USWNT, Red Stars defender Tierna Davidson tears ACL
The NWSL's Chicago Red Stars announced on Monday that defender Tierna Davidson has a torn ACL.
Per the Red Stars, she sustained the injury during training last week and will miss the entire season. The team didn't provide further details including which knee was injured. The NWSL regular season starts on April 29.
Davidson, 23, also plays for the U.S. Women's National Team. Her injury will force head coach Vlatko Andonovski to address backfield depth during upcoming qualifying for the 2023 World Cup.
At 20 years old, Davidson was the youngest member of the 2019 USWNT that won the World Cup. She also played on the 2021 Olympic team that won a bronze medal in Tokyo. She's played 48 games in total for the USWNT.
Davidson starred at Stanford, where she was named 2017 Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year and College Cup Most Outstanding Defensive Player while winning a national championship with the Cardinal. She was the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NWSL draft by the Red Stars. Her absence is a significant blow for Chicago.
