Full name Shirley Cruz Trana 1997–1999 CF Universidad Position Midfielder Number 28 Height 1.65 m | Playing position Role Football player Name Shirley Cruz | |
Date of birth (1985-08-28) 28 August 1985 (age 30) Current team Paris Saint-Germain Feminines Profiles | ||
Place of birth San Jose, Costa Rica | ||
#CONCACAFawards 2016 | Female Player of the Year Nominee | Shirley Cruz
Shirley Cruz Traña (born 28 August 1985) is a Costa Rican football player who plays for French club Paris Saint-Germain in the Division 1 Féminine. Cruz joined Lyon in January 2006 having previously played for the women's section of Costa Rican UCEM Alajuela and plays as a creative midfielder, often acting as a deep-lying playmaker. She is also a member of the Costa Rica women's national football team making her first major tournament appearance with her nation at the 2002 CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup, which served as a qualifying tournament for the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup.
Contents
- CONCACAFawards 2016 Female Player of the Year Nominee Shirley Cruz
- Career
- International career
- Club
- International
- References
Career
Cruz was born in the capital city of San José and discovered and learned the sport of football from her seven brothers. She began her football career at CF Universidad in San Pedro, San José. Cruz made a name for herself following her performance at the 1999 edition of the Los Juegos Deportivos Nacionales de San Carlos, translated as the National Sporting Games of San Carlos. She later played for local clubs AD Goicoechea, CS Desamparados, and UCEM Alajuela. With Alajuela, Cruz won three league titles and also earned the top scorer award once.
Due to her performances locally, she signed with UCEM Alajuela and, in January 2006, moved abroad signing with Division 1 Féminine club Olympique Lyonnais. With her move, she became only the second Costa Rican women's football player, alongside Gabriela Trujillo, to play league football outside the country. Due to joining the club mid-season, Cruz appeared in only seven league matches scoring three goals. The 2006–07 season saw her playing time increase to 12 matches and also saw Lyon win their first league title under their new emblem. In the Challenge de France, Cruz was instrumental in helping Lyon reaching the final, where they lost to Montpellier on penalties scoring four goals in five appearances. The next season saw Lyon win the double following their league title and 3–0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the Challenge de France. Cruz appeared in 32 total matches, which included appearances in the UEFA Women's Cup.
Cruz appeared in all 22 league matches (starting 20) during the 2008–09 season, which saw Lyon win their third straight title. She also appeared in all seven UEFA Women's Cup matches, where Lyon suffered elimination in the semi-finals after losing 2–4 on aggregate to German club FCR 2001 Duisburg. On 18 September 2009, Cruz, for the first time, signed with Lyon under professional terms (previously contracts were semi-professional) after agreeing to a two-year contract, which will keep her at the club until 2011. Cruz got off to a quick start for the 2009–10 season scoring a hat trick in the opening league match against AS Montigny-le-Bretonneux, which ended in a 6–0 victory.
International career
Cruz has earned caps with the Costa Rican under-19 and under-20 women's teams. Her first appearance with the senior team occurred at the 2002 CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup, which served as a qualifying tournament for the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup. Following a match in 2004 against Canada, in which she suffered a sprained right knee, Cruz did not feature with the national team for the next two years, due to commitments with her football club. In 2006, she made herself available for selection making her return to the team during qualification for the 2006 CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup.
Costa Rica qualified for its first ever FIFA Women's World Cup tournament and Cruz captained the team at the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada, playing all three of Costa Rica's matches.
Club
Lyon
International
Costa Rica