Tag: Christen Press

Press returns for Angel City after more than two years out

After four surgeries, the longtime USWNT star is finally back

At long last, Christen Press is back on the field.

The forward entered Thursday’s match against the San Diego Wave in the NWSL x Liga MX Summer Cup, making her first appearance since tearing her ACL in June 2022.

Press subbed on in the 89th minute, replacing Katie Johnson up front. The Paramount+ broadcast team noted that Angel City coach Becki Tweed told them in a pre-match interview that Press could be expected to play no more than 10 minutes.

The match would finish in a scoreless draw, with ACFC claiming two points by winning the penalty-kick tiebreaker 5-3. Press would convert a penalty in the shootout, tucking away Angel City’s second spot kick.

The result was enough for Angel City to clinch the top spot in Group B, with the LA-based club securing a place in Tuesday’s Summer Cup semifinal doubleheader in Kansas City.

Press’ injury was followed by a number of setbacks, as the 35-year-old revealed last summer that she was forced to undergo a fourth surgery on the issue.

Press returned to training with Angel City in June, and came on Thursday at Titan Stadium in Fullerton, Calif. in a major milestone.

Press played in eight games with Angel City in 2022, the club’s inaugural season, scoring two goals before suffering her knee injury.

The forward most recently played for the U.S. women’s national team at the Olympics in 2021. Overall, Press has has made 155 appearances for the USWNT and is ninth all-time in program history with 64 goals scored.

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Press and Heath say they’ve been in relationship for eight years

The duo kept their romance quiet for several years before becoming more open

Tobin Heath and Christen Press have recently made it more clear they are a couple, but just how long they’ve been together has been a mystery.

Until now.

On a recent episode of Peacock’s “Watch with Alex Cooper,” Press revealed that the pair has been together for eight years.

“Tobin and I were not really friends. We weren’t really running in the same circles. And then as soon as I actually got to know her, there was just, like, a magnetism,” said Press. “And I was like, that’s what I want. And I never looked back. I still feel the exact same way.”

“The other day, someone just said to us, ‘Oh, you guys, these guys just met, you look like you’re in love,’” Press continued. “And I’m like, ‘No, it’s been eight years.’”

That would put the start of their relationship back to 2016, a year the pair were part of the U.S. women’s national team that lost in the Olympic quarterfinal. They would go on to win the World Cup together three years later in France.

Press and Heath were quiet about their relationship in its first years before recently becoming more open.

Press said that it was difficult to be completely transparent when they were both competing for the same spot on the USWNT.

Now, neither has played on the national team in three years and they are working together with their RE-INC media company, making it easier to be more open.

“I think there was something a little bit forbidden when it comes to navigating that situation,” Press said. “We’re both forwards so competing for a spot, competing for time. And then off the field, locking it down, being in a relationship and navigating that through the early, early stages of our relationship.”

Press added. “It wasn’t until we both weren’t playing on the same team that it was a little bit easier for us to come forward and share our relationship a little bit more.”

Though the outside world hasn’t become aware of their relationship until recently, Press said all of their teammates weren’t kept in the dark.

In addition to the USWNT, Press and Heath also played together with Manchester United in 2020 and 2021.

“Our teammates knew. … We were never, like, in the closet, like hiding it. Our people always knew what was going on with us,” Press said.

“It’s kind of this protective bubble,” Heath added. “It was kind of more normal than it sounds.”

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Press: Olympics will be chance for USWNT player to become face of team

Press and Tobin Heath agreed that there is currently a vacancy

The 2024 Olympics will provide the U.S. women’s national team with a chance for redemption after a disastrous World Cup last summer, but it will also give individual players an opportunity to become the face of the team.

That is according to Christen Press and Tobin Heath, who both agreed that the current iteration of the USWNT — unlike most moments in program history — is missing a true superstar.

The USWNT will kick off the 2024 Olympics on Thursday with a match against Zambia, with further group-stage games to come against Germany and Australia.

Emma Hayes’ side will be looking for its first major tournament win since the 2019 World Cup — a competition in which Press and Heath starred — after falling short at the Olympics in 2021 and the 2023 World Cup.

Speaking on The Re-CAP show, Press said that Hayes’ exclusion of Alex Morgan from the Olympic roster will provide a chance for a new face of the team to emerge.

“You’re talking about the face of the team, and that’s a role and that’s a responsibility,” the Angel City FC forward said. “So you’re talking about a player that not only has to perform and be outstanding and generally score goals, but also has to really represent the team off the field.

