Abby Smith (gray jersey) had her rookie season cut short by a torn patella tendon. She will undergo surgery (photo copyright Linehan Photography for The Equalizer)
-Abby Smith suffers season ending injury; Breakers sign GK Jami Kranich
-Briana Scurry named Washington Spirit Honorary Captain
-Kelley O’Hara tells Sports Illustrated that Rio boycott is a “last alternative”
-Kate Markgraf to become first female analyst to call a major men’s tournament
-Christine Sinclair available for Portland Thorns on Saturday
The Boston Breakers announced today that keeper Abby Smith will miss the remainder of the season with a strained ACL and torn patellar tendon. Smith suffered the non-contact injury in the Breakers’ match against the Chicago Red Stars on May 7, and was forced to leave the match in the 32nd minute.
To replace Smith, the Breakers have signed goalkeeper Jami Kranich. Kranich was drafted by the Breakers in 2014 and appeared in eight matches in 2015, allowing 13 goals against on 42 shots on goal. She appeared in three matches this 2016 preseason but was waived by the Breakers on April 5.
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Today the Washington Spirit named former USWNT goalkeeper Briana Scurry as an Honorary Captain of the team. Scurry, who was a part of the 1999 World Cup winnning U.S. squad, will “promote the National Women’s Soccer League, market the Washington Spirit organization, and share her wealth of experience and knowledge with the team’s players.”
“All players can benefit from a mentor, especially those just entering the professional sphere,” said Scurry in the Spirit’s news release. “I want to be that influence on the younger players – the one to show them how to manage themselves and their image within the game as well as outside of it.”
The Spirit’s partnership with Scurry is the first of its kind with a prominent former U.S. player in NWSL. Scurry played in both previous U.S. woso pro leagues, for the Atlanta Beat in WUSA from 2001-2003, and for the Washington Freedom in WPS from 2009-2010. She suffered a career ending concussion early in the 2010 season.
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Kelley O’Hara spoke to Sports Illustrated’s Maggie Gray on Wednesday about the USWNT’s wage dispute. O’Hara said that a boycott of this summer’s Rio Olympics over the issue is a “last alternative” and the team’s “Plan Z.”
O’Hara also spoke about how impressed she has been with the professionalism shown by her 18-year-old teammate Mallory Pugh.
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ESPN announced Tuesday that former U.S. women’s national team star Kate Markgraf will become the first woman to be an analyst for a major men’s international soccer tournament on U.S. television, as she will provide color commentary for ESPN’s UEFA EURO 2016 match coverage this summer. Markgraf, who was a part of the 1999 World Cup winning team, has been with ESPN since 2011 and frequently serves as an analyst for women’s soccer broadcasts in the U.S.
Fellow 1999 World Cup winner Julie Foudy will also be a part of ESPN’s EURO coverage.
Meanwhile, FOX Sports announced on Tuesday that former USWNT midfielder Aly Wagner will provide studio analysis throughout the 2016 Copa America Centenario men’s tournament.
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Christine Sinclair will be available for Portland’s match against the Seattle Reign on Saturday. Sinclair has been dealing with an Achilles injury and is yet to play for the Thorns this season, though she did feature in a number of preseason matches.
It has been a very tough couple of weeks….but it sure felt great to be back on the field
— Christine Sinclair (@sincy12) May 10, 2016
