- Rapinoe & Krieger set to retire
- Both playing last game in NWSL final
- Krieger to spare no emotions
WHAT HAPPENED? Two legends of American soccer - Megan Rapinoe and Ali Krieger - will hang up their cleats after Saturday’s NWSL Championship. Although both are two-time World Cup winners, neither has lifted the domestic league’s top trophy, and both will be aiming to retire in winning fashion. Krieger has played for three different clubs in the NWSL, in addition to the WPSL Washington Freedom, FFC Frankfurt in the Frauenbundesliga, and Tyresö FF in the Swedish Damallsvenskan. She says an NWSL Championship would be “the cherry on top” of her long career.
WHAT THEY SAID: “Not that it would define my career,” says the 39-year-old defender, “but this is something I've wanted for so long… it's going to be a battle, but it would mean just the ultimate gift and reward. I think at the end of the day, I would be so happy kind of riding into the sunset, not having this feeling of wanting to play another year because the job wasn't done.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: The Defender of the Year candidate has been national teammates with Rapinoe for years, but as close as they are off the field, asked if she’ll spare a thought for her longtime friend if Gotham wins on Saturday, Krieger answers emphatically: “No, no, no,” she says. “And she knows I don't feel bad, and she won't feel bad for me. That's how we respect each other, because we know how hard we worked and we know how much we want this. And we're both winners. We wouldn't be here if we weren't.” Rapinoe begs to differ. Asked the same question, the Reign star says: “Yeah, totally. She better say the same! In the same sense, if she wins, I'll be so happy for her. But yeah, hopefully I'll be the one having the ‘aw, I feel bad for you’ moment.”
IN THREE PHOTOS:
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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR KRIEGER? The legendary USWNT defender will take the pitch one last time against Rapinoe on Saturday in the NWSL final.