“It’s the person who gets all the sponsorships, it’s the person that does all the press conferences. There’s kind of a plight to that and then there’s obviously a lot of economic upside and stardom and fame, so there’s good and bad and ugly.

“Alex not being on the roster is a very interesting place for the team because if you think of the U.S. women’s national team history, you’ve got Mia [Hamm], Abby [Wambach], Alex and all of these players really bled into each other and before the player rolled off, the next one had already emerged.

Jul 24, 2021; Saitama, Japan; United States forward Christen Press (11) celebrates her goal against New Zealand with forward Alex Morgan (13) during the second half in group G play during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Summer Games at Saitama Stadium. Credit: Jack Gruber-USA TODAY Network

“But with the last World Cup performance being so poor, and without any of the players really having that big moment, there’s kind of this vacancy and it’s a huge opportunity looking into this tournament. Who’s going to rise to the occasion?”

Heath echoed the sentiments of Press, saying that the Olympics will be a chance for the USWNT to provide the country with a player it can truly embrace.

“I think our country craves having a superstar,” Heath said. “We don’t have teams where like, everybody’s just kind of good and some players will kind of be better at some point than others. No, our country is born on sports superstars. And right now, that’s up for the taking in my opinion. Our superstar could be made.”

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Press unsatisfied by Hayes’ explanation for Morgan’s Olympic omission

For Press, the coach only provided a “media-trained” answer

Christen Press said she was left unsatisfied by Emma Hayes’ explanation for leaving Alex Morgan off the U.S. women’s national team Olympic roster.

Morgan was not named to Hayes’ 18-player squad last week, marking the first time since the 2008 Olympics the USWNT will enter a major tournament without the striker.

The decision was monumental, but not necessarily a huge surprise. Morgan has just four goals in her last 27 appearances for the USWNT, and hasn’t scored yet for the San Diego Wave in 2024.

But the 35-year-old has also been a valuable contributor for the USWNT this year, providing hold-up play, strong defensive work, veteran leadership and two goals in nine appearances.

Ultimately, Morgan was likely a victim of the 18-player roster size for the Olympics, in contrast to 23 for most major tournaments.

In any case, when it came to her longtime USWNT teammate, Press felt she wanted a bit more from the team’s new head coach.

“I’m sure [Morgan] will get celebrated and get her flowers, but it never feels good to have someone who’s so important to the program have this sour taste in the end,” Press said on The Re-CAP Show.

“From a footballing standpoint I think I really wanted a clear reason why. We talked about this, and maybe we got one, but I think Emma gave like the most media-trained answer ever.

“She just kept saying, ‘Well, I picked other players and other players are awesome,’ and it’s like, that’s true, but why did you not select her? I wanted to hear why. And if the reason was form, like, ‘My other players are scoring and Alex is not,’ then that’s the reason.

“So I felt like we just kind of got left hanging and we can all just assume it’s because of club form, she’s been hanging onto injury, or maybe that [Hayes] didn’t value having someone on the roster that had won [the Olympics] before as much as she valued someone that she really felt like she could sub in and make a difference in a game. But I was just left being like, ‘Well what did that phone call sound like? What was the real reason?'”

What did Hayes say about Morgan?

After announcing her Olympic roster, Hayes leaned on the small roster sizes to help justify her exclusion of Morgan.

“There are only 16 outfield players and two goalkeepers on a roster of 18, so it was a tough decision, especially considering Alex’s history and record with this team,” Hayes said on a call with the media. “But I felt that I wanted to go in another direction and selected other players.”

Pressed further, Hayes also implied that Morgan’s lack of versatility in comparison to some of her competitors for a roster spot also played a factor.

“We have a tight turnaround between games, so of course having players on the roster that could play more than one position mattered with squad depth,” Hayes said.

“But I also think there are players on the roster in the forward areas performing well, and the decision to take those players was one that we certainly deliberated over. But I think it’s a balanced roster. I’ve considered all the factors that we’re going to need throughout the Olympics.”

Tobin Heath, another longtime USWNT teammate of Morgan and the co-host of The Re-CAP Show, said that she felt the Olympics could be an opportunity for the team’s younger attackers to step out of Morgan’s shadow.

“If you look at this forward line, Emma also could have felt like [Morgan] had already kind of had that time with this group. Like she had a World Cup with this group. She got to impart them with her experience in that type of tournament,” Heath said.

“I think there is a big shadow on all of the attackers when Alex Morgan’s around. Maybe in a lot of ways, this is the next step for this young group of attackers to actually have to emerge.”

