Sky Blue Signs 18 Year Old Matilda Aussie

Added by Steven Farkas on March 18, 2013.

Caitlin Foord

Sky Blue FC of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) has signed Australian defender Caitlin Foord, pending league approval, joining fellow Matilda Lisa De Vanna on the team’s 2013 roster. Foord, who was just 16 years old at the time, was named the ’Best Young Player’ at the 2011 FIFA World Cup after making an impression in three starts over four matches for the Australian National Team. 

Per club and league policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed.

“Caitlin is a player who has a lot of potential,” Sky Blue FC head coach Jim Gabarra said in a statement. “She is someone who grew up playing forward and converted into being a right defender, so she fits well into the system that we want our wide defenders to play. She is someone who is willing to get into the attack, and she also provides good recovery speed and makes her defensive presence felt.”

Foord began her international playing career in 2007, first representing her native country with its U-17 side. She then achieved her first cap with the full Australian National Team in May of 2011, scoring a goal in her debut performance against New Zealand. She quickly emerged as a top player for the senior side, being named to its FIFA World Cup roster later that year and making three starts in four games on the game’s biggest stage. At the professional club level, Foord began suiting up for Sydney FC in the Australian W-League in 2010, and she has remained with the team since that time.

With the signing of Foord as a Discovery Player, Sky Blue FC has now filled each of its international roster spots.