Soccer News 2015: Lauren Holiday Ends U.S. Women's National Team Career
United States women's national soccer team star forward Lauren Holiday announced her retirement from the team at age 27, USA Today reported.
Grant Wahl of Sports Illustrated first broke the news in a tweet:
Wahl reported that Holiday indicated she wants to spend time with family after playing for the U.S. national team for most of the last decade. Holiday said she will still remain as an active player of FC Kansas City of the National Women's Soccer League.
In the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup final, Holiday scored the third goal in the final minute of the game, which sent Japan home with a 5-2 triumph for the USWNT.
"I am so happy. These are not tears of (sadness), I just hadn't really talked to anyone about it much yet," Holiday told 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."
Starting a family
She is married to NBA star Jrue Holiday of the New Orleans Pelicans and is formerly known as Lauren Cheney. Cheney and Holiday met as student athletes while attending UCLA. Holiday said that she plans to start a family after retirement from the national team.
"I feel like this team isn't my identity, it is my choice," she was quoted as saying. "There is power in making a choice. I chose this team for 10 years and now I am going to choose my family."
Future of the national team
Holiday was part of two U.S. Olympic soccer teams, which brought home gold medals in 2008 and 2012, according to FIFA. She also lead Kansas City in clinching the NWSL title last season. During the 2011 World Cup, Holiday was forced to leave the second half of the final match due to injury.
Although Holiday's departure will leave a hole in the U.S. team, a rising new star, 22-year-old Morgan Brian, could take her place.
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