U.S. women’s national team captain and famous non-goalscorer Becky Sauerbrunn scored a goal today, giving the Portland Thorns a 2-0 lead over the Orlando Pride.
Just four minutes after Portland had jumped in front on an emphatic volley from Hina Sugita, the Thorns won a free kick out on the left wing. Sam Coffey, who will join Sauerbrunn in the USWNT camp that begins after this weekend’s NWSL games, powered the dead ball past the wall, forcing Erin McLeod into a great save, only for Sauerbrunn to beat everyone to the rebound for her first goal since joining Portland in 2020.
Sauerbrunn had nearly scored earlier in the game, floating a back-post header across goal only for McLeod to produce a top-notch save to tip that effort wide of the post.
Just nine days before her goal, Sauerbrunn pledged to donate $500 to Playing for Pride, an LGBTQI+ advocacy campaign, for any goal she scores in the month of June.
I’ll be donating $250 for every appearance, $100 for every goal we score, and $500 if I’m the one scoring it (may the “get Becky a goal” effort begin).
Interested in donating and learning more? Tap ➡️ : https://t.co/qYb9zyVa8v
— Becky Sauerbrunn (@beckysauerbrunn) June 10, 2022
Sauerbrunn’s USWNT history includes 202 caps, but she hasn’t scored, making the idea of her getting a goal a long-running joke for fans. She has, however, occasionally scored a goal at the club level. Her last NWSL goal came on September 6, 2019, when she was playing for Utah Royals FC (and, funnily enough, it was a game-winner against Portland).
In fully professional club play, Sauerbrunn scored three times for FC Kansas City between 2013-2017, as well as a loan goal for the Washington Freedom in WPS and for Røa IL in Norway.
See Becky Sauerbrunn’s goal
Last goal was against the Thorns. Today, she scores WITH the Thorns. @beckysauerbrunn, take a bow. #PORvORL#BAONPDX | @ThornsFC pic.twitter.com/lUew8ve6kA
— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) June 19, 2022
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