GOTHAM FC celebrated Kelley O’Hara’s career in their final regular season home game at the Red Bull Arena.
Their National Women’s Soccer League fixture against Orlando Pride was dedicated to her stellar career.
“I would say that it would be very difficult to say everything that soccer has meant to me. It’s been one of the greatest joys of my life,” O’Hara said to Gotham media before the game.
The defender announced her retirement from professional women’s soccer in May this year, but her final season has been plagued by a knee injury which put her on the season-ending injury list.
Gotham beat the Pride 3-1, with goals coming from Sam Hiatt, Rose Lavelle and Ella Stevens.
Stadium announcement microphone in hand, O’Hara addressed her teammates at the game: “thank you for the laughs. Thank you for the memories. Thank you for just being wonderful.”
Through cascading tears, to her family she said: “Mom and Dad. Thank you.”
Kelley O’Hara is the third member of the US Women’s National Team World Cup 2019 squad to retire this year – firstly Sam Mewis through injury and best friend Alex Morgan last month.
‘KOH’ is regarded as an iconic player by fans, known for her witty and chaotic behaviour and ruthless on-field demeanour.
She started her career as a Cardinal with Stanford University where she played with future USWNT teammate, Christen Press.
In her senior year, she was awarded the Herman Trophy, making her women’s collegiate soccer’s best player.
In the new NWSL, she joined Sky Blue FC (Gotham’s predecessor) where she played for five seasons before joining Utah Royals.
Her appearances were few and far between due to a list of injuries and World Cup duties (the NWSL season runs through April to October).
She then made a post-pandemic trade to Washington Spirit, before heading back to New Jersey for the concluding years of her career at Gotham – an NWSL Championship winner’s medal was won at each club.
“We need Kelley,” were the words of former USWNT manager Jill Ellis whilst selecting her 2015 World Cup roster.
Soccer/football in America is known to be about physicality and speed, but in Ellis’ years in charge, the team shifted into adopting more European styles of play (Ellis was born in Folkestone).
As a full-back, O’Hara brought the pace, the strength, the stamina, the ball control and the I-will-run-through-you attitude.
With her national team she won two World Cup medals, one silver, and an Olympic gold and bronze, as well as many other accolades.
With more and more expansion teams – see the fallout about BOS Nation FC – and the USWNT entering a new era under Emma Hayes, women’s soccer in America is greatly shifting.
Only thirteen players out of Ellis’ 2019 23-player squad remain in the professional game, and O’Hara’s retirement is another reminder of that fan-favourite chapter’s eventual closure.
