US icon ‘pretty sure’ she tore Achilles in brutal final act

Playing in the final game of her storied soccer career, Megan Rapinoe went down with an injury — which she believes is an Achilles tear.

In the NWSL championship game, a 2-1 win for NJ/NY Gotham FC, Rapinoe, a forward for the OL Reign, tried to make a play on the ball on the defensive half of the field when she went down with a non-contact injury to hurt right leg.

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After a delay, the U.S. Women’s National Team icon was substituted from the game in the sixth minute by Bethany Balcer, and Rapinoe shared a hug with Gotham FC’s Ali Krieger, a fellow USWNT star also playing in her final professional soccer game, who added another title to her belt after winning two World Cups.

The championship is Gotham FC’s first-ever title in franchise history.

After the game, Rapinoe told CBS Sports that she believes she tore her Achilles tendon on the play.

“This is a tough one, definitely now how I envisioned this last one going, pretty sure I tore my Achilles,” she said to CBS Sports after the loss.

“I mean so proud of the group. Obviously, they put everything out there. So deserving to Gotham, they’ve had such a great year. Just thank you to everyone who’s been on the journey for all this time, it’s been amazing. … Just super proud of my whole career.”

In July, the 38-year-old Rapinoe announced that this year’s Women’s World Cup and NWSL season would be her last in soccer.

Rapinoe told reporters after the game that she’s had so many good finishes in her career, but those don’t always happen in sports.

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