“No Calls” – Becky Sauerbrunn Opens Up About Heartbreaking Lack of Recognition at USWNT Despite Standout Performance

In soccer, it is more difficult to retain your spot on the national team than simply playing. Consider Becky Sauerbrunn for instance, who managed to get her first call-up to the USWNT camp in 2008 at 22 years old, only to be sent back to the U-23s and miss the opportunity to represent her nation for a couple of years. While tough competition might be cited as one factor, this happened to Sauerbrunn even after playing the game of her ‘life‘, that to a debut!

“I felt that I had touched my dream and only very briefly,” admitted the recently retired defender during her chat on Men in Blazers while reminiscing about her debut, “I should be fortunate and grateful I even got those two games in 2008.” Notably, it was under Swedish coach Pia Sundhage when Sauerbrunn got her first cap, and while the center-back thought she had made the impact, such wasn’t the case at all!

“I remember this game so clearly. We were playing Marta and I had the defensive game of my life—game line saving clearance—that type of game. I’m walking off the field and I see Pia on the field talking to Abby because she was on the team at the time. I was like, ‘Okay this is it. She just saw me have the game of my life, I have to be called in,'” narrated Becky.

However, expectations hurt and it was no different for the former Utah Royals star. “And just crickets, just no calls,” admitted Sauerbrunn. That explains why she earned just three caps during her first three years in the USWNT player pool between 2008 and 2010. But even after such a setback, Becky found her way back into the team for the 2011 World Cup in Germany.

“That was probably another year until I got a call-up only because somebody picked up an injury so I was an alternate. It’s just when I look back at how crazy that moment in time was,” recalled Sauerbrunn, who admits she managed to get her foot in the door with just a single opportunity—even if it shouldn’t have happened at all.

“That’s wild to me that it was literally one rolled ankle that got me back into the national team,” concluded the former Portland Thorns star, who announced her retirement earlier this month from the beautiful game. Well, even if it turned out quite nicely for Sauerbrunn on the international front, it certainly didn’t happen without facing significant challenges!

Becky Sauerbrunn received a tough pill to swallow during her early USWNT days!

In her early 20s, Becky was naturally eager to earn minutes on the field. However, Pia Sundhage didn’t view her as a player who could secure a spot on the team. “You never want to hear that you are not a part of what’s going to make this team the best it can be, but you are close,” admitted the iconic center-back in another interview, expressing her sadness over being snubbed.

While this must have made Becky quite sad, there was a quick fix from her former national team coach. At the end of her tenure, the Swedish manager wrote individual letters to all her players. Hence, in an effort to make amends for overlooking her, Pia included heartfelt words in Sauerbrunn’s letter, stating, “You could have been a starter, but it’s just not your time.”

This acknowledged the American center-back’s potential, even though the timing wasn’t in her favor. No wonder they say there’s a reason for every happening!