My journey to the World Cup was different than a lot of soccer players nowadays. Growing up, I watched as the U.S. hosted-and won the 1999 women's World Cup.
It drew a huge number of fans and eyes on the tournament, raising soccer to an unprecedented level of recognition in the U.S. It was a pivotal moment for me; soccer could be a global event and a full time job.
But playing in a World Cup wasn't a tangible dream of mine until I was 18 years old, when I got called up to the U.S. under-20 women's national team. I realized I could make the senior national team and play in a World Cup-experience something I'd only ever watched on TV.
I have a 17-year-old teammate at San Diego Wave and she's had a dream to play in a World Cup since she was 12. But that just wasn't the case when I was 12 years old. There was no women's professional league; no real opportunity to be on the World Cup team without luck and big dreams. It felt out of reach.
My First World Cup
For the whole World Cup 2011 tournament, I was overwhelmed trying to understand the tournament, and with emotion. I was wide-eyed and eager to learn. Then, when I stepped on the field for the semifinal game against France, I just felt free.
I didn't have to feel the nerves of the fans around in the stadium or millions of people watching, or the fact that a World Cup was on the line, and that in order to make it to the final, we had to win that game.
All the hard work that you put in, all of the insecurity, all the ups and downs in your career, come down to this moment of enjoying it. So it was a breath of fresh air. I didn't have to try to prove myself-I already had.
How It Feels to Score
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Mystery of Ginger Cat Is out of the Bag
The genetics behind the vibrant orange color in feline coats is finally confirmed after 112 years
Paris Hilton & Nicole Richie
PARIS HILTON AND NICOLE RICHIE ARE READY TO BRING A LITTLE “SANASA” to the world with Peacock's Paris & Nicole: The Encore, their first project together since their reality show The Simple Life ended in 2007. What's “sanasa”? It's a song and phrase the longtime friends created as kids and popularized on The Simple Life. The show, a cultural phenomenon in the early days of reality TV, followed them over a series of blue-collar jobs. Now they're bringing it back as an opera. “I know this is just going to make people laugh, have fun, be nostalgic and just celebrate our friendship,” Hilton said. While Richie acknowledged “you can't do Simple Life again,” she said now “felt like the right time.” The famous pair also revisit some old jobs in Arkansas, like fast-food chain Sonic, where they now have drinks named for them. “I think that there is a part of our friend- ship that the show ended up showing that people connect to,” Richie said. As for this new special, Hilton is glad to do something positive for their fans. “It's been such a crazy past couple years, and I just feel like the world needs more joy.”
What Next for Your Drugstore?
Walgreens and Amazon are placing opposing bets on the future of retail pharmacy
AMERICA'S GREATEST WORKPLACES for Diversity
AS COMPANIES IN THE UNITED STATES CONTINUE TO navigate the evolving dynamics of the workplace, diversity remains a cornerstone of organizational success and social responsibility.
FIGHTING SPIRITS
ANDREA MCCARTHY TOLD FRIENDS and family when she gave up alcohol on January 1, 2024, that she would toast 12 months off the sauce with a drink to ring in 2025. As that anniversary approached, the Los Angeles-born content creator told Newsweek she had had a change of heart.
Lessons Over Lunch
Ninety-year-old volunteer Hugh showed me how the winter years can be full of purpose
Is California's Green Dream Hot Air?
The state aims to rely on zero-carbon energy sources in two decades' time but has hurdles to overcome along the way
Power Struggle
As the dust settles following the toppling of Bashar al-Assad, new front lines could be drawn in Syria's old civil war
Downsizing Goes Bust for Boomers
Rising property costs are not just affecting young Americans—older people are ‘aging in place’ due to a dearth of affordable accessible housing
Ray Romano
\"I read about three scripts, and at the end of each there was a little twist, a little turn, [and] it was funny.\"
