Megan Rapinoe declares devastating injury in final career match as proof there is no God
The USWNT striker was competing in her last-ever competitive match over the weekend in the National Women's Super League final between OL Reign and Gotham FC
Women's football star Megan Rapinoe has declared that there is no God after the USWNT player suffered a 'devastating' injury in her last-ever competitive game which forced her off just three minutes into the NWSL Final against Gotham FC.
On Saturday night, the 38-year-old looked to have torn her Achilles tendon as she hobbled off the pitch minutes into the National Women's Soccer League Final to mark a heart-breaking end to the two-time World Cup winner's playing career.
World Cup winner Esther González scored the go-ahead goal on a header in first-half stoppage time and Gotham FC survived a wild finish to beat OL Reign 2-1, leaving Rapinoe without an NWSL title to culminate her teeming trophy cabinet.
"I'm not a religious person or anything, and if there was a God, this is proof that there isn't. This is f***ed up," Rapinoe said in her post-match interview as her Reign and USWNT teammate Rose Lavelle laughed alongside her.
READ MORE: Aston Villa ease pressure on Carla Ward with first win vs Bristol City - 5 talking pointsREAD MORE: Arsenal manager Jonas Eidevall reveals 'emotional' half-time chat that inspired comebackRapinoe pulled up three minutes into the match after running towards Maitane Lopez of Gotham, who was dribbling outside the penalty area.
"For sure, I tore my Achilles," the striker added, describing the feeling a "huge pop" in "the worst possible outcome".
"I wasn't overly emotional about it,' Rapinoe said. "I mean, f***ing yeeted my Achilles in the sixth minute in my last game ever in the literal championship game."
Rapinoe continued to employ her typical dark humour and self-deprecation: "I guess I just rode until the wheels came right off! Now I'm just a NARP, a normal-ass regular person, having to do rehab which is f***ing devastating."
Rapinoe added: "You have to find the silver lining and the dark humour, and that's just who I am as well."
Rapinoe, who announced her intention to retire from competitive football before the summer's World Cup, is not a novice to darkly ironic ends to major milestones in her career.
In what was potentially Rapinoe's last-ever competitive match for the USWNT, the former Ballon d'Or winner botched a game-winning spot-kick in the dramatic Round of 16 penalty shootout against Sweden, which the four-time world champions eventually lost to mark their worst-ever finish at the showpiece event.
Rapinoe was spotted laughing to herself as the shot sailed high over Zećira Mušović's goal, a sight that earned her no end of vitriolic abuse for what many fans deemed an inappropriate and impertinent reaction from the national team legend.
"This is like a sick joke for me personally, this is a dark comedy that I missed a penalty," she said afterwards.
Rapinoe announced before this summer’s Women’s World Cup that she was stepping away from the game after a career that included two World Cup titles, an Olympic gold medal and an Olympic bronze.
And during her final press conference, Rapinoe struggled to maintain her emotions as her retirement zoomed into focus.
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