Becky Sauerbrunn facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Becky Sauerbrunn

Sauerbrunn with the United States in 2020
Personal information
Full name	Rebecca Elizabeth Sauerbrunn
Date of birth	(1985-06-06) June 6, 1985 (age 40)
Place of birth	St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Height	5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
Position(s)	Center back
Youth career
	Jefferson Barracks Marine
College career
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2003–2007	Virginia Cavaliers	90	(2)
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2005	Boston Renegades	11	(1)
2006–2007	Richmond Kickers Destiny	24	(3)
2008–2010	Washington Freedom	50	(3)
2009	→ Røa IL (loan)	5	(1)
2011	magicJack	13	(0)
2012	D.C. United	4	(1)
2013–2017	FC Kansas City	93
2018–2019	Utah Royals	30	(1)
2020–2024	Portland Thorns	33	(1)
International career‡
2000–2002	United States U-16
2003–2004	United States U-19
2005–2009	United States U-23
2008–2024	United States	219	(0)
Medal record Women's soccer Representing the  United States CONCACAF W Gold Cup Winner 2024 United States FIFA Women's World Cup Gold 2015 Canada Team Gold 2019 France Team Silver 2011 Germany Team Olympic Games Gold 2012 London Team Bronze 2020 Tokyo Team
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of October 29, 2022 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of February 26, 2024

Rebecca Elizabeth Sauerbrunn (born June 6, 1985) is an American former professional soccer player. She played as a center back, a key defensive position. Becky was a co-captain of the U.S. national team from 2016 to 2018. She then served as the team's captain from 2021 to 2023.

Sauerbrunn played college soccer for the Virginia Cavaliers. She started her professional career with the Washington Freedom in 2010. When the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) began in 2013, Becky joined FC Kansas City. She helped them win two of the league's first three championships. She was named NWSL Defender of the Year four times in her career. Becky won her third NWSL championship with Portland Thorns FC. She retired from playing soccer in 2024.

Becky Sauerbrunn won gold medals with the national team at the 2012 London Summer Olympics. She also won the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup and the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup. She played in every minute of the 2015 World Cup. She also helped the team get second place at the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup.

Early Life and School Soccer

Becky Sauerbrunn was born in St. Louis, Missouri. Her parents are Jane and Scott Sauerbrunn. She grew up with two older brothers, Grant and Adam. Her brothers helped her become strong and tough, both physically and mentally.

Becky started playing soccer with the JB Marine Soccer Club when she was 12. She helped her team win the Missouri State Cup four times. They also won a Midwest Regional Championship in 2000.

Sauerbrunn went to Ladue High School. She played soccer, volleyball, and basketball for four years. In soccer, she was team captain and played as a sweeper and central midfielder. During her senior year, she scored 21 goals and made 19 assists. She received many awards, including Missouri Gatorade Player of the Year in 2003.

Playing for the University of Virginia

Becky Sauerbrunn attended the University of Virginia from 2003 to 2007. She was a key player for the Virginia Cavaliers women's soccer team.

In 2003, as a freshman, Becky played in every game. She made two assists and was named ACC Freshman of the Year. She also received All-American honors.

Becky missed the 2004 season because she was playing for the U.S. national team. She was at the 2004 FIFA U-20 Women's World Championships in Thailand.

In 2005, she played in every game again. She scored her first college goal against St. Bonaventure. Virginia reached the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament that year.

In 2006 and 2007, Becky continued to be a strong player for the Cavaliers. She helped her team reach the third round of the NCAA Tournament in both years. In 2007, she was named NSCAA Scholar-Athlete of the Year and ACC Player of the Year.

Professional Club Career

Early Professional Teams

Becky Sauerbrunn played for the Boston Renegades in the W-League in 2005. This league allowed college players to keep their eligibility while playing in the summer.

From 2006 to 2007, she played for the Richmond Kickers Destiny in the W-League. She played in 24 games and scored three goals, even though she was mainly a defender.

In 2008, Becky played for the Washington Freedom in the W-League. The Freedom then joined the new Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) league in 2009. Becky was chosen third overall in the 2008 WPS Draft. She started all 20 regular season games and one playoff game for the Freedom in 2009.

Playing in Norway

After the 2009 WPS season, Becky played for Røa IL in Norway for three months. This was in Toppserien, Norway's top women's league. She scored a goal in her first game for Røa IL. She helped Røa win the league championship in October 2009. She also played in the UEFA Women's Champions League, helping her team reach the quarterfinals.

