Women’s soccer fans who follow only the U.S. national team might not have heard of Maddy Evans, unless they knew of her when she was growing up in the Philadelphia region.
But Evans’ name is very much one worth knowing, because her story says a lot about the present and future of the sport in this country.
A 26-year-old product of Abington High and Penn State, Evans retired from playing last week after a five-year pro career. Not because of injury or any other health factor, but because she couldn’t earn enough money as a professional to sustain a living.