gold-medal victory over Sweden . CBC.
  25. Web site: Canada Soccer unveils FIFA Women's World Cup squad for Australia & New Zealand 2023 - Canada Soccer . 2023-11-16 . en-CA.
  26. Web site: Ergebnisse & Spielpläne .
  27. https://torontosun.com/news/local-news/warmington-golden-olympic-moment-shared-by-soccer-stars-proud-families WARMINGTON: Golden Olympic moment shared by soccer stars’ proud families
  28. Web site: Canada Soccer profile . Canada Soccer . May 10, 2014.
  29. Web site: Ashley Lawrence Profile . January 31, 2017.
  30. Web site: Ashley Lawrence . statsfootofeminin.fr . June 1, 2017.
  31. Web site: Loyant. Richard. 4 June 2021. Paris SG sacré pour la première fois. live. 4 June 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210604212434/https://www.fff.fr/article/2976-paris-sg-sacre-pour-la-premiere-fois.html . June 4, 2021 .
  32. News: Football féminin : le Paris-Saint-Germain détrône Lyon et gagne la Coupe de France. Le Monde.fr . 1 June 2018. 15 May 2022.
  33. Web site: Coupe de France féminine : les Parisiennes sans pitié pour Yzeure. 15 May 2022. 15 May 2022.
  34. Web site: Sanders . Emma . Manchester United 0-6 Chelsea: Chelsea win fifth straight title as Hayes signs off in style . BBC Sport . 18 May 2024 . 18 May 2024.
  35. Web site: Shaw, Leon, Ovalle head up W Gold Cup Best XI . CONCACAF . March 13, 2024 . March 14, 2024 . english.
  36. Web site: TSG announces CWOQ Best XI, Awards. CONCACAF . November 17, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160303153243/http://www.concacaf.com/article/tsg-announces-cwoq-best-xi-awards. March 3, 2016. dead.
  37. Web site: Canada Soccer announces Ashley Lawrence as 2019 Canadian Player of the Year. Canadian Soccer Association. December 12, 2019. December 13, 2019. April 24, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200424053554/https://www.canadasoccer.com/canada-soccer-announces-ashley-lawrence-as-2019-canadian-player-of-the-year-p162518. dead.