By the 70th minute of Friday night’s match against Louisville, Orlando Pride striker Sydney Leroux said her legs were gone.
Her calves ached with each step. She couldn’t jump. For an hour, she’d been sprinting for a chance at over-the-top passes that never fell in her favor, then tracking back the entire length of the field to defend in the Pride box.
But that didn’t stop Leroux from pummeling in the Pride’s final chance of the game, knocking the equalizing shot over the keeper in the final seconds of the match.
Leroux didn’t stay upright much longer, crumpling to the ground a minute later in nearly limp exhaustion.