During Christen Press’ recent rehabilitation following several knee surgeries, fans would approach her, reminding her of the elapsed days since her last soccer appearance. However, her primary concern was the length of time that had passed since she last found the back of the net.
Saturday marked 854 days since Press last scored, a moment that took place on June 11, 2022, in Louisville when she suffered a torn ACL in her right knee.
That day represented her seventh game since returning from surgery, and at 25 minutes of play plus stoppage time, it was her longest outing to date. In the seventh minute of stoppage time, she made her comeback official with a sensational goal, prompting JP Dellacamera on ION’s broadcast to exclaim, “Christen Press is back.”
“It’s so funny how these things go that you want to do so bad,” Press reflected after the match. “I couldn’t even tell you how the goal went. I have no idea. It felt like an out-of-body experience. I’m going to go back and watch it, and I hope it’s a really, really good goal, and I hope I’ll be like, ‘That’s a quintessential Christen Press goal, and I’ll be really, really proud.’”
It’s likely that by now she has seen the goal, and indeed found reason to take pride in it. After receiving a pass from Katie Zelem on the right flank, Press charged towards Courage defender Felicitas Rauch, skillfully evading her with a well-timed cut to the left. She then executed a strike that could undeniably be described as a classic Christen Press effort, beating Courage goalkeeper Casey Murphy and putting Angel City in the lead.
In preparation for this season’s matches, Press has revisited her own history by watching all 47 goals scored in the National Women’s Soccer League and the 64 goals scored for the United States national team.
“It goes all the way back to 2012, right? I could actually see how my scoring has evolved over time,” Press noted during an audio-only Zoom, where she sounded genuinely pleased. “And I had the thought of how am I going to be now? I’m still working my way back. I’m still on this journey. I can’t wait to see what 35-year-old, four-surgery Christen Press looks like when she finds the net.”
However, the one caveat to Press’ return goal is that it could have been even more significant; ideally, it should have been the game-winner. The goal granted Angel City a 1-0 advantage, typically a lead that would hold up in NWSL history. Prior goals that gave a team a lead or equalized had stood for the result.
Yet, a bewildering defensive lapse by Angel City enabled Courage midfielder Denise O’Sullivan to assist Olivia Wingate, who then tapped in the ball past DiDi Haracic, resulting in a 1-1 draw. While this outcome didn’t extinguish Angel City’s playoff hopes, it left them clinging to life support—again.
“It’s been a roller coaster of a last 10 minutes,” Press said. “It was a lot to process in a short period of time. Obviously, I scored at the end, end of a game. You feel like it’s going to be the game-winning goal. I think all of us felt that way. Obviously, that wasn’t the case. The group is just devastated by that. We have to be better than that. No excuse. Full stop.”
Press highlighted that a key characteristic of a great goal scorer is the ability to remain unaffected by the emotional tides of the game. She remarked that the role of a pure goal-scoring forward is the second loneliest position on the field, second only to the goalkeeper.
“Regardless of how well your team is performing, you must believe that the next time the ball comes to you, you’re going to score,” Press explained. “But in moments like this, where your survival is on the line, this one was especially gut-wrenching for the team because it felt like it was going to turn out differently.”
As someone used to being the centerpiece of a team’s offense, Press has experienced a different reality during her return. She described her contributions with words like energy, mentorship, and role modeling. When she steps onto the pitch, it often happens in the closing moments, tasked with either securing a lead or driving a quick offensive strike. Before netting her goal on Saturday, getting equalized against with 25 minutes still to play, while sharing the field with Sydney Leroux, felt unique.
“Before the goal, I had a moment where I think Syd almost scored, and I felt like this is genuinely me participating in the game—not just observing it pass me by,” Press remarked. “I believe it’s vital to remain humble, to work diligently in my role for the team. I’ve been doing that for a long time with the national team, so I’m quite seasoned in that respect.”
“But I had that feeling of being involved in this game and knowing I could influence it and leave my mark, rather than just fulfilling a strategic responsibility… where sometimes you have to undertake tasks that aren’t your preference for the team’s success.”
Despite unofficially tracking the days since her last goal, Press’s confidence remained intact. She had found the net many times during practice since June. She acknowledged that any scorer who fails to convert in a match begins to question if they will ever strike again, but she learned long ago “to hush that inner critic and listen to the encouraging voice that says, ‘This is who you are.’”
“I’ve been anticipating that moment to shine, to show who I am as a player.”
Image Source: Mikolaj Barbanell / Shutterstock