Return to Washington and magicJack

Becky returned to the Washington Freedom for the 2010 WPS season. She played in all 24 regular season games. The team made it to the playoffs but lost in the first round.

In 2011, the Washington Freedom team was bought and renamed magicJack. Becky stayed with the team. She played in 13 regular season games and helped magicJack reach the playoffs. The team's franchise was later ended by the league.

D.C. United Women

In 2012, after the WPS league was suspended, Becky signed with D.C. United Women in the W-League. She helped the team finish first in their conference. However, she could not play in the playoffs due to her commitments with the national team for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

FC Kansas City: Championships and Awards

In 2013, a new professional league, the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), was formed. Becky was assigned to FC Kansas City. She was one of three U.S. national team players on the team.

For the 2013 season, Becky was a co-captain. She played in 19 games and helped Kansas City finish second in the league. She was named NWSL Defender of the Year for 2013. She was also chosen for the 2013 NWSL Best XI team.

In 2014, Becky continued as co-captain. She started all 22 regular season games and scored her first NWSL goal. She helped Kansas City win the NWSL Championship by defeating Seattle Reign. She won Defender of the Year again and was named to the NWSL Best XI.

In 2015, Becky played in 11 games for FC Kansas City, missing some due to the World Cup. She helped Kansas City win their second NWSL Championship. She won Defender of the Year for the third time in a row, making history as the first player to do so.

Utah Royals FC and Portland Thorns FC

After FC Kansas City stopped playing, Becky's rights were moved to Utah Royals FC in 2018. She continued to be a top defender. She was named to the NWSL Best XI for the sixth year in a row. In 2019, she won Defender of the Year for the fourth time.

In March 2020, Becky was traded to Portland Thorns FC. She signed a new contract with the Thorns in February 2022. On June 19, 2022, she scored her first goal for the Thorns in a big 6–0 win.

In October 2022, Becky spoke out strongly for player safety and accountability in the league. She said that anyone who failed to protect players should be gone. She signed a one-year contract extension with the Thorns in September 2022. She retired from the Portland Thorns in 2024.

International Career

Youth National Teams

Becky Sauerbrunn played for several U.S. youth national teams.

U-16 National Team

From 2000 to 2002, Becky was part of the U-16 women's national team. She played in various tournaments and training camps.

U-19 National Team

In 2003, Becky moved up to the U-19 national team. She trained with the team and played in international matches. She was a co-captain of the team in 2004. She helped lead the defense in the CONCACAF U-19 Women's Qualifying Tournament. The team qualified for the 2004 FIFA U-19 Women's World Championship in Thailand.

Becky played every minute of all six matches at the 2004 U-19 World Championship. She helped the U.S. team finish in third place. She was also named to the Tournament All-Star Team.

U-21/U-23 National Team

After the U-19 World Championship, Becky joined the U-21 national team in 2005. In 2007, she helped the U.S. win the Nordic Cup title. In 2008, the U-21 team became the U-23 team. Becky continued to play for them, helping them win the Nordic Cup again in 2008.

Senior National Team

First Appearances and Return

Becky Sauerbrunn was first called to the U.S. women's national team in January 2008. She earned her first "cap" (played her first game) against Canada on January 16, 2008.

She returned to the national team in late 2010. She was part of the team for the 2010 CONCACAF Women's World Cup Qualifying tournament.

2011 FIFA Women's World Cup

In 2011, Becky became a more regular player for the national team. She helped the U.S. win the Four Nations Tournament and the Algarve Cup.

She was named to the 21-player roster for the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup. She played in the semifinal match against France, helping the U.S. win 3–1 and reach the final. The U.S. team finished second in the tournament.

2012 Summer Olympics: Gold Medal

Sauerbrunn with the United States national team before a game against New Zealand in February 2012

Becky helped the U.S. team win the 2012 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying tournament. This earned them a spot in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

She made her Olympic debut on July 31, 2012. She played in three matches during the tournament. The United States won the gold medal by defeating Japan 2–1 in the final.

Becoming a Consistent Starter (2013–2014)

From 2013, Becky became a consistent starter at center-back for the national team. In 2013, she played in 12 games, starting 10 of them. She even wore the captain's armband in a match against China.

