Tokyo Calympian: Daisy Cleverley, Soccer, New Zealand
Tokyo Calympian: Daisy Cleverley, Soccer, New Zealand
Cleverley will again team up with another Cal alum Betsy Hassett on the Football Ferns
Daisy Cleverley may have finished up her collegiate eligibility as a graduate transfer at Georgetown this past season, where she worked on a Master’s Degree in Integrated Marketing and Communications, but we definitely still count this Cal alumnus as a “Calympian”.
Daisy Cleverley
Sport: Soccer
Nation: New Zealand
Hometown: Auckland, New Zealand
Olympic Appearance: 1st
Age: 24 (April 30, 1997)
Cal connection: Alumnus (‘20, Environmental Economics and Policy with a minor in Conservation & Resource Studies)
Cal accomplishments: While Cleverley’s contritbutions often does not show up on the box score, the midfielder was a big part of the Cal rotation when healthy. Overall, she played in 50 games while starting 40. Cleverley scored her lone goal her freshman season and had three assists.
In 14 matches with Georgetown this spring, Cleverley scored twice.
True to her name, Cleverley is quite clever academically and have earned numerous academic accolades.
Daisy Celverley made her New Zealand Football Fern debut back in 2014 (three years prior to arriving at Cal) and scored a brace against Tonga in a 16-0 rout.
While this will be Cleverley’s first official Olympic Games as an active player, she got to experience the 2016 Rio Games as an alternate. Of course, the big international stage should be nothing new to this two-time veteran of the Women’s World Cup, although she did not see any action. Although she has been a regular for New Zealand Senior National Team since 2014, Cleverley apparently had only appeared in 8 matches. Those two goals against Tonga are her only international goals thus far.
Nonetheless, check out Daisy Cleveley’s ball skills in the video below with Luca Deza (who left Cal early to play as a pro in Spain).
Cleverley will probably serve as a midfield backup to Cal alum Betsy Hassett and others on Football Ferns. She is obviously still young enough to carve out a bigger role on that squad one of these days.
Off the pitch, Cleverley is passionate about plant-based diet. She apparently taught a De-Cal course at Cal on plant-based cooking and would be creating her own company “selling a successful plant-based protein product” when her playing days are done.
Best of luck to Daisy Cleverley and the Football Ferns in Tokyo!
Women’s Soccer Schedule
A 12-team tournament, women’s soccer at the 2020 Tokyo games will take place from July 21 to August 6, 2021 across seven venues across six cities.
New Zealand is in Group G (there are only three - E, F, G) with favorite United States, Sweden, and Australia.
July 21st - New Zealand vs. Australia from Tokyo Stadium, Tokyo
July 24th - New Zealand vs. United States from Saitama Stadium 2002, Saitama
July 27th - New Zealand vs. Sweden from Miyagi Stadiu, Rifu
The top-2 of each group and the top-2 of the three 3rd place teams will advance to the knockout stage.
GO BEARS!
https://guhoyas.com/news/2020/10/6/womens-soccer-get-to-know-the-hoyas-daisy-cleverley
Wow she seems really great! Going to be rooting for her!