USWNT great, Gotham FC’s Kelley O’Hara is retiring at the end of the season

Football

By means of Christian Arnold

Two-time World Cup winner, US Women’s National Team gold medalist and Gotham FC defender Kelley O’Hara said Thursday she will retire at the end of the 2024 NWSL season.

In a career spanning more than a decade, O’Hara has competed in four World Cups and three Olympic Games, while winning championships in the WPS and the NWSL.

Last season, she helped Gotham FC win its first-ever NWSL championship title.

O’Hara made the announcement in a video as part of her “Kelley on the Street” series with Just Women’s Sports.

“If you haven’t noticed yet, this is my retirement announcement,” she said in the video.

“Okay guys, you heard it here first, this 2024 season will be my last. I would like to thank everyone who has encouraged and supported me over the years. I have been playing football since I was four years old and it has been an absolute joy, but because they don’t cry because it’s over, they laugh because it happened.”

O’Hara has been dealing with ankle and knee injuries that have limited her playing time for Gotham this season.

The team posted a tribute to O’Hara on social media after the announcement: just like the NWSL.

“I never took anything for granted, and I also feel like I never made a move,” she told Just Women’s Sports in a separate interview about her retirement. “I’ve always said, ‘I have to do my best every day I step on this field’ – which, honestly, is probably half the reason why I need to retire now, instead of taking a few more years off . of it. I just worked hard.”

The 35-year-old retires having cemented her place in US women’s soccer history, having played more than 10,000 minutes for the women’s national team with 160 appearances, three goals and 21 assists, while being one of the most scored memorable goals during the match. 2015 World Cup.

O’Hara famously came off the bench in the semi-final against Germany to latch onto a pass from Carli Lloyd and score in the 84th minute, sealing the United States’ victory and taking them to the World Cup final where they defeated Japan 5-2. .

She made her first USWNT appearance in March 2010 and became a mainstay for the program from then on.

O’Hara played in her final game for the national team last summer when the U.S. lost to Sweden in the World Cup Round of 16.

“Once I thought, ‘Okay, you know what, this is going to be my last year,’ I made a lot of peace with it,” O’Hara said. “Really, all I felt was gratitude for everything my career has been, all the things I’ve been able to do and the people I’ve been able to do them with.”

During her professional career, O’Hara helped FC Gold Pride win a WPS championship in 2010 and then was part of the 2021 Washington Spirit championship team, as well as Gotham’s championship team last year.

Gotham still has eleven home games on the calendar and the US women’s national team will play a farewell match at the Red Bull Arena in July.

Gotham FC and US Soccer have announced no plans to honor O’Hara.

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