Tag: Christen Press

Key USWNT players missing from the 2023 World Cup roster

Don’t expect to see these USWNT stars play in the World Cup this year.

The 2023 World Cup is set to begin this week, as the United States Women’s National Team prepares for its tournament debut against Vietnam on July 21.

However, there will be some key members of previous USWNT teams not present in New Zealand for this year’s World Cup. A lot of names you probably recognize if you’re a casual soccer fan.

A good number of the women on this list are struggling with various ailments, while one all-time talent retired in 2021.

Before you spend too much time wondering where somebody is, let’s run down some of athletes who won’t be competing in the World Cup this year for the United States.

MORE WORLD CUP:

Christen Press and Tobin Heath to host USWNT World Cup recap show

The show will air following every USWNT World Cup match

Tobin Heath and Christen Press won’t be playing in the World Cup this summer, but they will be talking about it a whole lot.

Heath and Press have been announced as co-hosts of “The RE–CAP Show,” a digital program that is scheduled to run after U.S. women’s national team games in the upcoming World Cup.

The duo were members of the USWNT’s World Cup-winning squads in 2015 and 2019, but neither has played at all this year. Heath departed OL Reign at the end of last season after making just five appearances, while Press just announced she is set to undergo a fourth knee operation as she continues her recovery from a torn ACL suffered in June 2022.

The RE–CAP Show is from the new media division of RE—INC, the brand that Press and Heath founded with fellow World Cup winners Meghan Klingenberg and Megan Rapinoe.

“The RE–CAP Show is the antithesis of your typical sports broadcast commentary. It is an unfiltered, women-led resource that will highlight the perspectives of players who have dedicated their lives to soccer and know the game best,” Heath said in a press release. “This is the first time we haven’t competed in 15 years, so we’re fired up to support our team from the sidelines. The RE–CAP Show is here to give our fans what they crave – our unfiltered opinions, what really goes on at world championships, and what the biggest moments truly feel like.”

Press added: “We have always aimed to be a purposeful brand that creates social impact. What makes RE–INC different is that we have never been shy about our ethos and putting our quest for equality in women’s soccer, and women’s sports more broadly, front and center. The RE–CAP Show will be an extension of this mission to level the playing field for all, while amplifying the voices of women in sports.”

The first episode is set to drop on Thursday, which will preview the World Cup. The show will be available on YouTube, as well as various social media and podcast platforms.

Watch the trailer for The RE–CAP Show

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Press reveals she will require a fourth knee surgery

The veteran forward has already missed more than a year due to a torn ACL

Christen Press has revealed she will need a fourth knee surgery in an emotional post on Instagram, saying she is at “the bottom.”

Press tore her ACL in June 2022 during an NWSL match with Angel City FC. In March, she posted an update on her Instagram account that indicated she was forced to undergo additional surgeries.

There was a more optimistic update from the U.S. national team forward in early May, when she said she was still holding out some hope that she could be fit for the World Cup roster.

Bur more than two months later, the 34-year-old has yet to return to the pitch. On Monday, she said that after previously providing updates when she thought she was nearing a return to the field, this update would be different.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CuyPwn6LGF0/?img_index=1

“I am here again, with recent news I need a fourth surgery. This time, I want to share how I’m doing from the bottom,” Press said.

“This month commences the World Cup. The USWNT’s first game will be exactly 13 months from my ACL repair to the day. Until the roster was announced, there wasn’t a day that passed over the last year that I didn’t believe I could be there. Even after three surgeries.

“Back in February, when my surgeon and physical therapist told me directly, as medical advice, to let go of that dream, I cried. I nodded. And I thought I processed that loss. But, I also decided not to speak that truth into existence. I felt that if I shared that with all of you, l’d be manifesting it into reality. So instead, I stayed quietly hopeful. You never know what could happen, l’d say. Crazier things have occurred, I told friends.”

Press offered a window into her mindset, saying that although she often doesn’t miss playing, it is still her dream to “climb the mountain” and return to the pitch again.

“For me, the hardest part of recovery has been that I feel misunderstood,” she said. “In fact, I feel un-understandable. I’m not anxious to get back on the field. My identity isn’t lost by not playing. Most days, I don’t even miss it. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to get back. That I’m not working every second of every day to return to the pitch. That hard past is: I don’t know what it does mean.

“My days are mostly good. I’m working toward my goal. And despite the fact that, on paper, this is an athlete’s recovery-nightmare, I feel in my heart that to climb the mountain — yes, even one more time — is the dream.”

Press has not played for the USWNT since the Olympics in 2021. She has  has 155 caps and 64 goals for the U.S. and was part of World Cup-winning teams in 2015 and 2019.

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USWNT injuries: The key players who will miss the 2023 World Cup

The USWNT has admirable depth in its roster, but these are still some major losses

If the U.S. women’s national team wants to win a third straight World Cup, it will have to do so without several of its top players.

Like so many other teams at the 2023 World Cup, the USWNT has been forced to omit some big names from its roster due to injuries.

USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski has a team full of world-class talent to choose from, but the losses his team has suffered will undoubtedly hurt.

These aren’t depth players. They are the team’s top scorer this year, its captain and defensive anchor, and an up-and-coming global star, among others.

There was at least some good news when Andonovski revealed his squad on Wednesday, as Megan Rapinoe and Rose Lavelle — both questionable due to injury — were named to the 23-player roster.

Here are the biggest injury absences for the USWNT at this summer’s World Cup.

Nearing return from injury, Press not giving up on World Cup dream

Press admitted her recovery “took a bit longer than I had hoped”

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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EA Sports reveals 10 highest-rated NWSL players in FIFA 23

The NWSL is set to be part of the hugely popular video game for the first time

EA Sports has revealed the 10 highest rated NWSL players in FIFA 23, as the league’s teams are available in the game for the first time ever.

