U.S. women's national team (USWNT) captain Becky Sauerbrunn has ruled herself out of this summer's World Cup in Australia & New Zealand due to injury. The news was confirmed via a public statement from the 38-year-old on Friday evening but had been revealed earlier in the day via a report by Steph Yang of The Athletic.
Sauerbrunn has been suffering from a foot injury since April. After seven weeks on the sidelines, the center back did make her NWSL return for the Portland Thorns as a substitute against the OL Reign on June 3. The defender was subsequently left out of Mike Norris' Thorns' squad for the next match against the Orlando Pride. The USA captain had been listed as questionable on the most recent NWSL availability report prior to Friday's news that the injury would curtail her World Cup.
— Becky Sauerbrunn (@beckysauerbrunn) June 17, 2023
In her open letter to her fans and teammates, Sauerbrunn began by describing her feelings as "heartbroken isn't even the half of it." She goes on to explain that due to there being "too much variability" in her injury timeline, she will be unable to participate as a member of the USWNT.
Sauerbrunn closes her letter by emphasizing the importance of the USA "collective." Addressing the USA players directly, the defender asks that they "take a minute to enjoy the moment," before then issuing a rallying cry to "go win the whole f*cking thing!"
Here is Sauerbrunn's statement in full:
"Heartbroken isn't even the half of it. But that's sports for you and that's life, really. I had hoped and worked and hoped some more to make it back in time to help lead the team at this World Cup, but after lots of discussions, unfortunately, there's just too much variability in my return to play timeline. So, I'll be home, working as hard I can to get back on the field as quickly as I can.
It's been an honor to work and play alongside this incredible group of athletes. They have my unwavering support. And, more importantly, they have my unyielding belief. This program has always been about the collective and I have no doubt that the twenty-three players on the final roster have everything they need-in their feet, their heads, and their hearts to bring our fifth trophy home.
To my teammates, I love you. Please, take a minute to enjoy the moment, to appreciate everything that brought you here every second of hard work and every bit of good luck-and then get back to work and go win the whole f*cking thing!
- Becky"
There are few players on the planet that command the type of respect from their teammates as Sauerbrunn. The St. Louis native is a two-time World Cup winner and has racked up an extraordinary 216 appearances for her country. Off the pitch, she was also a critical figurehead for the U.S. women's national team's lengthy fight for equal pay.
In the NWSL, Sauerbrunn has been at the peak of her powers in recent years. Since signing with the Thorns in 2020, Sauerbrunn has won the Challenge Cup (2021), the NWSL Shield (2021), the NWSL Championship (2022), and the Women's International Champions Cup (2021). Beyond just the trophies themselves, Portland has consistently been one of the league's most impressive defensive sides.
This season, there has been a notable drop off in the Thorns' defensive organization and statistics since Sauerbrunn's injury. Portland is undefeated, with a record of 4-0-1, and an average of 0.51 goals conceded per 90 minutes with the USA captain in its lineup. When the center back has not been available for selection, the Thorns have a record of 1-2-3 and average 1.71 goals conceded per 90 minutes.
The USWNT captain is the third high-profile player on the reigning World Cup champions' squad to announce that they will play no role at the 2023 World Cup. In April, Mal Swanson was ruled out after she tore her patella tendon during a friendly against the Republic of Ireland, and then, in May, Catarina Macario announced that she would not recover in time from an ACL tear that she suffered in June 2022.
Andonovski will name his 23-player roster next week ahead of a final warm-up match against Wales on July 9 in San Jose, Calif. The USWNT will then fly to New Zealand and continue preparations for its opening World Cup group stage match against Vietnam on July 22.
