This month is Black History Month, and we want to honor the Black women’s soccer players who have changed the landscape of U.S. Soccer. These players have paved the way for future athletes to seize their opportunity in the game. From Briana Scurry in the 99er’s, to Sophia Smith, the young breakout USWNT star, here are six Black players that have made history with the U.S. Women’s National Team.
Briana Scurry
Briana Scurry played a big role on the USWNT from 1994-2008. The goalkeeper is one of the best to ever do it for the national team. During her career, she earned 173 caps with a record of 133-12-14. In those 173 caps, she earned 71 shutouts. Scurry went down in history after her performance in the 1999 World Cup, specifically the penalty kick shootout in the final helping the USWNT win their second World Cup.
She also helped the team win two Olympic Gold medals during her playing career.
Crystal Dunn
Since being left off of the 2015 World Cup roster, Crystal Dunn has consistently been one of the best players for the United States.
While Dunn is usually an outside back for the USWNT she can play just about anywhere on the field. She earned her first cap for the national team in 2013 and has since made 128 appearances. She earned her 100th cap in 2020 against Mexico.
She’s represented the national team at two Olympic games and was part of the 2019 World Cup-winning team. Dunn was the only player in the 2020 Olympic Games to start every single match, and she played all but 16 minutes in the tournament.
Off the field, Dunn sits on the board of the Black Women’s Player Collective.
Kim Crabbe
Crabbe is a player that never actually played for the USWNT but she made a massive impact on the future of the team. In 1986, Crabbe became the first Black player to earn a call-up to the senior national team. Although she never saw minutes, she spent two years training and earning call-ups from the national team.
She has a U.S. Soccer award in her honor, the Kim Crabbe Game Changers Award, given to a member of the soccer community who made a long-lasting impact in diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
In 1986, Kim Crabbe, a member of Mason's 1985 #NCAA National Championship soccer team, became the 1st Black woman called to the US Women’s National Soccer Team. Decades later, she’s still giving back to the sport she loves. ⚽️ #Mason50
🎦Watch the video: https://t.co/TVknjjfQXV pic.twitter.com/Wgpr7Xk2d1
— George Mason News (@GeorgeMasonNews) March 8, 2022
Sandi Gordon
Gordon earned a call-up to the USWNT not long after Crabbe in 1987. On July 9, 1987, she earned her first cap against Sweden making her the first Black woman to appear in a match for the USWNT.
While her national team career only lasted about a year, with Gordon making seven appearances throughout that time, she changed the landscape of the USWNT, opening doors for many around the country.
Sandi Gordon grew up in Washington and on July 9, 1987, she became the first Black woman to take the field for the #USWNT when she made her international debut against Sweden. #BlackHistoryMonth pic.twitter.com/UIQmFW3XQ6
— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) February 4, 2021
Christen Press
Christen Press had an outstanding first year of call-ups to the USWNT, appearing in 12 matches and scoring in eight. She was only the third woman to score two goals in her first match for the USWNT, and she is the ninth leading scorer for the team with 64 goals.
Press is a two-time Olympian, and has appeared in two World Cups, winning gold in the 2019 tournament. During her college career, she was the first Black woman to win the MAC Hermann Trophy.
Sophia Smith
Since bursting onto the national stage, Sophia Smith has been a star. Smith earned her first appearance for the USWNT in 2020 at 18. Since then she’s earned 27 caps and scored 12 goals with 11 of those goals having been in 2022.
Her terrific 2022 campaign led to the youngster being named the U.S. Soccer Player of the Year, becoming the first Black woman to win the award.
Featured image via Getty Images
