ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - A St. Louis-native who has been a key piece of the United States Women National Team (USWNT) is hanging up her cleats.
Longtime USWNT defender and former captain Becky Sauerbrunn, who attended Ladue High School in St. Louis, announced her retirement from professional soccer Tuesday.
On a club level, Sauerbrunn played for seven clubs across four different leagues, but has spent most of her career in the NWSL since it launched in 2013, playing for FC Kansas City, the Utah Royals, and most recently, the Portland Thorns.
Sauerbrunn is a 3-time NWSL champion, winning two with FC Kansas City in 2014 and 2015 and winning one with the Thorns in 2022. In addition, Sauerbrunn helped the Thorns win the NWSL Challenge Cup in 2021, the NWSL Shield in 2020 and 2021, and the International Champions Cup in 2021 over European women soccer giants Olympique Lyon.
Internationally, Sauerbrunn had 219 caps with the USWNT, making her first cap in Jan. 2008 against Canada. During her international career, she represented the USWNT at three FIFA Women's World Cup and three Summer Olympics.
During her time with the USWNT, Sauberbrunn helped the USWNT win the 2015 and 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup, and helped the USWNT claim gold at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London and claim bronze at the delayed 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo
Sauerbrunn also proved to be a proven leader internationallu, captaining the USWNT 42 times during her career, which is the fifth-most all time in USWNT history.
"I learned early on that we were all just renting our jerseys," said Sauerbrunn. "That I got to wear the U.S. Soccer crest once was an honor and privilege for which I’m forever grateful. The fact that I got to do it over 200 times is truly humbling. I competed with and learned from some of the greatest players and leaders this sport has ever seen, and I consider myself beyond lucky to have been able to play a small part in this program’s storied history."
The Thorns say Sauerbrunn will be honored during the 2025 National Women’s Soccer League season at a match to be named once the schedule has been released.
Locally in St. Louis, Sauerbrunn went to Ladue High School and played for the Jefferson Barracks Marine. While at Ladue, Sauerbrunn was twice named Missouri Gatorade Player of the Year and was a high school All-American before going on to play college soccer at Virginia.
Sauerbrunn was honored in 2022 at Ladue High School with a soccer pitch named in her honor.