Ellis bows out with honour after draw with Korea

Jill Ellis steps down after leading the US women's football team to 106 wins in 132 games as coach. They won two of their four World Cups under her.
Jill Ellis steps down after leading the US women's football team to 106 wins in 132 games as coach. They won two of their four World Cups under her.

CHICAGO • Jill Ellis' final game as United States women's team coach was all about gratitude.

On Sunday, a banner at Chicago's Soldier Field read, "Thank You Jill. A Real American Hero", commemorating her achievements including being the first coach to lift successive Women's World Cups and the most number of victories (106).

While South Korea played the role of minor spoilers after holding the four-time world champions to a 1-1 friendly draw, ending the hosts' 17-game winning streak - the longest of the 53-year-old Ellis' tenure - it was still "a good day to celebrate" as her players paid tribute to their mentor.

"The biggest thing is (to say) thank you," said midfielder Julie Ertz, whose teammate Carli Lloyd cancelled out Ji So-yun's opener. "She's done so much not just for us, but for women's soccer. We know that. How much she's had to do.

"She's been here a really long time and has invested so much into us and the growth of this team."

Of the recently crowned Fifa women's Coach of the Year, Golden Ball winner Megan Rapinoe admitted it would be "tough to lose" Ellis' presence in the dugout.

"Jill, being the leader of our team, all she's led us through, all the wins, the ups and downs," she said. "The different line-ups and formations and doubts, and to accomplish our goal, it's something really special."

Ellis, who was honoured before the game with a shirt signed by the team and had 132 on it - the record number of games she has managed in two US stints (2012 and 2014-19) - was emotional as she looked back on her bond with "a good group", but insisted her "legacy was someone else's narrative to write".

"It's not about me or what I hope it to be. I've tried to always give everything I have to this job and with passion. I feel good about that," she said. "I'm not going to remember games so much as I'm going to remember all these people who helped me get where I am."

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on October 08, 2019, with the headline Ellis bows out with honour after draw with Korea. Subscribe