CHICAGO — Seventeen years 63 days after it began — after 203 appearances, 63 goals, 73 assists, two World Cup trophies, an Olympic gold medal, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, several hair colors, labor fights and human rights campaigns — Megan Rapinoe stepped away from the U.S. women’s national soccer team.
Sunday’s farewell fell on a sumptuous autumn afternoon at Soldier Field with family, friends and fiancée Sue Bird on hand for a 2-0 victory over South Africa.
“To have this night come and to actually feel it and see it from my teammates and from our staff and certainly from the fans, really, it was very special,” Rapinoe said.