Kelley O’Hara, a prominent player of the U.S. women’s national team, has revealed her decision to retire after completing the 2024 NWSL season with Gotham FC. O’Hara, who has won the World Cup twice and secured an Olympic gold medal, will bid farewell to her professional soccer career.
WHAT HAPPENED?
The 35-year-old defender confirmed her retirement plans with a statement on Thursday. O’Hara, a veteran of four World Cup teams, clinched the trophy in 2015 and 2019, and also participated in three Olympic teams.
At the club level, O’Hara is among the few players still active who transitioned from the WPS to the NWSL. She previously played for Sky Blue FC, the Utah Royals, and the Washington Spirit before joining Gotham FC in 2023. In a historic move, she became the first NWSL free agent to sign with a new team, and she played a key role in helping Gotham FC secure the 2023 NWSL title.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
O’Hara has been a consistent presence in the USWNT since her debut in 2010. Throughout her career, she has earned 160 caps and scored three goals as a fullback.
Initially called up as a replacement for the 2011 World Cup, O’Hara made one appearance in the tournament. However, by the time the 2012 Olympics began, she had become a regular starter, playing every minute of the USWNT’s gold-medal-winning campaign.
Her impact in major tournaments continued in the 2015 World Cup, where she didn’t feature until the quarter-final against China but scored a crucial goal in the semifinal, helping the team to a 2-0 victory over Germany. In 2019, she played in five out of the USWNT’s seven games on the way to winning another World Cup title.
O’Hara was also part of the 2023 World Cup squad, starting in the opener against Vietnam. Unfortunately, she missed a penalty in the Round of 16 defeat to Sweden, which appears to be her final international tournament in her remarkable career.
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