Tierna Davidson, a defender for the U.S. women`s national team, has unfortunately torn her ACL in her left knee. This happened while she was playing for NJ/NY Gotham FC in a National Women`s Soccer League (NWSL) game on Friday. This injury complicates things for Emma Hayes, the USWNT head coach, as she plans to broaden the team`s player options and create a new core group leading up to the 2027 Women`s World Cup.
During Friday`s game against the Houston Dash, Davidson had to leave the field in the 44th minute. It was a non-contact injury to her left knee. She was able to walk off the field with some help, but she was visibly upset. Gotham`s goalkeeper coach, Michelle Betos, who used to be Davidson`s teammate, hugged her before she went to the locker room.
This injury is a significant setback for Gotham FC. Their strong defense has been key to their playing style under head coach Juan Carlos Amoros. Davidson has been a starter in all three of Gotham`s games this season, playing center back alongside Emily Sonnett, who is her teammate both in club and country. Mandy Freeman replaced Davidson in Friday`s game and could potentially take over her role.
Davidson has experienced an ACL tear before, in her right knee in 2022 during training with the Chicago Stars, her club at the time. That injury made her miss the entire 2022 NWSL season. She returned in 2023 but didn`t make the USWNT`s roster for the 2023 Women`s World Cup. However, she rejoined the team after the tournament and became a starter with Naomi Girma for the 2024 Olympic Games, where they won a gold medal.
USWNT to explore defensive depth
While any long-term injury is unwelcome, Davidson`s injury occurs at a time when Coach Hayes was already intending to experiment with the team. Hayes has been using the period after the Olympics to look at more players and try out new tactics, and she is expected to continue this approach for the rest of 2025.
People will get a glimpse of Hayes` new strategies soon. The USWNT is playing Brazil in a two-game series this month, starting on Saturday. Coach Hayes is currently without both of her starting center backs from the Olympics, as Girma is also recovering from a short-term injury. However, Hayes has several other defensive players available, including veteran Emily Sonnett and less experienced players like Alana Cook, Tara McKeown, and Emily Sams.
Alana Cook, despite being part of the 2023 World Cup team, might play her first minutes for the national team under Hayes. Sonnett and McKeown started in two of the USWNT`s three SheBelieves Cup matches in February, while Sams played alongside Davidson in the other match. Additionally, Sonnett also filled in for Davidson during the Olympics when Davidson had a minor injury.
Girma and Davidson are still expected to be the starting center backs for the 2027 World Cup, assuming they are fit. In any case, this period of trying out different players will help Hayes determine who the next best options are.
Davidson is one of several experienced USWNT players who will be out for a significant period since the Olympics. Only 10 players from Hayes` gold medal-winning Olympic team are in training camp this month. Coach Hayes hasn`t been able to work with her full team since they returned from Paris.
