US football icon Megan Rapinoe suffers ‘devastating’ early exit with injury in final match

NEW YORK – Two-time World Cup winner Megan Rapinoe said she was devastated after her final professional appearance came to a crushing early end, as the OL Reign veteran exited the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) championship on Saturday with injury.

The showdown between Reign and Gotham FC was highly anticipated as an emotional farewell for the 2019 Ballon d’Or winner and her former United States women’s national teammate Ali Krieger.

But the retirement party came to an abrupt end as Rapinoe went down in the third minute with a non-contact injury, grasping at her right calf before limping off as fans at San Diego’s Snapdragon Stadium gave her a standing ovation.

“The worst possible outcome,” she said after the match. “Obviously, devastating to go out of the final so early.”

Rapinoe added that she was relying on her trademark sense of humour to overcome the disappointment, as she believes she tore her Achilles tendon but would await further testing.

“You don’t always get to have the perfect ending,” she said.

Krieger, a defender for Gotham, ran to her friend and offered Rapinoe an embrace as she left the pitch.

Gotham went on to beat Reign 2-1 to collect their first championship title.

The 38-year-old Olympic gold medallist Rapinoe was sidelined this season with a calf injury but her quick exit from her final professional match nonetheless left fans and fellow US women’s national team veterans stunned.

“Absolutely gutted,” retired US great Mia Hamm wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Rapinoe, who along with her national teammates suffered a shock last-16 exit from the Women’s World Cup in August on penalties, also said she had an overall sense of “peace” despite the injury that marred her final game.

“It’s obviously disappointing to go out like that,” she said. “But I feel great about my career. I feel so lucky and so grateful to have played as long as I played.”

The 2019 Fifa Women’s Player of the Year ended her epic national team career with 63 goals, earning 203 caps over more than 17 years and played her final international game in September.

Despite her many achievements, Saturday’s defeat means Rapinoe retires from the game without an NWSL championship title.

Her club career did include one title, winning the French league with Lyon in 2013 and with Reign she also won three NWSL Shields, awarded to the team with the best regular-season record.

Rapinoe said she intended to remain involved in football, possibly in a role with the Reign.

“I’m retiring on the field but you’ll definitely be seeing a lot of me off the field,” she said.
REUTERS, AFP