USWNT's Andi Sullivan 'crushed' over Christen Press' injury - ESPN

AUCKLAND, New Zealand — United States women's national team midfielder Andi Sullivan said she is «crushed» for injured teammate Christen Press, who is facing a fourth surgery as she attempts to come back from a torn ACL.

Press, 34, was a key player on the 2019 U.S. team that won its second consecutive World Cup, including a critical goal in the 2-1 semifinal win over England.

But she tore her right ACL in June of 2022 while playing for Angel City FC, and subsequently struggled to get back on the field, having multiple surgeries since.

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Press posted the news of her latest setback on Instagram, stating that her surgeon and physical therapist told her back in February to let go of the dream of making the World Cup roster, and yet she said, «Until the roster was announced, there wasn't a day that passed over the last year that I didn't believe I could be there.»

She later added, «My days are mostly good. I'm working toward my goal. And despite the fact that, on paper, this is an athlete's recovery-nightmare, I feel in my heart that to climb the mountain — yes, even one more time — is the dream.»

Sullivan, who is poised to play in her first World Cup, went through her own ACL rehab back in 2016 when she was playing collegiately at Stanford, and couldn't help but empathize with what Press is experiencing at the moment.

«Having gone through an ACL tear and recovery, that in itself is hard enough,» she told reporters on Tuesday.

«And luckily my return was smooth in the grand scheme of things. So when I read that post — yesterday I think it was — my heart aches for her.

»I think any time that you're injured, the uncertainty of it all, it's hard enough when they say this is your