Havana Solaun

Havana Marguerite Solaun (born February 23, 1993) is a Jamaican professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for North Carolina Courage of the American National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) and the Jamaica women's national team.

Havana Solaun
Personal information
Full name Havana Marguerite Solaun[1]
Date of birth (1993-02-23) February 23, 1993
Place of birth Hong Kong[2]
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Club information
Current team
 North Carolina Courage
Number 32
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2011–2014 Florida Gators 90 (30)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2015–2016 Seattle Reign FC 4 (1)
2017–2018 Washington Spirit 37 (5)
2019 Klepp IL 20 (10)
2020 Paris FC 0 (0)
2020 Apollon Ladies 0 (0)
2020– North Carolina Courage 0 (0)
National team‡
2009–2010 United States U17 5 (3)
2014–2016 United States U23 5 (0)
2019– Jamaica 4 (1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of August 17, 2019 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 18 June 2019

Solaun began her professional career with the NWSL's Seattle Reign FC in 2015. After two years, she was traded to the Washington Spirit. Solaun is a former United States youth international, most recently at the U23 level.

Early life

Solaun's family moved back to the United States when she was two. She attended Buchholz High School in Gainesville, Florida.[3] From 2008 to 2010, she was named to the All-Area Girls Soccer first-team by The Gainesville Sun.[4]

University of Florida Gators, 2011–2014

Solaun attended the University of Florida from 2011 to 2014 where she played soccer for the Florida Gators and was a four-year starting midfielder.[3] Solaun earned All-Southeastern Conference first team honors in 2014 and 2013 and also appeared on the NSCAA All-South Region teams those same seasons.[5][6] As a senior in 2014, Solaun registered collegiate best totals for goals(9), assists (9) and points (27) to finish second among the Gators in each category.[7]

Club career

Seattle Reign FC, 2015–2016

Solaun was selected 15th overall by Seattle Reign FC during the 2015 NWSL College Draft.[8][9] After signing with the team a few months later, Seattle Reign FC head coach Laura Harvey said, "Havana is a young, talented player who is very good on the ball. The most important thing for us is she is also very comfortable in possession, whether under pressure or not, she can keep control of the ball and move it in the way that we want her to."[10] Solaun made her debut for the Reign during 2–0 win over the University of Washington during preseason play but sat out the season after suffering an injury.[11][12] During the team's first 2016 pre-season match against the Portland Thorns, Solaun scored the game-winning goal in the 75th minute helping the Reign win 2–0.[13] She made her debut for the club during its season opener against Sky Blue FC on April 17.[14] She scored her first goal during a match against the Houston Dash leading the Reign to a 1–0 win.[15][16]

Solaun (right) with Reign FC teammate, Carson Pickett, 2016.

Washington Spirit, 2017–2018

Solaun's player rights were traded to the Washington Spirit in November 2016 in exchange for Spirit players Christine Nairn and Madalyn Schiffel. She signed with the team in December.[17] Solaun would become a regular starter for the Spirit, earning 24 appearances and scoring 5 goals during her first season.

Klepp IL, 2019

Despite a new contract offer from Washington Spirit, Solaun elected to join Norwegian club Klepp IL on a free transfer for 2019.[18]

Paris FC, 2020

On January 12, D1 Féminine team Paris FC announced they had signed Solaun.

Apollon Ladies, 2020

Unable to appear for Paris FC due to the coronavirus pandemic, Solaun signed for Cypriot club Apollon Ladies for their UEFA Women's Champions League campaign.[19]

North Carolina Courage, 2020–present

Solaun signed a short-term contract to play for North Carolina Courage during the 2020 NWSL Fall Series.[20] In January 2021, she signed a one-year contract with a one-year option for the team.[21]

International career

Born in Hong Kong to a Cuban American father (Felix Solaun,[22] born in the United States shortly after his parents Félix Solaun and Hilda Luis moved from their native Havana)[23] and a Jamaican mother (Sandra Brower,[24] formerly Solaun, née Phillips), Solaun was originally eligible to play for the national teams of Hong Kong, the United States, Cuba or Jamaica.

Youth national teams

Solaun represented the United States on the under-17 (2010 CONCACAF Women's U-17 Championship), under-20 and under-23 national teams.[25] As Solaun had previously lived in Canada (also in Singapore),[26] she participated in a centralized camp of the Canadian national team in February 2015.[27][28]

Jamaica senior national team

Following the historic FIFA Women's World Cup qualification by the Jamaica women's national football team, Solaun was named to its training camp roster in January 2019.[29] She made her debut on March 3 that year in a 3–2 friendly win against Chile.[30]

On June 18, 2019, Solaun scored Jamaica's first-ever goal in a FIFA Women's World Cup shortly after coming on as a second-half substitute against Australia.[31]

International goals

Scores and results list Jamaica's goal tally first

No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1
18 June 2019Stade des Alpes, Grenoble, France Australia
1–2
1–4
2019 FIFA Women's World Cup
2
4 February 2020H-E-B Park, Edinburg, United States Saint Kitts and Nevis
3–0
7–0
2020 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship

