One of the all-time greats for the U.S. women’s national team believes her international career has come to an end.
Longtime USWNT captain Becky Sauerbrunn has said that she is closing the book on a storied national team career that has seen her earn 219 caps and win two World Cups.
Sauerbrunn missed the 2023 World Cup due to injury and has made three USWNT appearances after the tournament last summer, most recently starting in the team’s shock 2-0 defeat to Mexico in the W Gold Cup in February.
Though the 39-year-old continues to be a regular for the Portland Thorns, she hasn’t been called in since the Gold Cup. That has left her with the conclusion that she has likely played her final game for the USWNT — save for any potential testimonial game.
“I think that chapter of my career is over, so I think I’ve also been working through all of those emotions as well,” Sauerbrunn said in an appearance on “Good Game with Sarah Spain” from iHeartPodcast.
The center back has been watching closely as the USWNT has reached Saturday’s gold medal game at the Olympics. Though it’s been difficult to not be on the team, Sauerbrunn said she’s leaned on other players — like the retired Sam Mewis — who were unable to be in France with the team.
“Obviously I gave it a go and I just didn’t make the team,” Sauerbrunn said. “So watching it this go-round was kind of a new experience, but it’s been great because I’ve leaned on other players like Sammy here. Watching the games together, I don’t feel so alone.
“When you aren’t there, you just really do feel kind of isolated. And so having someone there to talk through emotions and things like that has been really great.
“And I so quickly flipped to being a fangirl. It was kind of alarming. It happened at the 2023 World Cup as well. I was injured for that roster, and I was worried about how I was gonna do, and I quickly was just like, ‘Oh, I am the USA’s number one fan.'”
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