CHICAGO RED STARS SOCCER JERSEY PRO
CHICAGO RED STARS SOCCER JERSEY PROFESSIONAL

Once again, she found herself surrounded by legendary talent like Harris, Alex Morgan, Marta, Steph Catley and Alanna Kennedy. Krieger’s steady performances as an outside back made her a valuable asset when the NWSL expanded to Orlando in 2016 and she moved into a new unknown with the Pride. “I was like, ‘You don’t even know me, and you’re literally so sweet and so nice.’” “And I was like, ‘Great, I’m about to get cut before I even kick a soccer ball.’ And (Krieger) ran the beep test right next to me and was cheering me on, encouraging me to do one more sprint, make it to one more round. “In my first (USWNT) camp, we had to run the beep test,” Dunn told Just Women’s Sports in 2021. Krieger had an outsized impression on Dunn in particular, even before the two became club teammates. The 2016 Spirit team that fell just short of a title featured both Gotham’s semifinal opponent, Crystal Dunn, and their eventual goal-scoring hero, Katie Stengel. She was a part of the famed 2013 Tyresö FF roster in Sweden that included Christen Press, Meghan Klingenberg, Whitney Engen and Ashlyn Harris. (Leslie Plaza Johnson/Icon SMI/Corbis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)ĭespite a history of NWSL heartbreak, it’s a testament to Krieger’s longevity and her ability to connect with those around her that she’s played with fellow titans of the game throughout her career.

CHICAGO RED STARS SOCCER JERSEY PRO

Krieger spent the early years of her pro career bouncing between Washington and foreign clubs, including the Spirit. Krieger, known for her poise on the ball, missed her penalty kick and the Western New York Flash claimed the trophy. In the final, the Spirit were seconds away from the club’s first title before a miracle equalizer from Lynn Williams, Krieger’s current club teammate, sent the game to penalties.

In 2016, Washington reached the NWSL Championship for the first time after a semifinal win over the Chicago Red Stars. Krieger became synonymous with the early era of the Spirit, playing a pivotal role that led to consistent time with the USWNT defense and eventually two World Cup wins.Īt the league level, Krieger’s highest-profile moment with the Spirit came in defeat. women’s national team allocated players for the team in her home city: the Washington Spirit.

So when the NWSL launched in 2013, it was only natural that Krieger became one of the inaugural U.S. Kreiger played almost year-round at the time, going back to Europe at the end of the WPS season (and eventually the end of the league itself) to continue to compete. She won the original UEFA Champions League (known at the time as the UEFA Women’s Cup) with Frankfurt, before returning to play with the Freedom in WPS. In those early years of the fledgling business of women’s soccer, Krieger was known to be playing either an ocean away or right at home. After graduation, she made the leap to Europe and played for FC Frankfurt for a number of years, even after WPS was established.

CHICAGO RED STARS SOCCER JERSEY PROFESSIONAL

In many ways, she was a trendsetter, following a path that resembles more what a modern women’s professional soccer player might take before the world was quite ready for that reality.ĭuring her college career at Penn State, she spent time training and playing with the W-league version of her home team, the Washington Freedom. Krieger has been playing professional soccer since before the NWSL’s inception, traveling across the globe in pursuit of opportunities while never losing sight of home. The club’s journey toward the top of the league has had its fair share of twists and turns, which makes it the only fitting ending for captain Ali Krieger, who is set to retire after this season alongside OL Reign star and championship opponent Megan Rapinoe. Once Sky Blue FC, a club known for negative headlines more than positive ones, Gotham of 2023 is more of a phoenix rising from the ashes than a Cinderella story. Watch here.Īs Gotham FC prepares to play in their first NWSL championship game, they represent not only a turnaround from a last-place finish in 2022 but also from a struggle that’s spanned nearly a decade.

Preview the 2023 NWSL Championship by tuning into the Just Women’s Sports Super Show Presented by State Farm, featuring surprise guest appearances by NWSL stars.

Chicago red stars soccer jersey