Following her public announcement of retirement plans on Saturday, Rapinoe found herself in a seat on the U.S. women’s national team bench, just a few hundred miles away from her hometown of Redding, Calif., at PayPal Park in San Jose. The United States emerged victorious with a 2-0 win against Wales, marking their final game on American soil before the upcoming Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. It is worth noting that Rapinoe has been a part of the national team since 2006, participating in three Olympics and winning two World Cups. An ankle injury prevented her from participating in the start of the National Women‘s Soccer League season, and a calf injury forced her to miss two national team matches against Ireland in April. Despite being medically cleared for the World Cup, Rapinoe continues to work towards regaining full match fitness.

Source: New York Times July 10, 2023 07:00 UTC