Christen Press was forced out of Angel City FC’s game Saturday night against Racing Louisville with an apparent knee injury.
Press twisted her knee and, after receiving some treatment on the field, was helped off the field by a team trainer and teammate Megan Reid. Angel City ended up substituting her shortly thereafter, bringing in Clarisse Le Bihan in the 66th minute.
Speaking to reporters after the game, Angel City head coach Freya Coombe said the prognosis was uncertain. “I haven’t had that update,” said Coombe. “I need to go in with (our medical team) and see how she’s doing.”
Midfielder Savannah McCaskill added that as a team, Angel City are “hoping and praying that she’s going to be okay, and (the injury) is nothing major.”
The injury comes at a crucial moment for both Press and the U.S. women’s national team. Press was named to the USWNT’s preliminary roster for the CONCACAF W Championship earlier this week, and Vlatko Andonovski is poised to announce the roster for this month’s national team camp, which leads right into the tournament.
The W Championship, which serves as qualifying for both the 2023 World Cup and the 2024 Paris Olympics, runs from July 4-18 in Mexico.
Christen Press helped off the pitch after an apparent knee injury. pic.twitter.com/FdSO4RTPx3
— Attacking Third (@AttackingThird) June 12, 2022
Press’ contract with Manchester United ended in June 2021, and after Louisville traded her NWSL rights to Angel City two months later, she was effectively without a club to play for until Angel City’s expansion season began this year.
Press didn’t receive call-ups for the USWNT during that spell, but as a regular 90-minute player with Angel City this year, she figured to be back in the picture for Andonovski, and has been consistently at the heart of most of the LA-based club’s goals in NWSL. In Saturday’s 3-2 win over Louisville, Press scored one before setting up another for McCaskill, who would go on to net the game-winner with a stoppage-time penalty kick.
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