Playing in the final game of her storied soccer career, Megan Rapinoe went down with an injury — which she believes is an Achilles tear.
In the NWSL championship game, a 2-1 win for NJ/NY Gotham FC, Rapinoe, a forward for the OL Reign, tried to make a play on the ball on the defensive half of the field when she went down with a non-contact injury to hurt right leg.
After a delay, the U.S. Women’s National Team icon was substituted from the game in the sixth minute by Bethany Balcer, and Rapinoe shared a hug with Gotham FC’s Ali Krieger, a fellow USWNT star also playing in her final professional soccer game, who added another title to her belt after winning two World Cups.
The championship is Gotham FC’s first-ever title in franchise history.
After the game, Rapinoe told CBS Sports that she believes she tore her Achilles tendon on the play.
“This is a tough one, definitely now how I envisioned this last one going, pretty sure I tore my Achilles,” she said to CBS Sports after the loss.
“I mean so proud of the group. Obviously, they put everything out there. So deserving to Gotham, they’ve had such a great year. Just thank you to everyone who’s been on the journey for all this time, it’s been amazing. … Just super proud of my whole career.”
In July, the 38-year-old Rapinoe announced that this year’s Women’s World Cup and NWSL season would be her last in soccer.
Rapinoe told reporters after the game that she’s had so many good finishes in her career, but those don’t always happen in sports.
“You don’t always get to have the perfect ending,” said Rapinoe, per the Associated Press. “I’ve had so many perfect endings, even just thinking back to 2019, that was the most perfect whole script you could ever write personally and as a team, just what it meant. On balance, I don’t think anything that negative about it.”
As for her former USWNT teammate, Krieger might’ve been sore but she came out on top with one last title.
“I don’t think I could dream of a better ending for myself,” Krieger said, per the AP. “I just want to ride off into the sunset and enjoy this with my family and friends and kids, most importantly, and my teammates. My back hurts, my calves hurt. I love it so much and it’s so much fun. But it’s time. This is the perfect ending for me.”
Rapinoe won two World Cups in 2015 and 2019, and she was named the Best FIFA Women’s Player in the latter year.
She recorded nine goals and seven assists over four different World Cup appearances.
Esther González scored what proved to be the winning goal in stoppage time in the first half.
Despite Gotham FC goalkeeper Amanda Haught taking a red card in stoppage time of the second half, the team held on for a win and its first title.
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