U.S. women’s national team forward Christen Press isn’t giving up on the World Cup, but admitted her recovery from an ACL tear has taken “a bit longer than I had hoped.”
Press tore her ACL in June 2022 during an NWSL match with Angel City FC. In March, the forward posted an update on her Instagram account that indicated she was forced to undergo additional surgeries.
“1 knee. 8 months. 3 surgeries,” Press said. “My unique journey. Relentless optimism + enduring hope. Little wins. Letting go.”
With the World Cup less than three months away and her return date still unknown, Press appears to be a longshot to make the USWNT roster. But in an interview with Futbol Americas, the 34-year-old said she is not giving up hope.
“It has been a unique recovery journey. I’ve had some setbacks and I’ve had some ups and downs,” Press said. “I think that’s normal. I think this took a bit longer than I had hoped up until now. But I’m in the final stretch of my recovery. I’m starting to feel like myself again, getting my body back. Hopefully I’ll be joining the team soon.”
Asked about a late run to the USWNT World Cup squad, Press said: “There has never been a moment where I lost hope or took my focus off of the World Cup from the moment that I got injured until now. It’s the North Star for all of us professional players and it’s a motivation.
“Obviously, the timing is really tough but I’m doing everything I can to get back as quickly as possible because it would be a dream come true to represent my country again at that level.”
Press has not played for the USWNT since the Olympics in 2021. Following the tournament in Japan, she took some time away from the game to focus on her mental health.
Just after her injury last summer, USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski said that Press would have been left off his CONCACAF W Championship roster even if she hadn’t suffered the ACL tear, citing the increased competition at the forward spot.
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