Christen Press facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Christen Press

Press with Angel City in 2024
Personal information
Full name	Christen Annemarie Press
Date of birth	(1988-12-29) December 29, 1988 (age 36)
Place of birth	Los Angeles, California
Height	5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
Playing position	Forward
Club information
Current club	Angel City
Number	23
Youth career
	Slammers FC
2003–2007	Chadwick Dolphins
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2009–2010	Pali Blues	10	(4)
2011	magicJack	17	(8)
2012	Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC	21	(17)
2013–2014	Tyresö FF	26	(25)
2014–2017	Chicago Red Stars	60	(35)
2018	Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC	8	(4)
2018–2020	Utah Royals	25	(10)
2020–2021	Manchester United	14	(4)
2022–	Angel City	17	(3)
National team
2008	United States U20	0	(0)
2009–2010	United States U23	6	(4)
2013–	United States	155	(64)
Honours Representing  United States FIFA Women's World Cup Winner 2015 Canada Winner 2019 France Olympic Games Bronze 2020 Tokyo
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of November 1, 2024. † Appearances (Goals).

Christen Annemarie Press (born December 29, 1988) is an American professional soccer player. She plays as a forward for Angel City FC in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She also plays for the U.S. national team.

Christen first played for the U.S. national team in 2013. She has played in 155 games for her country. She is one of the top goal scorers for the U.S. team with 64 goals.

She won the Hermann Trophy in 2010, which is given to the best college soccer player. At Stanford University, she holds the records for most goals and assists. After college, she was named Rookie of the Year in the Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) league. In 2013, she was the top scorer in the Swedish league, Damallsvenskan. She was the first American player to win this "Golden Boot" award.

Christen has played for several teams around the world. These include the Chicago Red Stars and Utah Royals in the NWSL. She also played for teams in Sweden and for Manchester United in England. She helped the United States win the World Cup in 2015 and 2019. In 2019, she started a lifestyle brand called re-inc with other famous soccer players. She also co-hosts a podcast called The RE—CAP Show.

Early Life and High School Soccer

Christen Press was born in Los Angeles, California. She grew up in Palos Verdes Estates with her two sisters. Her dad played American football and her mom played tennis. Christen started playing soccer when she was five years old. She went to Chadwick School for high school.

In high school, Christen was a team captain for two years. She was a starter for all four years of her high school soccer team. She helped her team win two Southern Section Division IV titles. She also played track and tennis. She was recognized as a top high school player in the country.

Christen also played club soccer for Slammers FC. She won an award for scoring the most goals in a national championship tournament.

College Soccer at Stanford (2007–2010)

Christen Press became the all-time leading scorer for the Stanford Cardinal women's soccer team. She scored 71 goals during her time there. She also set school records for total points, assists, and shots. She broke single-season records for goals, shots, and game-winning goals.

In her first year, Christen led her team in assists. She was second in goals and points. She scored the fastest goal in her team's history, just 37 seconds into a game. She was named Pac-10 Freshman of the Year.

During her second year, she started every game. She scored 16 goals and had 11 assists. She scored the only goal in a big game against the Portland Pilots. This goal sent her team to the Final Four.

In her third season, Christen set new records for assists and shots. Seven of her 21 goals that year were game-winning goals. She also broke her own record for the fastest goal, scoring in just 23 seconds. Her team made it to their first-ever college cup final.

In her final year, Christen won the 2010 Hermann Trophy. This award goes to the best college soccer player in the nation. She led the country in both goals and points. Her team had an amazing record of 23 wins, 1 loss, and 2 ties. She also won other awards like Soccer America Player of the Year. She was also recognized for her strong academic performance.

Stanford Statistics

Professional Club Career

magicJack (2011)

Press (far right) with her magicJack teammates during a match against the Boston Breakers on August 6, 2011.

Christen was chosen fourth overall in the 2011 WPS Draft by the Washington Freedom. The team later moved to Florida and was renamed magicJack. She scored her first goal in May, helping her team win 2–0. In July, she scored her first hat trick (three goals in one game) as a professional.

After the playoffs, she won the Rookie of the Year award. She was the first rookie to score a hat trick in the league. Christen played in 19 games and scored eight goals.

Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC (2012)

In 2012, Christen joined Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC in Sweden's top league, the Damallsvenskan. In her first league game, she scored two goals. She scored two more goals later that month in a 6–0 win.