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Christen Press calls out U.S. Soccer for not punishing Korbin Albert

The longtime USWNT star had some harsh criticism for the federation

Longtime U.S. women’s national team star Christen Press has expressed her disappointment that there were no repercussions for Korbin Albert after her anti-LGBTQ+ social media activity was discovered in March.

The USWNT midfielder was forced to apologize after fans discovered her TikTok account had either shared or reposted a host of anti-LGBTQ+ content.

Despite the firestorm around her, Albert was called into USWNT camp in April and has appeared in all 10 of the team’s games this year.

A number of USWNT players past and present criticized Albert amid the controversy, with co-captains Alex Morgan and Lindsey Horan issuing a joint statement rebuking the 20-year-old in April.

On her podcast “The RE-CAP Show,” Press aired her belief that the statement wasn’t enough, especially after Pride Month celebrations that have seen both the USWNT and USMNT wear rainbow numbers on their jerseys.

“You have an opportunity as an institution, I’m talking about U.S. Soccer, to show a good way to create a culture that doesn’t just monetize Pride, but actually protects people’s feelings and psychological safety and physical safety,” Press said.

“And you could actually create that culture, but you have to do so in a way that’s consistent and in a way that’s not reactionary. And instead of any repercussions [for Albert] — because as far as I know there was none at all — it fell on our captains to do a press conference and be expected to have some miracle. But it’s not an individual code of conduct. It’s U.S. Soccer’s code of conduct.”

One particularly galling element of the Albert situation for Press is that U.S. Soccer is currently auctioning off her jersey, along with every other USWNT and USMNT player, to benefit a charity that works with the LGBTQ+ community.

“I think that maybe the most slap-in-the-face thing that happened here was that this is all happening during Pride Month, that the team wore Pride jerseys including Korbin, and then they auction them off, including her jersey,” the Angel City forward said.

“That just means they’re going through the motions,” she added. “We’re going through the motions. ‘Oh, we have a Pride Night. Oh, we sell the Pride jerseys.’ OK, so great, glad to do that. Everyone loves a good Pride party. Right? Right.”

(Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

In April, USWNT players and interim coach Twila Kilgore said that the entire matter would be handled internally. That, once again, didn’t feel acceptable to Press, who last played for the USWNT in 2021 as she nears a return from a long-term knee injury.

“I think that’s a hard thing to say, when it was an external matter,” Press said. “The tweets, TikToks, Instagrams, those are external. So I think to a certain extent it needed to be handled publicly. And I also think that there’s an opportunity to show how to handle this.”

“Everyone deserves the opportunity to learn and grow and be educated, and there are institutions here that are responsible for creating that environment for themselves and for the brand,” she added.

“And I think that’s where I was disappointed. The women’s soccer community is beyond disappointed. And what I would like to say to all of the people that have been so hurt is there are so many of us USWNT players past and present, club, professional players past and present, that we are side by side with you in this. You are not our fans, we are your community together, and we share the hurt and the sadness of what this series of events brought to us.

“We’re going to continue to do everything that we can as players to protect your safety and our safety, and to make the team and women’s soccer at large as safe and inclusive and as diverse and beautiful and interesting and challenging as we possibly can. And that’s our promise to you.”

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Christen Press, Tobin Heath bring RE-CAP Show back for third season

The RE-CAP Show is back, with USWNT stars Press and Heath delivering weekly analysis

Christen Press and Tobin Heath are back…as podcasters, at least.

The U.S. women’s national team stars announced Tuesday that their RE-CAP Show will return for a third season, with the first episode coming on Thursday, June 13.

“In its third season, The RE–CAP Show aims to satisfy our fans’ craving for authenticity by revealing behind-the-scenes stories, on-pitch experiences, and our genuine perspectives on the sport’s most significant moments,” said Heath via press release.

“At RE–INC, we exist to champion equality in women’s soccer and sports at large. The third season of The RE–CAP Show embodies this mission, reimagining the way women are seen and experienced in sport by sharing the untold and unfiltered stories of women’s sports,” added Press.

The RE-CAP Show launched in 2023 during the World Cup, and came back for last year’s NWSL playoffs. This new season will feature weekly episodes covering “global soccer, from the Olympics to the NWSL Championship,” with the first episode featuring USWNT legend Abby Wambach and author/podcast host Glennon Doyle as guests.

The news comes as both players have recently addressed their futures on the pitch. Press returned to full training with Angel City FC this week, a major milestone after a two-year battle to return from a torn ACL.

