The United States women’s soccer team defeated Ireland 2-0 in a pre-World Cup match on Saturday, but the victory was marred by a serious injury to star player Mallory Swanson.
Swanson was stretchered off the field in distress at the end of the first half after her left knee buckled following a heavy challenge from Ireland’s Aoife Mannion, as reported by the AFP. The incident halted the game for several minutes, with US coach Vlatko Andonovski rushing to comfort Swanson as she received treatment before being carted off.
Swanson’s injury raises concerns about her fitness for the upcoming Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, which kicks off in July.
The 25-year-old striker is a vital member of the US national team, having scored seven international goals in just five appearances this year. She was taken to a local hospital for assessment, and Andonovski is waiting anxiously for news on the extent of the injury.
Despite the injury, the USA extended their winning streak to seven games, with Emily Fox scoring her first international goal and Lindsey Horan converting a penalty.
The US will begin their World Cup campaign against Vietnam in Auckland on July 21.
Andonovski insisted that Swanson was fit to continue playing after an earlier collision with Ireland goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan, but the knee injury casts doubt over her participation in the tournament.
“If there was any slight chance that she should have not been back on the field we were gonna keep her off, but she felt good,” Andonovski said.
“Everything was fine, so it wasn´t a head or a brain injury or anything.”
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