Leslie Osborne

Football player infobox
playername = Leslie Osborne


fullname = Leslie Marie Osborne
nickname =
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1983|05|27
cityofbirth = Brookfield, Wisconsin
countryofbirth = United States
height =
years = 2009-
clubs = Bay Area WPS
currentclub = Bay Area WPS
clubnumber =
position = Midfielder
youthyears =
youthclubs =
caps(goals) =
nationalyears = 2004-present
nationalteam = United States
nationalcaps(goals) = 48 (2)
pcupdate =
ntupdate = September 27, 2007|

Leslie Marie Osborne (born May 27, 1983, Brookfield, Wisconsin) is an American soccer defensive midfielder and member of the United States women's national soccer team.

Osborne grew up in Waukesha, Wisconsin and attended Catholic Memorial High School. She went on play college soccer at Santa Clara University. As a freshman, she was a key member of the Santa Clara team that won the 2001 NCAA Women's Soccer Championship. As a senior in 2004, she was a semifinalist for the Hermann Trophy and won the NCAA's Honda Award as the nation's outstanding collegiate female player.

Osborne was a member of U.S. national youth teams in 2002 and 2003, and earned her first cap with the senior national team on January 30, 2004 against Sweden. After sitting out the first U.S. game of the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup in favor of Shannon Boxx, she started and played 90 minutes in the U.S. win over Sweden. She also played 90 minutes in the 3-0 quarterfinal win against England. During the 4-0 semifinal loss to Brazil, Osborne scored an unlucky own goal during an attempt to clear an awkward corner kick, but played the full 90 minutes. She also played the entire game in the 4-1 third place match victory against Norway.

Osborne has a primary sponsorship by German sportswear giants, Puma, the only American woman to hold that distinction.

Leslie tore her ACL before the 2008 Olympics and is currently rehabbing both a knee and ankle surgery. She was recently drafted to the Bay Area Women's Professional Soccer Team for the upcoming inaugural season.

External links

* [http://www.ussoccer.com/bio/index.jsp_5965.html US Soccer profile]
* [http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=461058&root=womensworldcup2007&cc=5901 Graham Hayes, "Osborne provides unparalleled depth in midfield"] , ESPN.com, Sept. 7, 2007
* [http://santaclarabroncos.cstv.com/sports/w-soccer/spec-rel/090307aaa.html Leslie Osborne's World Cup blog (Santa Clara University)]