WASHINGTON, Jan. 23, 2012 - The U.S. women's national team crushed the Dominican Republic 14-0 on Friday but the baseball-score win came at a high price. U.S. Soccer revealed on Monday, that defender Ali Krieger sustained tears to the medial collateral and anterior cruciate ligaments in her right knee in the match.
Krieger suffered the injury late in the first half of the U.S. team's win in the Olympic Women's Qualifying tournament in Vancouver, Canada.
She was the victim of a reckless tackle, which will likely sideline her for six to eight months and rule her out of the London Olympic Games if the Americans qualify.
"I feel so unfortunate and I wouldn't wish this on anyone, especially to have it happen in a match where we were in control," said Krieger, who in 2009 played for the Washington Freedom. "Soccer is a funny game and this is part of being an athlete. It's unfortunate that the timing is really bad, but this team is about way more than one player and I know with all the support from my teammates, my family and friends and from U.S. Soccer, I will come back stronger than ever. It's going to be a fun year and I'll be with the team in spirit the whole way, even if I have to be a vocal leader, just sitting and watching."
The 27-year-old Krieger, who is Dumfries, Va., native, has played 25 times for the American team and was one of the star players at last year's World Cup in Germany. She converted the U.S. team's fifth and final penalty kick to seal the dramatic victory against Brazil in the quarterfinals.
Krieger is currently in her fifth year of playing for FFC Frankfurt in Germany.
I'm really sorry for Ali, but she's young and there are so many games in front of her," said U.S. head coach Pia Sundhage. "I hope she comes back (strong) and I know she will."
It's not the first time Krieger has faced serious medical issues. When she was 21 she was hospitalized for a week after blood clots in her lungs caused a pulmonary embolism and triggered a small heart attack.
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