In 2014, she played in 22 games. She made her 50th appearance for the national team in January 2014. She helped the U.S. win the 2014 CONCACAF Women's Championship, which qualified them for the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup.

2015 FIFA Women's World Cup: World Champion

Sauerbrunn in 2015

In 2015, Becky started all 25 matches for the United States. She played the most minutes of any player on the team.

She was named to the 23-player roster for the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup. Becky played every minute of all seven matches during the World Cup. On July 5, she became a World Cup Champion when the U.S. defeated Japan 5–2 in the final.

2016 Summer Olympics

On January 9, 2016, Becky Sauerbrunn was named co-captain of the U.S. women's national team. She helped the team qualify for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. She made her 100th appearance for the national team in February 2016.

Becky played in the 2016 SheBelieves Cup, which the U.S. won. She made her first Olympic start in Rio on August 3. The U.S. team reached the quarterfinals but lost to Sweden in penalty kicks.

2019 FIFA Women's World Cup: Back-to-Back Champion

In May 2019, Becky was named to the roster for the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup. She played in 6 of the 7 matches for the U.S. team. The United States defeated the Netherlands 2–0 in the final. This win gave the U.S. their second straight World Cup title and fourth overall.

Advocacy for Players

Becky Sauerbrunn has been a strong voice for players' rights. In 2016, she was one of five players who filed a complaint about fair pay compared to the men's national team.

She was very involved in talks about player agreements with U.S. Soccer. In March 2020, she was named the first president of the players' association. She spoke at the signing of a new agreement in September 2022. She called it a "huge win for workers and for labor rights."

Retirement

On December 17, 2024, Becky Sauerbrunn announced her retirement from soccer. She had a 16-year career. She said, "Sixteen years ago I woke up dreaming and I haven't slept since. That makes it sound easy. It was never easy. But even so, I'd run it back."

Personal Life

Becky Sauerbrunn has been in a relationship with Zola Short since 2011. They met while at the University of Virginia.

Becky loves cats and has two cats named Missy and Olive. She is also known for loving books and reading. In May 2025, she announced that she was expecting her first child.

Player Statistics

Club Summary

Notes

International Summary

Honors and Awards

Røa IL

• Toppserien: 2009

FC Kansas City

• NWSL Championship: 2014, 2015

Portland Thorns FC

• NWSL Community Shield: 2020
• NWSL Challenge Cup: 2021
• International Champions Cup: 2021
• NWSL Shield: 2021
• NWSL Championship: 2022

United States

• FIFA Women's World Cup: 2015, 2019
• CONCACAF Women's Championship: 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022
• CONCACAF W Gold Cup: 2024
• CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament: 2012, 2016, 2020
• Summer Olympics: Gold Medal: 2012; Bronze Medal: 2020
• SheBelieves Cup: 2016, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
• Algarve Cup: 2011, 2013, 2015
• Four Nations Tournament: 2008, 2011
• Nordic Cup: 2007, 2008
• Tournament of Nations: 2018

Individual

• NSCAA Youth All-American: 2001
• NSCAA Adidas (U-17) All-American: 2002
• Parade All-American: 2002, 2003
• Missouri Gatorade Player of the Year: 2003
• Soccer Times All-American Third Team: 2003
• ACC Freshman of the Year: 2003
• ACC All-Freshman Team: 2003
• Soccer Buzz Mid-Atlantic Region Freshman of the Year: 2003
• Soccer Buzz National Freshman of the Year Finalist: 2003
• Soccer Buzz Freshman All-American First Team: 2003
• All-ACC Second Team: 2003, 2005
• Soccer Buzz All-American Second Team: 2003, 2007
• NSCAA All-American First Team: 2003, 2007
• Soccer Buzz All-American Honorable Mention: 2005
• NSCAA All-American Second Team: 2006
• Soccer Buzz All-American Third Team: 2006
• All-ACC First Team: 2006, 2007
• Academic All-American: 2007
• NSCAA Scholar-Athlete of the Year: 2007
• VaSID State Player of the Year: 2007
• ACC Player of the Year: 2007
• ACC All-Tournament Team: 2007
• ACC All-Academic Team: 2005, 2006, 2007
• NSCAA All-Region: 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007
• VaSID First Team All-State: 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007
• ACC Postgraduate Scholarship Award: 2008
• U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year Nominee: 2015
• BBC Women's Footballer of the Year Nominee: 2016
• 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

See also

In Spanish: Becky Sauerbrunn para niños