Mallory Swanson, the leading scorer this year for the United States Women’s National Team, was carted off the field with a left knee injury late in the first half of a friendly against Ireland in Austin, Texas, on Saturday.
Swanson’s knee buckled after a challenge by Aoife Mannion in the 40th minute and she immediately clutched her leg as her teammates waved for medical assistance.
The U.S. Soccer Federation said she was taken to a local hospital for evaluation. No further update was available Saturday night.
“We don’t know the extent of the injury yet,” coach Vlatko Andonovski told reporters after the 2-0 victory. “She is getting examined as we speak. I am hoping for good news in the near future.”
“It didn’t look great,” teammate Rose Lavelle said. “She wasn’t in a great place. She was in a lot of pain. We’re all trying to help calm her down. Glad we could be close to her and help her in that moment, but obviously a scary situation.”
Swanson has seven goals in five matches in 2023, five more goals than anyone else on the team. Dating back to the final match of 2022, she had scored in six consecutive matches, tied for the fourth-longest streak in USWNT history.
If Swanson is out for an extended period, it could jeopardize her chance of making the roster for the Women’s World Cup at Australia and New Zealand from July 20-Aug. 20.
Earlier in the match, Swanson was treated for an apparent shoulder injury after colliding head-first with the knee of Irish goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan. She left the field briefly before returning.
–Field Level Media
