Angel City Football Club Removes Forward Christen Press from Season-Ending Injury List

ANGEL CITY FOOTBALL CLUB REMOVES FORWARD CHRISTEN PRESS FROM SEASON-ENDING INJURY LIST

Press Returns to the Active Roster After Over Two Years

LOS ANGELES (July 31, 2024) - Angel City Football Club (ACFC) today announced the removal of star forward Christen Press from the National Women’s Soccer League’s (NWSL) season-ending injury list. Press, who was ACFC’s first-ever signing, is returning to the pitch 781 days after tearing her right anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) on June 11, 2022. Press will now be available for selection for the club’s NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup match against SoCal rivals San Diego Wave FC on Thursday, Aug. 1 at Titan Stadium at Cal State Fullerton. 

“You have to accept that things won’t go the way you think they will, but maybe they’ll go even better,” said Press. “That’s the hope that I’m taking into the next phase of my recovery journey. I’m very proud of all the hard work that has taken me to this moment, and grateful to the army of people around me that have helped me arrive. Thank you to the women’s soccer family that has supported me all the way… I can’t wait to play for all of you again.”

Since sustaining her injury, Press underwent four different knee surgeries, making the feat of her return all the more impressive. 

“This is a direct result of two straight years of Christen’s hard work and determination to return to the game,” said ACFC Head Coach Becki Tweed. “She is a leader on and off the pitch and we are thrilled to have her available for selection.”

“This is a story of perseverance, patience, and Christen’s unwavering belief that she was going to get back on the pitch,” said VP of Medical and Performance Sarah Smith. “The odds were truly stacked against her at times and this is the start of the next step in this journey. The collaborative effort between Christen, our medical and performance staff, her doctors, and other rehab experts has been instrumental in reaching this point.”

Since joining the NWSL in 2014, Press has appeared in 101 career NWSL match appearances in all competitions, earning 50 goals and 11 assists in 8,902 minutes played on the pitch. She has also performed phenomenally on the international stage, tallying 64 goals and 43 assists in 155 caps for the United States Women’s National Team (USWNT). She is a two-time World Cup winner (2015, 2019) and an Olympic bronze medalist (2020).

Press was originally drafted by the Washington Freedom of the Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) league in 2011, where she was awarded the 2011 WPS Rookie of the Year before transferring to the Damallsvenskan league in Sweden, competing for Kopparbergs / Göteborg FC and Tyresö FF. In the NWSL, she previously played for the Chicago Red Stars and Utah Royals. She spent the 2021–2022 season with Manchester United before joining Angel City in 2022.