Tag: Tobin Heath

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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Heath reveals second ‘pretty big’ knee surgery that could end career

The cartilage transplant hadn’t been disclosed until this week

Tobin Heath has revealed that she was forced to undergo a second knee surgery after a year of rehab, which could end her playing career.

Heath has not played since the 2022 NWSL season, which was cut short when the then-OL Reign winger had knee surgery in the fall.

The 36-year-old had been a mainstay for club and country leading up to her most recent stint in the NWSL, winning two Olympic gold medals and two World Cups while collecting 181 U.S. women’s national team caps after making her debut in 2008.

Heath hasn’t spoken much about her playing future over the past two years, but did say earlier this month that she hasn’t completely closed the door on a return to the field.

In the first episode of the new season of “The RE-CAP Show” — Heath’s podcast alongside her partner Christen Press, the attacker revealed a previously undisclosed surgery that saw her receive a cartilage transplant in her knee.

“I think it was public when I got my first knee surgery, which was actually just kind of a clean-out of the knee,” Heath said.

“I ended up trying to rehab back for about a year and got pretty close. I thought about signing for a team. At that time I didn’t think I was there enough with the knee to be able to commit fully to a team, because the way I play football is I’m all in — like I play to be at the highest level, I play to be winning World Cups, Olympics, club championships.

“And then obviously with that first surgery not helping, I got a second pretty big surgery with my knee that then put me in the category of like, ‘Will I ever play professionally again?'”

Heath said she initially went into the second surgery unaware of how major it would be, but an examination of her knee revealed that she needed a comprehensive procedure.

“When I got there, I thought I was going to be getting kind of like a smaller version of a surgery, and right before I got into surgery, there was kind of a big revelation about the current state of my knee that put me in the category to get a serious knee surgery. It was a cartilage transplant,” Heath said.

Heath said she is still rehabbing intensely as she aims to potentially return to the field. But the 36-year-old admitted that she’s unsure if she’ll get there.

“I kind of just pray to God and say like, ‘Whatever your will is for my career, that’s what it’s going to be,'” Heath said, “and I’ll just work my ass off and see where that gets.”

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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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Ex-USWNT star Heath addresses playing future

The 36-year-old hasn’t completely closed the door on her playing career

Despite not playing in nearly two years, former U.S. women’s national team star Tobin Heath hasn’t completely closed the door on continuing her career.

Heath was one of the biggest stars of the USWNT for well over a decade, winning two Olympic gold medals and two World Cups while collecting 181 caps after making her debut in 2008.

Now 36, Heath hasn’t played for the USWNT since 2021 and hasn’t played at the club level since a half-season stint with the team then known as OL Reign in 2022.

Injuries limited Heath in the latter portion of her career, as she only played sparingly during stints with Arsenal, Manchester United and OL Reign.

Heath appeared on SiriusXMFC and was asked by her former teammate Heather O’Reilly about her playing future.

“Yeah, it’s funny how life goes, but you know I was given this nickname when I was young, which was soccer junkie, because I am just absolutely obsessed with football,” Heath said. “I play it because I love it. I love my craft. I love doing it, so I had to take a bit of a pause due to injuries, which I’m still just like a maniac rehabbing those.

“I feel a little bit like Toni Kroos in a way. I don’t know if you saw his kind of retirement, but he was talking about how he’s never going to go play in Saudi [Arabia] or play in the MLS. He has a version of football in his head that is how he views his career and I think everybody is unique and different, but for me, that is kind of the same thing that I have in my head. I’ve experienced football at such a high level, and that’s where I find the most joy and the most passion – just like this maniac of a footballer.

“So, obviously, getting my body back to a place where, if that is to be God’s will for me to keep playing, that would be the level I would want to be at, so we’ll see how that goes. In the meantime, we’ve just been world-building around this thing called women’s sports.”

Since 2022, Heath has kept busy as a commentator with her RE-INC brand, often doing shows alongside her partner Christen Press. Currently, Heath is hosting “The Debrief,” a weekly show breaking down one game at a time.

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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:

Q&A: World Cup champ Tobin Heath on USWNT’s 3-peat expectations, Megan Rapinoe’s retirement

For The Win spoke with 2-time World Cup champion Tobin Heath about the USWNT in the 2023 tournament.

During the 2023 World Cup, Tobin Heath is doing something a little different.

For the first time in more than a decade, she’ll be watching the competition from afar after winning World Cup titles with Team USA in 2015 and 2019. Heath hasn’t played in a game since undergoing knee surgery in September.

So instead, she and Christen Press — a fellow two-time World Cup champ recovering from a knee injury — will break it down on their new digital series, The RE—CAP Show, which is produced by the lifestyle brand RE—INC, founded by Heath, Press, Megan Rapinoe and Meghan Klingenberg in 2019. Through the content arm of RE—INC, Heath hopes to provide the kind of analysis she’d want to see and “reimagine the way women are seen and experienced in sports.” The first episode dropped Thursday.

“We say we live at the intersection of sports progress and equity,” 35-year-old Heath said. “It’s always kind of cool to see how with just a single platform — which essentially was the legacy of the founders and all of our fights both on and off the field — how we’ve used that to create a vehicle that could far outlast any of our own individual playing careers.”

Ahead of the USWNT’s first game in the 2023 World Cup — its matchup against Vietnam is set for 9 p.m. ET on Friday on FOX — For The Win spoke with Heath about her expectations for the team, its biggest competition, equity in women’s soccer and the upcoming retirement of star Megan Rapinoe.

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This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

World Cup team previews: Get to know 10 of the 2023 contenders (including USWNT, of course)

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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Heath, Debinha among NWSL free agents after arbitrator rules in favor of players

The league’s first class of free agents will be 48 players strong

An independent arbitrator has ruled in favor of the NWSL Players Association (NWSLPA) in its dispute with the NWSL, making 22 players immediately eligible for free agency.

Among those 22 players are MVP finalist Debinha, longtime U.S. national team star Tobin Heath and all-time leading international goalscorer Christine Sinclair.

The league had been in dispute with the NWSLPA over the status of the 22 players, whom the NWSLPA argued should have been free agents as of August 26 if their clubs had not exercised their club option on their contracts.

After the arbitrator’s ruling, the 22 will join 26 other players who were already set to enter free agency, a mechanism that was enshrined under the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) signed prior to the 2022 season.

“The grievance and arbitration procedure that is contained in the Collective Bargaining Agreement is, itself, a win for collective bargaining,” read a statement from the NWSLPA. “Through this process, the NWSL and the NWSL Players Association agree to submit issues where we cannot reach agreement to a jointly selected, impartial arbitrator. The grievance and arbitration procedure is a fair, collectively bargained mechanism that provides finality and instills confidence in the outcome.”

Under the CBA, unrestricted free agency will available to all players with at least five years of service in the league in August 2023, and restricted free agency will be available to players with at least three years of service.

Newly declared NWSL free agents

  • Lauren Barnes
  • Katie Bowen
  • Danielle Colaprico
  • Jaelene Daniels
  • Debinha
  • Vanessa DiBernardo
  • Makenzy Doniak
  • Morgan Gautrat
  • Tobin Heath
  • Rachel Hill
  • Kaitlyn Johnson
  • Estelle Johnson
  • Domi Richardson
  • Katelyn Rowland
  • Sophie Schmidt
  • Christine Sinclair
  • Meredith Speck
  • Jasmyne Spencer
  • Nicole Stanton
  • Jodie Taylor
  • Arin Wright
  • McCall Zerboni

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