Fayette’s football star Kelley O’Hara announces her retirement

Kelley O'Hara flies the championship flag for her country.  Photo/USSoccer.com
Kelley O’Hara flies the championship flag for her country. Photo/USSoccer.com

Two-time Women’s World Champion and Olympic Gold Medalist Kelley O’Hara Announces Retirement from Professional Soccer; O’Hara played in four World Cups and three Olympics for the US.

CHICAGO (May 2, 2024) — Kelley O’Hara, Starr’s Mill High School starone of the boldest defenders and fiercest competitors in the history of the U.S. Women’s National Team, has officially announced her retirement from professional soccer effective at the end of the 2024 National Women’s Soccer League season.

Since her first appearance at the Women’s World Cup in 2011, O’Hara played in every senior world championship for the U.S. from 2011 through 2023, a period that included four World Cups and three Olympics.

O’Hara scored one of the most famous goals in US history when she came off the bench in the semi-final of the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup to fire in the goal in the 84th minute against Germany to send the US to the final to send, which would be the case. win 5-2 against Japan.

At the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, O’Hara started six of the seven matches and played a key role in helping the US lift its fourth Women’s World Cup trophy, assisting on Christen’s dramatic header goal Press in the semi-final against England. She had to leave the World Cup final at half-time with an injury, but played all but three minutes of the rest of her starts. She was named in the FIFA FIFPro World XI that year.

O’Hara, 35, was known throughout her career as an intense competitor, even in the elite competitive atmosphere of the USWNT, and as a blistering ball winner who always put her body on the line for her teams.

“It has been one of the greatest joys to represent my country and wear the American Soccer emblem,” O’Hara said. “As I close this chapter of my life, I am filled with gratitude. Looking back on my career, I am so grateful for all the things I was able to achieve, but especially for the people I was able to achieve them with.

She finished her USWNT career with 160 caps, currently 21st all-time in American history, and played 10,287 minutes in a USA jersey, one of only 23 female players to eclipse the 10,000-minute mark. She scored three goals in her USWNT career and 21 assists. She is the 25th player in USWNT history with 20 or more assists.

Despite playing her entire youth national team and college career forward and in attacking positions – she won the 2009 MAC Hermann Trophy at Stanford as college football’s top player when she scored 26 goals with 13 assists – she switched outside for the US in 2012. , became a starter and was a key player in the team’s run to the Olympic gold medal at the London Games. She was a consummate team player and would play almost exclusively at outside back for the remainder of her senior international career.

Hampered by injuries during the latter parts of her career, she was a member of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup team and saw action in two matches, becoming one of only twelve players in USWNT history to participate at four Women’s World Cups. She captained the USA four times during her long, fourteen-year international career. O’Hara earned her first senior team cap on March 28, 2010 against Mexico in San Diego. She played in her last USWNT match on August 6, 2023 against Sweden at the World Cup.

O’Hara was a star for the U.S. Women’s National Youth Teams, scoring twice at the 2006 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Russia. She remains one of the all-time top scorers for the U.S. U-20s, finishing her career with 24 goals in 35 U-20 caps. She scored four times for the U-20s at the 2007 Pan American Games. She also played with the U.S. U-17 Women’s National Team in 2005, leading the team in scoring with 10 goals and played with the U.S. U-16s in 2004. She also saw action with the US U-23 WNT.

O’Hara enjoyed a long and successful club career and is one of the few remaining players in the NWSL to play in the WPS, where she won a title with FC Gold Pride in 2010. She also played for the Boston Breakers in the WPS and is an NWSL original, playing for Sky Blue FC for the first five seasons of the league. She then played three seasons for the Utah Royals (including the Covid-19 affected season) and two seasons for the Washington Spirit – winning her first NWSL title in 2021 – before returning to the newly rebranded NJ/NY Gotham FC for her last two professional matches. campaigns and helped the club win the NWSL Championship in 2023. When she signed with Gotham, she made history as the first-ever NWSL free agent to sign with a club.

O’Hara was one of the first women’s soccer players of her generation to enter media, launching a successful and entertaining podcast through Just Women’s Sports, with whom she announced her retirement today via a “Kelley on the Street” video.

Kelley Maureen O’Hara was born in Peachtree City, Georgia, attended Starr’s Mill High School, where she won a state title, and grew up in Fayette County, which, when she hangs up her soccer cleats, will become the new home of US Soccer. construction of the new US Soccer National Training Center begins. O’Hara played for the Peachtree City Lazers, the Lightning Soccer Club and Concorde Fire before going on to star at Stanford University, where she would set records for goals and assists. She was named to the Pac-12 Women’s Soccer All-Century Team in 2015. – Story and photo from USSoccer.com.