U.S. national team captain Becky Sauerbrunn will miss the upcoming Women’s World Cup due to a right foot injury. Sauerbrunn expressed her disappointment on social media, stating that she had hoped to make a timely recovery but the uncertainty surrounding her return to play made it unfeasible. The U.S. women’s national team will reveal their 23-player roster next week and will have a send-off match against Wales on July 9 before heading to the tournament co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.
Sauerbrunn’s absence is a significant blow to the team as she is widely regarded as one of the world’s top players in her position as a center back. She played a crucial role in the U.S. team’s victories in the 2015 and 2019 World Cups. Sauerbrunn, who competes for the Portland Thorns in the National Women’s Soccer League, initially injured her foot in April and has been unable to play since then.
Despite the setback, Sauerbrunn expressed her support for her teammates and conveyed her confidence in their abilities. The United States, four-time World Cup winners, will begin their campaign against Vietnam on July 22 in Auckland.
In addition to Sauerbrunn’s injury, the U.S. team has also faced other setbacks, with forward Mallory Swanson undergoing knee surgery and forward Catarina Macario ruling herself out of the World Cup due to an ACL tear she suffered while playing for her club team in France.
Overall, the U.S. team will look to overcome these challenges and strive to bring home their fifth World Cup trophy.