Feb. 15, 2018
By Zac Ellis
VUCommodores.com
A few days following the conclusion of the National Women’s Soccer League’s College Draft on Jan. 18, Simone Charley‘s cell phone buzzed. It was a text from Commodores’ head soccer coach Darren Ambrose.
Call me right now!
Charley, a graduating senior forward for the Dores, rang her coach and received exciting news: the NWSL’s Portland Thorns had extended an invite to Charley to join the team during its preseason practice in February. For Charley, who hadn’t been selected in the NWSL draft, that phone call was a breath of fresh air.
“I was super excited,” Charley recalled. “I later called my parents freaking out. I had been pretty disappointed after the draft. But when I got the call from Portland, which was essentially an invitation to skip tryouts and come straight to preseason, I was like, I’m in!”
Charley isn’t the only former Commodore fielding an opportunity in the NWSL. Her former Vanderbilt teammate, senior defender Cristina De Zeeuw, also went undrafted but received the same invitation from the Thorns. The duo will travel to Portland this weekend and begin training on Monday for a shot at signing contracts with the Thorns at a later date.
Now Charley and De Zeeuw get to team up once again in living out their childhood dreams of professional soccer.
“Simone and I always talked about what it would be like to wind up on the same team,” De Zeeuw said. “Now, we’re going to the same preseason camp in Portland. Having this opportunity and chance to train with a team like this, it means the world to me. It’s just cool that everything we’ve worked for is paying off.”
Charley and De Zeeuw played key roles in the evolution of Vanderbilt soccer during their tenures on West End. In Charley’s first season in 2013, the Dores finished 4-12-3 (1-9-1 SEC). De Zeeuw arrived in 2014 as Vanderbilt improved to 7-10-2 (2-7-2 SEC). But in 2017, that senior duo helped the program advance to the SEC tournament semifinals for the first time since 2005 and earn its first NCAA tournament berth since 2006. The Commodores then upset No. 4 seed Ohio State, 2-1, for their first NCAA victory since 1998.
Ambrose said Charley and De Zeeuw possess the skills necessary to succeed in professional soccer.
“I am thrilled for both Tina and Simone for this opportunity,” Ambrose said. “They have worked hard in the time they have been in the Vanderbilt program and it speaks volumes about what commitment and hard work can do. They are both very capable players and we are very hopeful for a bright future in the game for them.”
Charley and De Zeeuw venture to Portland on Thursday for team meetings this weekend. The Thorns then begin preseason practice on Monday. With a shot at pro careers, both former Commodores say they plan to make the most of this opportunity.
“This has been a dream of mine since I was five years old,” Charley said. “Like I told my parents, it doesn’t even feel real yet. Now that it’s actually here and you’ve dreamed about it for so long, it’s like, oh my gosh, this is real!”
Added De Zeeuw: “Coach Ambrose keeps telling me that I’ve done everything I can to put myself in this position. Now, it’s about going to play and enjoying the experience. I’m just excited for the opportunity. Portland is an amazing city. I’m excited this is happening and I’m ready for what’s ahead.”
Zac Ellis is the Wrier and Digital Media Editor for Vanderbilt Athletics.
