One of many greatest blows for the U.S. Olympic ladies’s soccer crew on their outstanding run to the knockout stage, was the damage to Tierna Davidson, who has been a rock alongside the backline for the People.
Davidson left Sunday’s 4-1 win following a collision with Germany’s Jule Model within the fortieth minute. She suffered a knee damage so unhealthy that she had to get replaced by fellow defender Emily Sonnett. It’s an enormous blow for each the U.S., who’ve relied on Davidson all through qualifying and even harder for Davidson, who has been dominant since a season-ending ACL tear sidelined her in 2022.
Who’s Davidson? And why is she so very important to the crew’s plans? Forward of the U.S.’ ultimate sport in opposition to Australia on Wednesday (1 p.m., Peacock), listed below are 5 issues to learn about her:
She has spent practically half her life within the USWNT circuit
Davidson, 25, has been on U.S. Soccer’s nationwide crew at each the youth and senior ranges since 2014. She performed for the under-20 youth crew for 4 years (2014-18) and has over 60 appearances for the senior nationwide crew since making her debut on Jan. 21, 2018. In doing so, she turned the youngest participant on the squad that certified for the 2019 FIFA World Cup.
She wished to turn into an astronaut
Davidson, a Stanford graduate took flying classes and had desires of working for NASA earlier than pursuing a profession in soccer as a substitute. Davidson, who turned skilled after the 2019 NWSL draft was picked up solely after simply three years with the Cardinal, forgoing two extra years of school eligibility because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Says the Korbin Albert saga affected her personally
Davidson, who’s brazenly homosexual with a fianceé, says that the homophobic posts of teammate Korbin Albert “was an issue state of affairs that has clearly affected me personally, given what she was talking on,” Davidson mentioned on the Good Recreation podcast. Nonetheless, Davidson additionally famous that Albert has “gone by means of loads of studying since then and he or she has to proceed to do this,” including “all of us do as people.” Nicely mentioned.
We’re again! And “Good Recreation” was going robust even when my Twitter wasn’t!
Right here’s the nice Tierna Davidson speaking concerning the personal & public dealing with of teammate Korbin Albert. The USWNT Olympic opener is tomorrow at 3p ET!
Full interview: https://t.co/8gTwQrM3eD pic.twitter.com/PwLbuMfPrv
— Sarah Spain (@SarahSpain) July 24, 2024
Was the highest decide within the 2019 NWSL draft…
Usually defenders aren’t high decisions, however that’s what Davidson turned after forgoing her remaining eligibility at Stanford and declaring for the NWSL draft. She was picked up by the Chicago Purple Stars. She’d play out her contract in Chicago earlier than being picked up in free company by the NWSL’s Gotham FC in January.
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… and guided Stanford to a nationwide title
Earlier than being the highest decide within the draft, Davidson had momentum stemming from being a significant piece in Stanford’s run to the 2017 NCAA Division I championship. Within the Closing 4, she was on the sector when the Cardinal defeated Florida State, 1-0 within the semifinal, earlier than a 4-0 rout of Penn State within the ultimate, discovering Davidson collected the award of being named the match’s Most Excellent Defensive Participant.
