WOMEN'S FOOTBALL
USWNT player Mallory Swanson tears knee tendon in win over Ireland; replaced by Alyssa Thompson
The USWNT lost one of their star players to injury in the first of two games against the Republic of Ireland.
With just a few months left to go before the Australia-New Zealand 2023 World Cup opener kicks off, the USWNT were dealt a huge blow with the shocking news of Mallory Swanson, who suffered a severe knee injury that will see her miss the tournament.
The Chicago Red Stars striker left the field on a stretcher during the friendly in which the United States beat Ireland 2-0; Swanson’s knee buckled as she took a hard tackle from Ireland’s Aoife Mannion.
The coach of the national team, Vlatko Andonovski, even went onto the field to comfort the young player who was in tears - as were some of her teammates - at the fact that the injury is going to keep her out of the World Cup that will be played this year across July and August.
Alyssa Thompson replaces her in the squad
This Sunday, the team announced through its Twitter account that Swanson had torn the patellar tendon in her left knee, an injury that has an approximate recovery time of six months, meaning the World Cup is all but impossible for the 24-year-old.
Angel City FC forward, Alyssa Thompson, is the player chosen to replace Swanson in the squad that will take on Ireland for the second time as both sides continue their pre-tournament preparation. Both sides will be hoping not to suffer any more injuries ahead of the World Cup.