San Diego Wave star Alex Morgan leads the list with a rating of 90, while Debinha — who signed with the Kansas City Current in a huge free agent deal this offseason — is next up, rated 88 overall.

U.S. women’s national team starters Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns), Mallory Swanson (Chicago Red Stars), and Rose Lavelle (OL Reign) are next on the list, all given an 87 rating.

EA Sports has announced all of the player ratings across the NWSL, which can be found along with their ratings for women’s players in the Women’s Super League, Division 1 Féminine, and prominent national teams like Spain and Germany. The full list of women’s player ratings can be found here.

Following a landmark partnership between the league, the NWSL Players’ Association, and EA Sports, FIFA 23 will include NWSL players starting on March 15 in the following modes:

  • Kick Off
  • Tournament Mode
  • Head to Head season
  • Co-op Seasons
  • Online Friendlies

FIFA 23 will also include four NWSL stadiums, authentic kit renderings, and celebrations.

Here are the top 10 — or really 11, due to a three-way tie for ninth place — NWSL players in FIFA 23.

Press confirms third knee surgery as World Cup doubts grow

The Angel City star has suffered setbacks in her return from a torn ACL

Christen Press’ path to another World Cup is more difficult than anyone imagined.

The star U.S. women’s national team forward tore her ACL back in June 2022 during an NWSL match with Angel City FC, and has yet to return to full training. With the injury timeline for a torn ACL generally running between six months and a full year, many fans and observers were hopeful that the veteran goalscorer would be in action sooner rather than later.

Press posted an update to her Instagram account Wednesday, with photos of herself off and on crutches, and in one case a photo as she prepared to undergo surgery. Nine months is often a common time for players to return to training, but it doesn’t sound like that’s in the cards for Press at the moment.

“1 knee. 8 months. 3 surgeries,” read Press’ caption for the post. “My unique journey. Relentless optimism + enduring hope. Little wins. Letting go.”

It is not exactly news that Press might be on a longer return-to-play timeline than normal. Back in October 2022, USWNT coach Vlatko Andonovski said the forward had “a slight setback” that would put her recovery timeline slightly behind that of Catarina Macario, whose own torn ACL happened 10 days before Press.

At that time, Andonovski said Macario could be doing at least some training by the end of February, a timeline that was shortened by a couple of weeks when the USWNT manager gave another update on February 1.

However, that doesn’t appear to be the case with Press. With the World Cup roster selection looming — the Washington Post reported on Tuesday that NWSL players will report to USWNT camp after the league’s slate of matches from June 23-25 — the timeline for Press to be in the conversation for a roster spot appears to be very short indeed.

Press also vital for Angel City

Angel City, meanwhile, will face a double-edged sword: a situation where Press isn’t quite ready for the World Cup, but does return to play while the tournament is going on, would undoubtedly boost her club team’s fortunes. With most of the league’s very best players on the other side of the world, there would be an opening for Press to go on a tear akin to Crystal Dunn’s MVP season with the Washington Spirit in 2015.

On the other hand, it’s currently unclear how long Press will be out. Pro Soccer Wire reached out to Angel City concerning the date of Press’ third surgical procedure, but had not received comment at the time of publication.

In a February conference call with reporters, Angel City coach Freya Coombe was asked about the timeline for Press to make her return to training. Her answer was largely positive, but notably did not commit to any sort of timeline:

“With Christen we’re really, really pleased with her progress and the way that she has been developing,” said Coombe. “We’ll continue to support her along the way. It’s about being there and celebrating her milestones as she achieves them and as part of her return-to-play [protocol]. But you know, everyone’s journey is unique, and we’ll just continue to support hers.”

If Press were to remain in the return-to-play protocol through the preseason, her return could be delayed even longer. Once a season begins, most of the team will have travel days for games, regeneration days, and other training occasions where a large enough squad for a “normal” session won’t be possible. Fewer sessions means a slower path when it comes to taking the step from being cleared to train to suiting up on gameday.

In the meantime, Angel City’s front line will largely consist of Simone Charley, Claire Emslie, and Sydney Leroux. That also comes with some injury-related concern: Charley spent much of last season working around knocks that limited her minutes. Leroux — whose 2022 was ended by injury — recently posted an update saying that she had been cleared to resume working with a ball, which is both a positive step and an indicator that she may not be 100% for the early days of the season.

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USWNT injury updates: Andonovski speaks on 10 players including Macario and Mewis

The USWNT is missing a lot of key players, and the coach provided updates on almost all of them

The U.S. women’s national team is currently dealing with a lot of injuries.

Some are long term and others are more minor, but many of the USWNT’s most important players over the past several years are presently sidelined.

On Monday after announcing his roster for November friendlies against Germany, USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski offered updates on no less than 10 players who are currently out: eight who are injured and two coming back after giving birth.

Here is a list of the players Andonovski spoke about on a conference call.

Angel City FC star Christen Press confirms she has a torn ACL

The worst-case scenario has come true for the veteran forward

Angel City FC star Christen Press has confirmed she has suffered a torn ACL.

Press suffered the injury in Angel City FC’s game Saturday night against Racing Louisville, and limped off after receiving treatment on the field.

In a post on Twitter Monday evening, Press confirmed that the injury was as bad as many feared, saying her “heart is broken.”

Earlier on Monday, Press was left off the U.S. national team roster for the team’s upcoming friendlies and the CONCACAF W Championship.

USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski said that Press would have been left off the squad even if she hadn’t suffered an injury, citing the increased competition at the forward spot.

Press has not played for the USWNT since last summer’s Olympics, after which she took time off from the game to focus on her mental health.

With Angel City this season, Press has scored two goals in eight regular-season appearances in the NWSL.

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