Mallory Swanson taken to hospital after knee injury, leaving USWNT teammates 'shook'

UPDATE: Swanson has been diagnosed with a torn patellar tendon, and will almost certainly miss the World Cup.

AUSTIN, Texas — U.S. women's national team star Mallory Swanson (née Pugh) left Saturday's friendly against Ireland on a stretcher after injuring her left knee, leaving teammates shaken and her 2023 World Cup in doubt.

Swanson, the USWNT's leading scorer this year, went down after a tackle late in the first half and immediately waved one arm in the air in distress, as she used the other to grab for her stricken left leg.

After at least five minutes of on-field treatment, she was carted away and taken to a nearby hospital, a team spokesman said.

The extent of the injury was not immediately clear. But Swanson's pain was. Teammates rushed toward her; Rose Lavelle tried to stabilize her heaving upper body and comfort her; others signaled for medical attention, which soon came.

"It's a bit emotional," Lavelle later said. "Initially, obviously, it doesn't look good."

The USWNT's medical staff hurried onto the field. An EMT cart arrived, and a half-dozen medical personnel appeared to immobilize Swanson's left leg. As they did, a couple teammates stood by her; one, Lindsey Horan, stepped 10 feet away from the scene and dropped into a crouch.

Two hours later, speaking postgame, Horan said she was still "a little bit shook."

When Alex Morgan was asked about Swanson, her facial expression immediately sank. "It's really hard to see Mal go down in pain like that before the World Cup," Morgan said.

Swanson had scored seven goals in five 2023 games, and almost single-handedly won the SheBelieves Cup in February. She'd scored in six straight matches dating back to 2022. After some struggles in her early 20s, she'd become the USWNT's best attacker, and a would-be catalyst at women's soccer's showpiece tournament this summer.

Her status for the World Cup — which begins in mid-July, with the roster set to be announced in June — is now unclear. A USWNT spokesman said only that it was a left knee injury.

"We don't know the extent of the injury yet," head coach Vlatko Andonovski said at his postgame news conference. In response to speculation, he said he didn't even fully understand terms like patellar tendon or (dislocated) kneecap. "She's getting checked out as we speak," he continued. "And I'm hoping for good news in the near future."

Players were hoping, too, but none seemed particularly hopeful or optimistic, because they'd seen how Swanson herself reacted. And they felt for a woman who, in addition to sculpting herself into a brilliant soccer player, is their close friend and "a very lovable person," as Andonovski said.

Andonovski himself joined players on the field while Swanson was receiving treatment. He said everyone, including staff, was emotionally affected.

The good news, or at least the biggest glimmer of hope, was that after Swanson was lifted onto the cart, players and Andonovski said, she was in much better spirits, and even smiling. Andonovski said Swanson told him: "Coach, I'm good. I promise I'll be good."

As she was being carried away, she waved several times to fans, and at least once brought her hands together to make a heart symbol. A sellout crowd at Q2 Stadium in Austin, which had fallen into a hush for several minutes, applauded and chanted her name.

The injury was Swanson's third of the week. She'd been struck by a ball and suffered a black eye in training a few days earlier. Then, midway through the first half of Saturday's game, she'd been knocked off balance on a run and collided head-first into Irish goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan. She was treated for four minutes while prone on the field after that collision, but came off the field only briefly, and stayed in the game. Andonovski said it was "a little knock," and not a brain injury.

The knee injury occurred some 13 minutes later. Trinity Rodman replaced her. Rodman would likely be in line to start this summer in New Zealand if the injury keeps Swanson sidelined — and Lynn Williams, Megan Rapinoe or Alyssa Thompson would be in line for the suddenly-vacant roster spot.

The U.S. led 1-0 at the time of Swanson's injury, courtesy of fullback Emily Fox's first USWNT goal. Horan added a second-half penalty to clinch a 2-0 win. Julie Ertz's return to the field, for 23 minutes of second-half action, was also a welcome sight. But Swanson's injury overshadowed all of it.

The Americans will have a second friendly against Ireland on Tuesday in St. Louis, then one more early-July game before the World Cup, which kicks off July 20.