Zoe Van de Cloot provides an immediate presence for Syracuse’s backline

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Zoe Van de Cloot struggled when she landed in the United States for the first time. Hailing from Zoersel, Belgium, Van de Cloot wasn’t adept in English. On the pitch, she had trouble communicating with her teammates.

But Van de Cloot’s teammates at Central Arkansas (UCA) welcomed her on the first day of school. They decorated her room and drove her around downtown Conway, Arkansas. When Van de Cloot couldn’t fly back home for Christmas because of the COVID-19 pandemic, her teammates invited her to join them for the holidays in places like Texas and California.

After adapting to a new country, Van de Cloot has progressed into being a key defender for Syracuse. She spent her freshman season at Central Arkansas, starting all 18 games she played in. Heading into her sophomore year, she transferred to SU. With the Orange, Van de Cloot has completed her transition from being unfamiliar with English to becoming a confident, high-level communicator in the backline.

Van de Cloot has always pushed through adversity. When she was 5, Van de Cloot was invited to join a soccer practice against boys her age in Belgium. Her father, Bart, said that after the training session, Van de Cloot was interested in the sport.

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Soon after, Van de Cloot began her soccer career with KFC Antonia, a boy’s club located in Zoersel. Koen Mortiers, a trainer for KFC Antonia, described Van de Cloot as quick, perceptive and efficient.

When Van de Cloot was 8, she helped KFC Antonia to the final of Vereniging Antwerpse Clubs van Lagere Afdelingen (VACLA), a Belgian independent soccer federation. In the championship game, Van de Cloot scored en route to a 12-4 trouncing of Kessel.

Through her performance at the club level, Van de Cloot progressed into a solid defender. Her development began to take shape after she was selected by Belgium’s U15 national team while she was 12 years old.

She scored the first international goal of her career at the U16 level and helped Belgium tie Ireland in an international friendly. Last year, she went back to the U23 Belgium training camp, playing three games against Sweden, Norway and England.

“I think on the national team, we play different countries, and we also have different styles,” Van de Cloot said. “I got used to the more physical play and it helped me coming here to America.”

According to Bart, he and Van de Cloot’s mother, Isabelle, took their daughter to a meeting with OverBoarder, a Belgian agency that helps young people receive American scholarships. After the conversation, Van de Cloot decided to play soccer in the U.S., earning a scholarship from UCA.

“In Belgium, it is very hard to go to the university and play soccer on a high level,” Bart said.

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During her freshman year with the Bears, Van de Cloot tallied two goals and six assists. Central Arkansas’ offense was dependent on Van de Cloot, who often stole the ball from opposing strikers before sparking attacks on the other end. In 2020, Van de Cloot was named Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Week twice.

“Zoe (was solid) on the defensive side of the ball and did a great job joining our attack,” Central Arkansas head coach Jeremy Bishop said.

Van de Cloot transferred to Syracuse going into the 2021 season. Despite starting all 17 games in her first season with the Orange, Van de Cloot was relegated to a bench role in 2022. She appeared in seven games with only one start.

“I tried to just forget about (the benching) and just keep going,” Van de Cloot said. “Because if I get too frustrated, it will affect my game.”

This season, Van de Cloot has revamped her game, becoming a consistent starter. SU head coach Nicky Thrasher Adams switched her from center back to midfielder.

Her knowledge on multiple levels of the field has helped her form into an excellent communicator. While the language barrier remains, she’s become more vocal on the pitch than ever.

“I think it’s important for a central back to see the whole field and then play simple,” Van de Cloot said. “I just like to play simple and then communicate and be tight on my mark.”