Personal life

Solaun's first name, Havana, is a tribute to her paternal grandparents' birthplace.[32]

See also

References
  1. "Havana Marguerite Solaun – Profil" (in Norwegian). Norges Fotballforbund.
  2. Wyne, Zaneta (June 7, 2019). ""Never Let Fear Deter You." – Havana Solaun". Femletics. Retrieved June 19, 2019. PoB: Gainesville, Florida, United States
  3. "Havana Solaun". University of Florida. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved March 15, 2016.
  4. Johnson, Richard (February 27, 2013). "Gainesville native and Gators soccer star Havana Solaun". ESPN Gainesville. Archived from the original on April 5, 2016. Retrieved March 15, 2016.
  5. Provenzano, Michelle (April 25, 2013). "Gators Women's Soccer Havana Solaun soars to new heights". ESPN Gainesville. Archived from the original on April 5, 2016. Retrieved March 15, 2016.
  6. "Shine in the Moment: Florida's Havana Solaun". SEC Sports. June 27, 2014. Retrieved March 15, 2016.
  7. Harvin, Jim (September 5, 2014). "Solaun's return to lineup keys No. 8 Florida's fast start". Gainesville Sun. Retrieved March 15, 2016.
  8. Pentz, Matt (January 15, 2015). "Reign FC picks up pair of players, Seattle U.'s Verdoia goes to Boston in NWSL Draft". Seattle Times. Retrieved March 15, 2016.
  9. "NWSL Draft: Reign Select Florida's Havana Solaun". Sounder at Heart. January 16, 2015. Retrieved March 15, 2016.
  10. "Reign FC Sign Second Round Draft Pick Havana Solaun". Seattle Reign. April 3, 2015. Retrieved March 15, 2016.
  11. "Reign's Havana Solaun Called Up To U23 WNT Camp". Sounder at Heart. January 24, 2016. Retrieved March 15, 2016.
  12. Harvin, Jim (August 21, 2013). "Solaun builds on experience abroad". The Gainesville Sun. Archived from the original on April 4, 2016. Retrieved March 15, 2016.
  13. Blue, Molly (March 27, 2016). "Portland Thorns lose 2–0 to Seattle Reign FC in preseason match at Providence Park". The Oregonian. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
  14. Lee, Allison (April 17, 2016). "Sky Blue FC opens 2016 with 2–1 upset of Seattle Reign". Once a Metro. Retrieved April 18, 2016.
  15. "Havana Solaun's goal lifts Reign, but work remains". The Seattle Times. June 12, 2016. Retrieved June 13, 2016.
  16. "Reign FC Shout Out Dash in 1–0 Win". National Women's Soccer League. June 12, 2016. Archived from the original on September 11, 2016. Retrieved June 13, 2016.
  17. "Washington Spirit Signs Midfielder Havana Solaun". Washington Spirit. December 21, 2016. Retrieved June 4, 2017.
  18. Anderson, Jason (January 17, 2019). "Washington Spirit news round-up: Megan Crosson in, several players out". Black and Red United. Retrieved January 18, 2019.
  19. Cowan, Sherdon (September 13, 2020). "Reggae Girl Solaun finds new home with Apollon Ladies in Cyprus". Jamaica Observer. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
  20. Birkedal, Morgan (September 30, 2020). "NORTH CAROLINA COURAGE SIGN JAMAICAN MIDFIELDER HAVANA SOLAUN". North Carolina Courage. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
  21. "RYLEE BAISDEN AND HAVANA SOLAUN INK CONTRACTS FOLLOWING STELLAR FALL SERIES PERFORMANCES". North Carolina Courage. January 5, 2021.
  22. "A to Z: Sierra Solaun". Gainesville Sun (Gainesville, Florida).
  23. "Felix Manuel Solaun Obituary – Jacksonville, FL". Dignity Memorial.
  24. "Florida Gulf Coast University Eagles Athletics – Zhoe Solaun – 2012–13". Florida Gulf Coast University.
  25. "U-23 WNT Set to Travel to Croatia for Istria Cup". United States Soccer Federation. February 16, 2016. Retrieved March 15, 2016.
  26. "Havana Solaun (USA)". Canada Soccer.
  27. "[2015-02] Centralised Development Program". Canada Soccer. Retrieved June 18, 2016.
  28. "Determined: Solaun moving past ACL tear, making impact for Gators". The Independent Florida Alligator. October 24, 2014. Retrieved June 18, 2016.
  29. "Reggae Girlz Training Squad". Facebook. Jamaica Football Federation. Retrieved January 18, 2019.
  30. "Solaun completes Reggae Girlz squad". jamaica-star.com. Retrieved June 18, 2019.
  31. Jamaica score right after half-time to cut Matildas' lead to a goal | The World Game, retrieved June 18, 2019
  32. "Havana Gets FIFA's Nod To Play For Jamaica's Reggae Girlz". The Readers Bureau. May 29, 2019. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
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