Becky Sauerbrunn: USWNT's captain who is the ultimate winner
90min is championing 10 influential women in football this International Women's Day.
When you think of modern day legends, one player who immediately springs to mind is Becky Sauerbrunn.
Having won everything for both club and country, she has become not only one of the best center-backs in the world, but also one of the most prominent players of her generation.
Sauerbrunn, the USWNT's current captain, started her professional career in 2005, playing for clubs all across the US. In 2012, she joined FC Kansas City when the NWSL was first formed and captained the side to back-to-back NWSL Championships in 2014 and 2015 respectively.
After the team was dissolved in 2017, she spent one season with the Utah Royals before joining the Portland Thorns in 2020.
During her time at Portland, she has won the Community Shield, the NWSL Challenge Cup, the Women's International Champions Cup, the NWSL Shield and the NWSL Championship.
She has also been named in the NWSL Best XI seven times, as well as the league's best defender on four occasions.
Sauerbrunn has admitted that she doesn't possess all of the traits of an ideal center-back, but says that she has been able to perform at a high level because of her ability to read the game.
“I’m not super tall, fast, or strong like the typical center back. The reason why I have played as long as I have is because I can problem solve. I can see spaces. I can identify dangerous spots that teams can capitalize on.”
In addition to her impressive club achievements, Sauerbrunn has been a part of a hugely successful USWNT. She's made 214 appearances, winning two FIFA World Cups and an Olympic gold medal.
The USWNT will head to Australia and New Zealand for the 2023 FIFA World Cup as defending champions - having won the previous two tournaments - and will be backed by many to win under Sauerbrunn's leadership.
Some players are burdened with the expectation to win, particularly when they're in a leadership role. But for Sauerbrunn, skippering a side who has achieved so much already - both on and off the field - is something that she simply takes in her stride.
READ MORE ABOUT 10 OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN IN FOOTBALL
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“There are a lot of expectations for us. It’s a high-pressure environment. We put a lot of pressure on ourselves every single day. We’re trying to be excellent in everything. That comes with intensity, passion, and pressure.
“Some teams visit pressure, but the U.S. Women’s National Team lives in pressure... [But] we are comfortable being uncomfortable.”
With a wealth of experience under her belt, Sauerbrunn has made a name for herself as a captain who embodies the true meaning of leadership. Although she may not be the loudest person in the dressing room, she is committed to working for the benefit of the team rather than herself.
"I go by moral compass and make my decisions based on what's best for the team and a lot of the time that takes me out of the spotlight and puts other people into the spotlight and I am more than happy to do that.
"Sometimes being a leader, a reluctant leader, that's OK. It's OK to be a little reluctant because that means you're always going to second guess all of your decisions and you're always going to be working to be a better leader.
"For me, it's just about finding everyone's strengths and promoting those so that we're minimizing our weaknesses."
When the time comes for Sauerbrunn to hang up her boots, she'll be remembered as one of USWNT's greatest ever players. But she'll also be remembered as a trailblazer and an inspiration for many, having established herself as one of the most influential women in football.
Major achievements
- FC Kansas City - NWSL Championship: 2014, 2015
- Portland Thorns FC - NWSL Community Shield: 2020
- Portland Thorns FC - NWSL Challenge Cup: 2021
- Portland Thorns FC - International Champions Cup: 2021
- Portland Thorns FC - NWSL Shield: 2021
- Portland Thorns FC - NWSL Championship: 2022
- United States - FIFA Women's World Cup: 2015, 2019
- United States - CONCACAF Women's Championship: 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022
- United States - Olympic Gold Medal: 2012
- United States - Olympic Bronze Medal: 2020
- United States - SheBelieves Cup: 2016, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
- United States - Algarve Cup: 2011, 2013, 2015
- IFFHS CONCACAF Woman Team of the Decade 2011–2020
- CONCACAF W Championship Best XI: 2022
- NWSL Defender of the Year: 2013, 2014, 2015, 2019
- NWSL Best XI: 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
- NWSL Second XI: 2022