U.S. Soccer Star Mallory Swanson Injures Knee in Possible Blow to World Cup Hopes

Losing Swanson for the World Cup would be a major blow to the U.S. as it seeks to win an unprecedented third consecutive title this summer in Australia and New Zealand. The 24-year-old Swanson has been on a blistering scoring streak, leading the U.S. with seven goals in five games this year. She entered Saturday’s match in Austin, Texas, on a six-game scoring streak, tied for the fourth longest in team history. 

But the expectation that she would be a centerpiece of the U.S. offense at the World Cup was thrown into doubt when Swanson fell to the turf late in the first half, clutching her knee and grimacing in pain after battling an Ireland player for the ball. Medical-support personnel loaded her onto a stretcher as teammates gathered around her, then transported her off the field. 

Minutes before injuring her knee, Swanson had collided, head-to-knee, with Ireland’s goalkeeper while diving for the ball. She paced the sideline briefly but returned to the game.  

The U.S. won the game 2-0, and faces Ireland in another friendly Tuesday in St. Louis, Mo. Alyssa Thompson, an 18-year-old forward who recently became the youngest draft pick in NWSL history when she was picked by Angel City FC, will replace Swanson on the U.S. team’s training camp roster.

The U.S. begins play in the Women’s World Cup against Vietnam in Auckland, New Zealand, on July 21. A full tear of the patella tendon can require nine months or more of recovery, according to medical research. 

Swanson’s play this year has been so dominant that it raised questions about who besides her might score for the U.S. at the World Cup. In February, Swanson scored four of the five team goals as the U.S. won the four-team SheBelieves Cup, which the Americans hosted.