Despite spending all of 2023 on the sidelines, Heath last week declared that she hasn’t closed the door on her playing career. In the meantime, Heath has expanded RE-INC’s programming, hosting The Debrief (a YouTube show breaking down one game of Heath’s choosing).

The RE-CAP Show is available on RE-INC’s YouTube channel as well as on all major podcast platforms.

Watch the RE-CAP Show trailer

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Press returns to Angel City training two years after ACL tear

The news is a major milestone in the forward’s long journey to recovery

Christen Press has returned to Angel City training, a significant milestone on the forward’s long road to recovery after an ACL tear.

Press initially suffered a torn ACL in June 2022. That injury has been followed by a number of setbacks, as the 35-year-old revealed last summer that she was forced to undergo a fourth surgery on the issue.

After making a series of gradual steps toward a return over the past year, Angel City announced on Monday that Press would return to team training.

“Christen Press will take the next step in her rehab and join the team for the beginning of training for the first time since being placed on the season ending injury list in 2022,” the NWSL club said in an update to media.

Press spoke to The Athletic after the news was revealed, saying that she wasn’t initially planning on having media present when she made her first steps back on the team training pitch.

“When I first told Angel City [about my return], I was thinking, ‘Let’s just keep it closed, let me come in on a day when no one’s going to be there and let’s just see how it is,'” Press said.

“Then I reversed, I changed my mind, because I was like, ‘Shoot, who knows how many milestones I have left to celebrate? Who knows what’s going to happen after this first team training?’ So if this is something we can all celebrate, let’s just go for it, because this journey has been really, really long.” 

Press played in eight games with Angel City in 2022, the club’s inaugural season, scoring two goals. She most recently played for the U.S. women’s national team at the Olympics in 2021. Overall, Press has has made 155 appearances for the USWNT and is ninth all-time with 64 goals scored.

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Press on comeback: The only promise I’ll make is that I’ll try

The forward continues to work her way back after missing nearly two years

Christen Press doesn’t know if her comeback will ultimately prove successful, but she is giving it her best shot.

The U.S. women’s national team and Angel City FC forward hasn’t played in nearly two years, having suffered a torn ACL in June 2022. That injury has been followed by a number of setbacks, as the 35-year-old revealed last summer that she was forced to undergo a fourth surgery on the problem.

Press has been gradually working toward returning to the field, and posted a series of photos on Wednesday of herself on the training pitch.

“The comeback is coming along,” Press wrote on Instagram, before offering an optimistic and realistic assessment on her progress.

“The only promise I’ll make to you is that I’ll try. And what a beautiful, giving thing it is to try.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/C5mMgfMSzbf/?hl=en&img_index=1

Press played in eight games with Angel City in 2022, the club’s inaugural season, scoring two goals. She most recently played for the USWNT in the Olympics in 2021. Overall, Press has has made 155 appearances for the USWNT and is ninth all-time with 64 goals scored.

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Christen Press unlikely to play in 2023: ‘Her objective is coming back for next season’

Don’t expect Press to step on the field for Angel City this season

Angel City FC’s late push for a playoff spot will have to succeed without Christen Press.

The U.S. women’s national team star has been battling through a protracted recovery from a torn ACL suffered in June 2022, one that has required four surgeries.

According to Angel City interim head coach Becki Tweed, Press’ return will have to wait a bit longer.

“Her objective is coming back for next season,” Tweed told The Sporting Tribune on Tuesday.

“I think that’s the space that she’s in, and obviously a player of her caliber, we’re excited for her return,” added Tweed. “But we’re excited for her return when it’s the right time for her, and I think that’s obviously really important to bear in mind that we talk about injuries, but we talk about humans and people’s emotional state and what she’s been through in the last year and a half has not been easy.”

“So we’re so excited to have her back, and we can’t wait for it to be back on the field, and we know when that moment happens, it’s going to benefit the team.”

Back in July, when Press announced on social media that she would require a fourth surgical procedure, she described the situation as like finding herself at the foot of a “bigger, scarier, higher mountain.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CuyPwn6LGF0/

In a September 4 interview with ESPN, Press was clear that the obstacles aren’t going to keep her away forever.

“The comeback is on,” said Press. “I am doing everything in my power to get back on the field as soon as possible, so looking forward to my return on the pitch.”

While Press kept hopes of a late place on the 2023 World Cup roster alive until announcing that last procedure, she has remained busy. On top of her rehabilitation and return-to-play work, the 34-year-old forward has branched into sports coverage, hosting The RE-CAP Show with Tobin Heath during the World Cup.

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