By DAN KARELL
The U.S. Women’s National Team will be missing one of their key cogs in the midfield come next summer at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio De Janeiro.
Following the conclusion of the 2015 Women’s World Cup, which saw the USWNT end a 16-year title drought, midfielder Lauren Holiday announced her international retirement. Holiday cited being closer to her family the reason for hanging up the U.S. jersey. SI.com first reported the news.
“I am so happy. These are not tears of (sadness), I just hadn’t really talked to anyone about it much yet,” Holiday told USWNT fans at an event in Los Angeles, via USA Today. “This is where I was supposed to be for so many years. I gave my all to soccer, the sport, and this team and I am excited for a new chapter of my life.
“This isn’t something that happened overnight. My goal was to win an NWSL championship and a World Cup and I did it.
“I feel like this team isn’t my identity, it is my choice,” Holiday said. “There is power in making a choice. I chose this team for 10 years and now I am going to choose my family.”
Over her career, Holiday has made 130 appearances for the USWNT, scoring 24 goals, including the game-winner against Japan in the USA’s 5-2 thrashing in the World Cup final. The 27-year-old midfielder was first capped as a 20-year-old while at UCLA, and became a regular in the team by 2011.
The Indianapolis-native will continue to play her club soccer with FC Kansas City for at least the rest of the 2015 season.
It’s unclear whether Holiday will take part in the USWNT’s victory tour of matches this fall or whether the World Cup final was truly her last match in a USWNT jersey.
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What do you think of this news? Sad to see Holiday go? Who do you see replacing her in the lineup?
Share your thoughts below.
Has she considered maybe just going on a Holiday for a bit?
RB, if I wanna play, how should I get in touch with you?
You can contact me via Facebook. I’m the only black Peter Zimmer.
It’s not a sacrifice if it’s what she wants to do. Soccer isn’t the most important thing in her life, it’s being able to enjoy life as a parent and still be young enough to start a family rather than waiting until she’s 35.
It’s unfair that women have to put their career on hold to have a child, but that’s how it works and if her choice is that then there is absolutely no room for a debate. You can’t tell her that her choice is a mistake…it’s her life not yours and it doesn’t affect you at all.
BTW still need one more guy for my co ed team this Sunday in Santa Monica
Hello? Martha? Excuse me mam but where in this article did you read a single word PERPETUATING ANY KIND OF STEREOTYPE? And where did you read any WORD speaking of ANYONE demanding or expecting that she be barefoot and pregnant? I read the exact same article as you. And what i see is a woman making a DECISION AND A CHOICE OF HER OWN FREE WILL. What on earth is wrong with people like you? Do you just hate the heterosexual couples? Do you have an aversion to family and child rearing? And furthermore how ridiculous do you look for suggesting an appropriate age as 31? Are you the one perpetuating an agenda when its absolutely none of your concern? Why dont you make your choices thru your prejudiced and empty paradigm and respect others rights to do the same? There is no higher calling than parenthood. There is nothing more noble and worthy than to bear children and pour your life into them. Did you bother to think about your comment or are you really THAT SHALLOW AND IGNORANT? Either way ,good for her. She is free to be a mom. Free to choose. The problem with you Godless feminists is your all complete hypocrites who want to be in control. Thank God she isnt as selfish ,ignorant and empty as you appear to be. What an absolutely RIDICULOUS thing to say on so many levels. Hey Martha. Get a CLUE LADY.
I don’t agree with Martha, but your rant might have been worse.
No it wasn’t worse. People need to stop judging. Lauren had open heart surgery when she was three years old. We don’t know her and what she, her family and loved ones have been through. She’s defied the odds already. Perhaps people should first assume Lauren knows whats best for her.
I know it’s an assumption but Heath and Holiday were talking to the reporter and he handed them a champagne glass. He told Heath I know she isn’t going to drink hers but are you going to take a sip? She may already be in the early stages of pregnancy.
All the power to her. If this is the decision that makes her happy then no one can fault her.
No, Heath is super religious, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s never had a sip.
That’s what I thought at first too but Tobin took a sip and Holiday didn’t. Not saying she is pregnant just thought maybe they were related.
LH is pretty Christian herself, judging by her Twitter account.
What denomination is very important in the alcohol discussion. Catholics, Anglicans/Episcopalians, Lutherans, and the various orthodox faiths are generally quite fine with alcohol. They do, after all, use real wine during the Eucharist. And we all know the Irish, English, Italians, and Bavarians drink as much as most cultures.
Baptists are pretty against it in the South, nothing terribly official it just seems to be less accepted. I can’t speak to any others outside of Methodists, but I never have seen much aversion from them.
Let us also not forget her, at-times, waning interest in playing the game (she was close to walking away under Pia).
She’s accomplished all she’s set out to. No problem with somebody walking away at that point.
Ugh perpetuating the men’s career comes first and wives should be barefoot and pregnant stereotype. I get the money but really 31 woulda been young enough for the family thing
Not if it’s her choice. Some people, their greatest goal or ambition is to be a parent.
I thought equality meant doing what makes you happy and not choosing something because society or someone else expects you to do it. If it’s her choice, so be it. Besides, she never said she would retire from soccer JUST the USWNT.
Playing for the USWNT is a grid with all the travel. So many of them talk about how it is really like living out of a suitcase and you are never home. I would hate it. My buddy is consultant, on the plane every week. He makes money, but I hate it and don’t see how one could do it.
However, good on you for ignoring her statements about her career and judging her.
being a musician, personally, I love the travel life. fancy hotels, living out of suitcases. it’s great. lol
To each his own, Davis 🙂 !
My buddy digs it. He gets upgraded 1st/business class seats everywhere, upgrade suites at Sheraton family hotels, and never pays for vacation flights or hotel stays because of all his points. That lifestyle is built for some.
eeeeeexactly lol
It’s kind of challenging for the husband to run around barefoot and pregnant. But thanks for insinuating that Lauren Holiday made a bad choice to sacrifice her life (and body) just for her husband’s career.
Jrue Holiday salary the next 2 years:
2015-16 – $10,595,507.00
2016-17 – $11,286,518.00
Then probably a max contract at $17-20 million per year for additional 5 years.
Nice time to retire!
Exactly. She’s a millionaire and she probably makes >100k annually. She’s in a situation where she can start having babies and it won’t effect her families lifestyle or income.
“There is power in making a choice. I chose this team for 10 years and now I am going to choose my family.”
it could easily be argued that she could have meant to “start having children.” age-wise it’s a common age (late 20s) and financially there’s no better time with the star-rising status of her husband.
I don’t know what she makes from the national team, but the max NWSL salary is like $37k.
It would be nice if world class female soccer players could get like a 6 figure contract at least. Maybe just start there.
Then go to Europe.
Didn’t Lindsay Horan get a 6-figure deal from PSG right out of HS?
Interesting that she can’t crack the glass ceiling that is the USWNT senior team.
Retiring from the national team at such a relatively young age seems an odd choice but just having won the World Cup is a good way to go out. Who knows, maybe she will change her mind or maybe she is making the perfect choice for her and her family. All the best.
Well done! Thanks for the memories and the 3rd star.
Congrats on a great career and wish her and her husband the best in starting their new chapter in life. Maybe there is an nba championship in his future if he sticks around with Anthony Davis for a few more years haha.
Here’s to hoping Lauren and Jrue start working on making future stud USMNT/USWNT members.
I didn’t know Jrue was her husband, but yea, that could be a talented super baby. lol
Pregnant already with due date next year? Working with fertility doc? Maybe just done with it all but will phase out the commitments as they end…..?