SANDY — Becky Sauerbrunn has been a mainstay on the United States Women’s National Team roster for nearly a decade, and thus has been on three World Cup teams and two Olympic Games squads, winning three gold medals along the way.
Despite the full resume, over the last week and a half since the USWNT brought home the World Cup crown from France, Sauerbrunn has caught herself numerous times thinking, “I can’t believe we won this thing.”
That level of humility might seem to run counter to the pre-tournament notion that the USWNT was the team to beat and the view some held that the 23 players were collectively too brash, too outspoken, too cocky, but it’s certainly within character for one of the leaders of the team and the captain of Utah Royals FC here in the Beehive State.
“It’s such a crazy, wonderful feeling to win one of these things and then to be in the locker room and to celebrate,” she said Wednesday afternoon at Rio Tinto Stadium as she and fellow World Cup champion Kelley O’Hara met with local media. “Everyone had a different role within the World Cup, and to, at the end of it, be able to say you contributed in whatever way you did to the success of this team, it was just really celebratory.
“I always knew that we were capable of winning it. Actually winning the sucker is a different thing, and so I’m still kind of riding that high and there are times when it still catches me off guard.”
The duo’s USWNT and URFC teammate Christen Press was expected to be at the press conference Wednesday but did not attend (she was also not present at URFC’s pre-World Cup press conference).
Indeed, all three URFC players had different roles throughout the month-long tournament, which concluded with a July 7 win over Netherlands. Sauerbrunn was stalwart as usual at center back, although it’s fair to say it wasn’t her best tournament, while O’Hara worked past a year of injury woes to be excellent both as a defender and in the attack. Press performed her role as a super sub admirably and started twice, scoring early in the semifinal against England.
“Regardless of who’s starting, it’s 23 players that win us a World Cup, and we genuinely know that and believe that,” O’Hara said. “Christen’s a great example of that. She did a fantastic job ... I think that’s a testament to her as a player. I don’t think the fact that she wasn’t in the starting (XI) is indicative of who she is and what she brings to the team, because she’s a huge lift.”
As the tournament got started, the USWNT made headlines by beating Thailand 13-0 and elaborately celebrating every goal. Some praised the performance and players’ reactions each time the ball found the net, and it certainly generated excitement in the States for the rest of the month, while others found it disrespectful and pompous.
Then as the tournament concluded and videos surfaced of players celebrating their win, the squad was again harped on for not winning with class.
Sauerbrunn was disappointed that became a narrative.
“I think it’s unfair to misconstrue self-belief as arrogance, and I think everyone on the national team has put in so much to be there, to stay there, and we know what goes into it and that gives us confidence and helps us believe in ourselves and one another,” she said. “If the outside world sees that as arrogance, I think that’s unfortunate, because to us, it’s self-belief.”
That self-belief carried the group throughout the month, as things got harder both on the pitch and away from it. After squeaking past Spain in the Round of 16, the USWNT faced host France in the quarterfinal on June 28 in a contest most thought would decide the championship.
To add to the intensity, President Donald Trump posted three tweets on June 26 criticizing comments made by forward Megan Rapinoe in which she said she would not visit the White House if the team won the tournament.
“We tried very hard to keep a bubble around the team, and obviously when the president is tweeting at one of your players, it kind of can puncture the bubble a little bit, but I think the team did a really good job of just acknowledging it and then just kind of tossing it away, which we had to do because we had a job to do,” Sauerbrunn said.
Beside the episode with President Trump, the topic of equal pay also became a big non-soccer item of discussion during the tournament given the wage discrimination lawsuit the USWNT has filed against U.S. Soccer, although that is something the group embraced and wants to continue to do so.
“I think it’s hugely important, and I think until that gap is closed, it should remain a point of conversation,” Sauerbrunn said. “Obviously equal pay is a big narrative and for us to be able to lend our voice to it and to be a representation of that fight I think is something that we willingly take on because we know how important it is.”
Ultimately, though, the group came back to the States having achieved the primary objective it set out to accomplish. Asked Wednesday to compare a World Cup win with an Olympic tournament one, neither Sauerbrunn nor O’Hara could decide, saying each one has its special qualities.
“Listen,” O’Hara said. “Gold is gold.”