Four Days. Meet Number Four.
The last couple of weeks have been busy for Utah Royals FC Captain Becky Sauerbrunn. Not only has she played every single minute of the 2018 season, but just returned from a victorious USWNT trip that included wins in Jacksonville and Houston against rival Mexico. The international friendlies demonstrated the strength of team USA, and Sauerbrunn’s potency to defend on the backline. With 139 caps for the national team, Sauerbrunn played almost every single minute of her most recent international campaign.
The URFC captain now returns to Salt Lake, with four days left to prepare for the inaugural home opener at Rio Tinto Stadium, on Saturday, April 14, against NWSL powerhouse, Chicago Red Stars. The Red Stars, known for having a dangerous attack, will be the Utah side’s latest challenge. Becky Sauerbrunn and her squad have yet to give up a single goal this season in the run of play and will be looking to continue their active 160-minute shutout streak.
With four days left before this historic game, here are four things you need to know about URFC captain, Becky Sauerbrunn (#4).
1. Sauerbrunn is the only player in the league to be named to the NWSL Best XI in all five seasons of its existence. She is also the only defender in the league to have been named Defender of the Year three times (2013, 2014, 2015). Now with only two games for Utah Royals FC, Sauerbrunn was already named the NWSL Team of the Month for March.
2. Last season, Sauerbrunn started all 22 games with FC Kansas City, scoring one goal and registering two assists. All-time, she has played in 95 games in the NWSL, making her one of the most prominently appearing players in the league. Sauerbrunn also ended the 2017 ranked fourth in pass completion percentage, making her one of the most dependable and steady players in the NWSL.
3. Sauerbrunn has also won some of the athletic world’s most prestigious awards, such as the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup, two NWSL championships (2014, 2015), a gold medal in the 2012 London Olympics, two CONCACAF Women’s Qualifying Cups (2010, 2014) and three Algarve Cups (2011, 2013, 2015.) Alongside her 139 caps for the stars and stripes, was a U.S. Soccer Athlete of the year nominee in 2015, and a three-time All-American in college at the University of Virginia.
4. Outside of soccer, Sauerbrunn loves to read science-fiction and fantasy. Some of her favorite series include “His Dark Materials,” by Phillip Pullman, or books like “Ready Player One,” by Ernest Cline, and “Shantaram,” by Gregory David Roberts. She also loves going to the movies and keeping up with some of her favorite TV shows like “Lost,” “Game of Thrones,” or “The Wire.”
On a Side Note:
Get to know Captain Becky Sauerbrunn by following her on twitter at @beckysauerbrunn or on Instagram at @reeba04.
