Chicago Red Stars goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher was forced to leave Sunday’s game against the Utah Royals after suffering an injury.
Naeher came away gingerly after making a recovery run in the second half. The 36-year-old attempted to carry on but was clearly laboring, and had to be replaced by Mackenzie Wood in the 62nd minute.
The Red Stars were up 2-0 at the time of the injury, and held on for a 3-1 win thanks to a goal and assist from Mallory Swanson.
Red Stars head coach Lorne Donaldson didn’t have an update on Naeher when asked in his post-game press conference.
“I’m leaving it to the pros, I don’t know what’s going on yet,” he said.
The injury is bad news for the Red Stars, and could potentially become an issue for the U.S. women’s national team as well, with the Olympics set to kick off in just over two months.
Naeher has been an ever-present as the USWNT’s starting goalkeeper for several years, and has recently cemented her spot with some sterling performances in the W Gold Cup and SheBelieves Cup this spring.
The injury could jeopardize Naeher’s availability for incoming coach Emma Hayes’ first USWNT camp, with the team facing two matches against South Korea on June 1 and June 4.
Following those matches, the USWNT will gather its Olympic roster together for send-off games against Mexico on July 13 and Costa Rica on July 16.
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