Latest news with #CroixBethune
New York Times
03-08-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Trinity Rodman nets a game-winner for the Washington Spirit in her first match since April
Washington Spirit and U.S. women's national team forward Trinity Rodman returned to play from a persistent back injury that kept her off the field nearly four months in unforgettable fashion. She fired a last-minute goal to give her D.C. club a 2-1 home victory over the Portland Thorns in front of the 16,007 fans who descended on Audi Field Sunday afternoon. Advertisement Speaking to ESPN after the final whistle, Rodman, who hadn't played since April 12 and has spent the interim rehabilitating a back injury she is unsure will ever fully heal, was visibly emotional. With tearful eyes and a face buried in her hands, she managed to eke out, 'Holy cow,' when asked about her experience as a substitute in the 75th minute. 'That was just the hardest thing I've had to go through, injury and everything,' she said. 'Being back, and being at the home stadium with the crowd behind me scoring a goal like that — you saw I buried that. I wasn't going to miss it.' Indeed, Rodman's goal appeared to compress the emotional roller coaster of her healing journey into a single extraordinary moment: Spirit forward and Nigerian international Gift Monday, who'd opened the scoring in the first half, held up play near the penalty area before resetting the attack with Courtney Brown, a midfielder who'd been assigned the role of full back when she subbed on. Brown's inswinging cross landed in the box with midfielder Croix Bethune, who, with her back to goal, managed to get a foot on it to redirect the ball and effectively throw Portland's backline off the scent. The ball bounced in front of an unmarked Rodman, who smashed it on a half volley with her right-foot laces to send it sailing over the outstretched arms of Thorns goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold. Bethune's arms were also outstretched before Rodman struck the ball, ready to celebrate a goal that felt inevitable. Her assist, like Rodman's goal, was also her first of the season for the Spirit, who claimed the No. 2 spot in the NWSL table with their victory. Speaking in the post-game press conference in a sharp fit (a white halter top and simple black trousers, dainty earrings dangling beneath a high braided bun), Rodman elaborated further on the physical and emotional path back onto the pitch, including how intentional she was about her decision to step away. Advertisement Rather than rehab and train at the Spirit's facility, the 23-year-old Southern California native opted instead for individual workouts in remote locations. She also spent lots of time with her boyfriend, tennis star Ben Shelton, sitting courtside for his competitions at Roland Garros in Paris and Wimbledon in London. 'I don't think that you have to become a robot to be the best player that you can be,' she said on Sunday. 'I think it's very important to be treated like a normal human to have your off the field moments.' Rodman admitted she had to battle her own self consciousness at times about what she 'should' be doing as an athlete in recovery, and her so-called obligation to show fans and critics alike that she took her job seriously. 'I think even me posting (on social media), I caught myself sometimes posting to, like, prove to everybody that I was doing it, and I would take a step back and be like, 'Why? Like, why do I even need to do that?' 'I think a lot of times there's a lot of pressure that if you're doing certain things, it's kind of like, 'Oh why isn't she with the team? Why isn't she watching film instead of watching Ben, and it's just all these comments, it's just kind of like, 'Okay, what are you guys doing? You guys are sitting on the couch hanging out, or you're with your significant others doing that stuff.' And I just feel like it needs to be more normalized with athletes because we're people, too, and we like to enjoy our lives off the field because there's enough pressure on the field.' When she addressed the media on July 29 from the Spirit's training center in Virginia, Rodman offered a sense of the adjustments she's made to her game to accommodate the lessons learned in recovery: more thoughtful, slightly less volatile in her physical sacrifices, but just as sharp, just as daring. Advertisement The team had been practicing back post crosses that week, which was how Rodman knew to float the area. As soon as she saw the ball with Croix, she said: 'I knew she was gonna have some type of cheeky touch.' Spirit head coach Adrian Gonzalez, who marked his debut as full time head coach with the dramatic victory, mentioned after the game that due Rodman's minutes management, she was only ever going to play 15 minutes. 'And we've just seen the impact that she had,' he said. 'I'm really happy for her, and we need to keep building that, but obviously step by step, and to have good communication' with the medical staff, he added. As the NWSL's first weekend back after the long international break drew to a close, the Spirit are primed to make a statement in their second-half campaign with the returns of key players like Rodman and Leicy Santos, who'd been managing an ankle injury before the summer's pause and just competed in the Copa América Femenina final with Colombia, who placed second. Bethune, who was crowned 2024 Rookie and Midfielder of the Year despite a midseason knee injury, is also settling back into her top form, which was on display with her control of the midfield against the Thorns. And while striker Ashley Hatch announced last month that she was pregnant, Italian international and new Spirit signing Sofia Cantore is back from the Euros and, according to Gonzalez, will be set to play soon. The Spirit's next match is an away meeting on Saturday, Aug. 9 against the 2023 NWSL champions Gotham FC, who currently sit eighth in the league table.
Yahoo
03-08-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Trinity Rodman returns from injury, scores game-winning goal for Spirit in first game since April
Nearly four months after her last appearance, and nearly a year since her last NWSL goal, Trinity Rodman is back. The 23-year-old forward has been out since April while recovering from an ongoing back injury. But in an emotional return on Sunday, she played hero for the Washington Spirit, scoring a goal in stoppage to send the Spirit over the Portland Thorns. Rodman came on in the 75th minute, earning a huge cheer from the crowd at Audi Field. And it didn't take long for her to make a difference: In the 92nd minute, Croix Bethune sent the ball to Rodman with wild back-leg pass, and Rodman smashed it home to send the Spirit ahead. Rodman was immediately emotional after the goal, holding her hands to her face and wiping away tears before being rushed by her team. That emotion continued after the game, as Rodman spoke on how the return felt following a long and frustrating recovery. "That was just the hardest thing I've had to go through, with injury and everything," Rodman said postgame, while visibly emotional. Rodman has only played in four games this season prior to Sunday, with her most recent appearance coming on April 12. But it's also been a while since Rodman was able to bury a goal like that: Sunday's goal was Rodman's first since Sept. 15, 2024. This story will be updated.
Washington Post
18-06-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
Croix Bethune and Rose Lavelle return to USWNT roster
Two players absent from the U.S. women's national soccer team for an extended time because of injuries will return for three summer friendlies, Coach Emma Hayes announced Wednesday. Washington Spirit midfielder Croix Bethune and Gotham FC midfielder Rose Lavelle were among 25 players invited to training camp ahead of two matches against Ireland this month and a July 2 showdown with archrival Canada at Washington's Audi Field.
