The return of the NWSL action after a lengthy break might have been the highlight of the week, but it’s Trinity Rodman who stole the spotlight. Having last witnessed action on April 12, the USWNT forward finally made a successful comeback from her injury, even scoring a crucial goal for the Washington Spirit to help them secure a close 2-1 win over the Portland Thorns. While Rodman rightfully earned her moment in the sun, icon Megan Rapinoe had someone else in mind to share the praise.
It wasn’t just off-the-bench heroics that made the 22-year-old finesse the attention, but the fact that after scoring, she broke down in tears. Even the post-game saw her facing difficulties just to hold back her emotions. “Yeah, I just think… damn. Holy cow…That was just the hardest thing I had to go through, with injury and everything,” said Trinity, insisting how much she missed the joy of scoring goals for her team.
While it was something Megan Rapinoe was excited to witness, the former Seattle Reign star also believes Trinity Rodman’s teammate, Croix Bethune, deserves her share of the spotlight. The 2019 Ballon d’Or winner emphasized how valuable it is for the Washington Spirit to have both players back. “They looked good,” Rapinoe said on the latest episode of her co-hosted A Touch More podcast alongside fiancée Sue Bird.
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via Imago
Praising Rodman’s emotional and poetic return, the ex-OL Lyonnes star added, “You can tell how hard it’s been to be out that long to be dealing with that kind of injury, that kind of pain, probably not knowing how you’re going to come back, come in, score an absolute banger of a goal to win the game. Amazing.”
Then again, Pinoe wasted no time in singing Bethune’s praises—even if it’s Trin who’s been the subject of all the minstrel songs lately. “But Croy was looking good. Just gets into good pockets, crafty,” said Megan, insisting that it’s no wonder the 24-year-old earned the midfielder of the year award last season. “She’s pretty much been kind of like in-and-out injured since then. So, I was excited to watch her play. She looks good.”
Yet, on a much bigger picture, Megan Rapinoe believes that both players are essential in the dynamics of the Washington Spirit, hoping that both players stay healthy. In fact, doing so would only help Adrian Gonzales and Co. to maintain their winning momentum to further dominate in the NWSL standings and more.
“If those two get going together, that’s just like the perfect threat. Crafty midfielder underneath, who can score goals and create with someone who can push the pace and is creative like Trin. So they’re looking good,” concluded Rapinoe, urging both USWNT internationals to carry forward with their on-pitch antics.
