(Reuters) – Megan Rapinoe, a two-time World Cup winner, had to leave the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) championship in the third minute due to an injury, marking her final professional appearance. The anticipated match between OL Reign and Gotham FC was supposed to be an emotional farewell for Rapinoe and her former U.S. women’s national team mate Ali Krieger.
Rapinoe’s exit from the match was abrupt as she suffered a non-contact injury, clutching her right calf before limping off the field. The fans at San Diego’s Snapdragon Stadium showed their support by giving her a standing ovation as she left the field.
Krieger, a defender for Gotham FC, ran to her friend and offered Rapinoe an embrace as she exited the pitch. Despite being sidelined earlier this year with a calf injury, the 38-year-old Olympic gold medallist’s quick exit from her final match left fans and fellow U.S. women’s national team veterans stunned.
“Absolutely gutted,” retired U.S. great Mia Hamm wrote on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
The showdown between OL Reign and Gotham FC was highly anticipated as an emotional farewell for the 2019 Ballon d’Or winner and her former U.S. women’s national team mate Ali Krieger. The retirement party came to an abrupt end as Rapinoe went down with an apparent non-contact injury, grasping at her right calf before limping off the field as the fans at San Diego’s Snapdragon Stadium gave her a standing ovation.
The 38-year-old Olympic gold medallist Rapinoe was sidelined this year with a calf injury but her quick exit from her final professional match nonetheless left fans and fellow U.S. women’s national team veterans stunned.
“Absolutely gutted,” retired U.S. great Mia Hamm wrote on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
(Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York; editing by Robert Birsel)
