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Riley Jackson
Riley Francis Jackson (born December 2, 2005) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for the North Carolina Courage of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She was named the national Gatorade Player of the Year in 2022. She signed with the Courage at the age of 17 in 2023. She represented the United States at the under-17 and under-20 level, helping win bronze at the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup. Early lifeJackson grew up in Roswell, Georgia.[2] She played ten years of club soccer for Roswell Soccer Club, a team coached by her father.[2] She then joined Concorde Fire of the Elite Clubs National League (ECNL), where she played up an age group.[2] She was named the ECNL's Southeast Conference Player of the Year in 2020–21. After helping the Fire win the national club title, she was named the national ECNL Player of the Year in 2021–22.[3][4] Jackson played high school soccer for Blessed Trinity Catholic High School in Roswell, recording 36 goals and 48 assists over her career.[5] In her sophomore year in 2021–22, she scored 14 goals and had 18 assists and was named the national Gatorade Player of the Year.[6] Club careerNorth Carolina CourageJackson was signed by the North Carolina Courage in July 2023 at age 17, via the NWSL's Under-18 Entry Mechanism, with her contract guaranteed through the 2025 season with an option for an additional year.[7][8] She had previously verbally committed to Duke University and instead finished high school online.[9][10] She did not appear in a game in the 2023 season.[11] Jackson made her professional debut as a 90th-minute substitute for Ashley Sanchez on the opening matchday against the Houston Dash on March 16, 2024.[12] She earned her first start in her 12th appearance on June 23, a 3–1 home win over the Chicago Red Stars.[13] On July 26, she scored her first professional goal on a stoppage-time shot from outside the box to tie Racing Louisville FC 1–1 in the Summer Cup group stage.[14] International careerJackson got her first call up to a youth national team training camp with the under-15 team in October 2019.[2] She trained again with the team in March 2020 at a camp run by her future Courage coach Sean Nahas.[9][15] When youth soccer returned from its COVID-19 pandemic hiatus, Jackson traveled abroad for the first time to play for the national under-17 team at the 2022 CONCACAF Women's U-17 Championship in the Dominican Republic.[2] She co-captained the team to win the tournament, scoring two goals and making three assists, and was awarded the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player.[4] She recorded two assists at the 2022 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup, where the United States fell in the quarterfinals on penalties.[4] Jackson played friendlies for the under-20 team before being selected to the roster for the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup.[16][17] She played all but 45 minutes at the U-20 Women's World Cup, helping the United States finish in third place, its best result since 2012. She converted a penalty kick in a shootout win over Germany in the quarterfinals.[18][19] References
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