Rapinoe’s final professional appearance cut short by injury

Rapinoe’s final professional appearance cut short by injury

The 2019 Ballon d'Or winner was seen grasping at her right calf before limping off the field.

OL Reign forward Megan Rapinoe is helped off the field by team officials during the match against Gotham FC on Saturday. (AP pic)
SAN DIEGO:
Two-time Women’s World Cup winner Megan Rapinoe’s 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 an injury.

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

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

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

The 38-year-old Olympic gold medallist Rapinoe was sidelined this year 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 the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

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