USWNT’s Kelley O’Hara will retire from football after the NWSL season – NBC New York

On By Vaseline

U.S. team and Gotham FC defender Kelley O’Hara announced Thursday that she will retire from soccer at the end of the National Women’s Soccer League season.

O’Hara, 35, is a two-time Women’s World Cup winner, Olympic gold medalist and two-time National Women’s Soccer League title winner.

She made her announcement on the Just Women’s Sports platform, where she has hosted a popular player podcast.

“I’ve been playing football since I was four years old, and it’s been an absolute joy,” she said. “But as they say, ‘Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.’ And I know there will be many tears for me and probably for all of you too, but I hope there will be more smiles.

O’Hara, who was a free agent with Gotham in 2023, has played 11 seasons in the NWSL. Gotham won the NWSL title last season. Before that, she played for the Washington Spirit, which won the national championship in 2021.

In 160 appearances with the national team, O’Hara has played in a total of four World Cups and three Olympic Games. She is one of only four American players selected to four World Cup squads.

At the 2015 World Cup, she came off the bench to score in the 84th minute, sealing a 2–0 win over Germany in the semi-finals. The United States went on to win the tournament with a 5–2 victory over Japan.

She won a gold medal at the London Olympics and bronze at the Tokyo Games.

“It has been one of the greatest joys to represent my country and wear the US Soccer crest,” O’Hara said in a statement released by US Soccer. “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.

O’Hara’s last match with the national team, recently dogged by injuries, came at the World Cup last summer.

A native of Georgia, O’Hara played at Stanford and won the 2009 MAC Hermann Trophy as the top college player in her senior season.



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