Christen ended the year as the second-highest scorer in the league with 17 goals. She scored a total of 25 goals in all competitions. She helped Göteborg win the Swedish Cup. She scored one goal and helped set up another in the final.

Tyresö FF (2013–2014)

Press playing for Tyresö FF in 2013.

In 2013, Christen signed with Tyresö FF, another Swedish team. She scored four goals in a 10–2 win in her first game. She scored two more goals in the next match. On June 9, 2013, she scored a hat trick. She scored two more hat tricks later in the season.

Christen finished the 2013 season as the top scorer in the league with 23 goals. She was the first American to achieve this in the Damallsvenskan. Tyresö finished second in the league. She also scored nine goals in the 2013–14 UEFA Women's Champions League. Her team reached the final but lost to VfL Wolfsburg.

Chicago Red Stars (2014–2017)

Christen Press warming up as a Red Star in 2015.

In 2014, Christen joined the Chicago Red Stars in the NWSL. She scored six goals in just 12 games and won the team's Golden Boot award. She scored two goals in the last 15 minutes of a game against Portland to tie the score.

She returned to the Red Stars for the 2015 season. In her first home game, she scored two goals and had an assist. She was named the league's Player of the Week. By the end of April, she was the league's top scorer with four goals and one assist.

In 2016, Christen was named team captain. She scored eight goals in 14 games. In 2017, she was again the captain. She was the top scorer for her team with 11 goals. She was also the fourth-highest scorer in the league. She was named to the NWSL Best XI team at the end of the season.

Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC (2018)

In March 2018, Christen signed a three-month contract with her old club, Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC. She scored four goals in three games and was named Player of the Month for April.

Utah Royals FC (2018–2020)

In June 2018, Christen joined Utah Royals FC. She played in 11 games and scored 2 goals. In 2019, she started the season strong with a goal or assist in her first five games. She missed many games due to the 2019 Women's World Cup. She finished second on the team in scoring with 8 goals. She was named to the NWSL Best XI for the fourth time.

In 2020, Christen chose not to play in the NWSL Challenge Cup due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Manchester United (2020–2021)

In September 2020, Christen signed a one-year contract with Manchester United in England. She made her debut in October. She scored her first goal for the club on October 18. She scored again in January 2021. She also scored in a game played at Old Trafford, a famous stadium. She left the club in June 2021.

Angel City FC (2021–present)

In August 2021, Christen joined Angel City FC. She signed a two-year contract, becoming one of the highest-paid players in NWSL history.

In June 2022, Christen suffered a serious knee injury (ACL tear). She needed four surgeries to fix it. She missed all of the 2023 season. She returned to training in June 2024, exactly two years after her injury. She played her first game back on August 2, 2024. On October 12, 2024, she scored her first regular season goal for Angel City since her injury. This game was also her 100th NWSL regular season appearance.

In January 2025, Christen and Angel City agreed to a new one-year contract.

International Career with the United States

Early Years (2012–2014)

Christen was part of the U.S. national team player pool for the 2012 Summer Olympics. She was an alternate but did not make the final team.

She played her first game for the national team on February 9, 2013, against Scotland. She scored two goals and assisted another. She is only the third woman to score two goals in her first U.S. national team game. Four days later, she scored another goal. No other American woman has scored three goals in her first two games. She finished 2013 with eight goals in 12 games.

Press playing for the United States in 2015.

In 2014, Christen scored a career-high 11 goals for the national team. She scored four goals in one game against Argentina. She also played in the 2014 CONCACAF Women's Championship, which the U.S. team won.

FIFA Women's World Cup Wins (2015 & 2019)

Christen was part of the U.S. team for the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada. She scored her first World Cup goal against Australia. She played in four games and helped the U.S. win the tournament. The United States beat Japan 5–2 in the final.

Press in 2015.

She was also on the team for the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup. She played in all three group stage games. She started the semi-final match against England and scored a goal. The U.S. won 2–1 and went to the final. Christen played in the World Cup Final, where the U.S. beat the Netherlands 2–0. This was her second World Cup win.

In November 2019, Christen scored her 50th international goal. She finished 2019 with 5 goals and 12 assists. She was the only U.S. player to play in all 24 games that year.

Olympic Games (2016 & 2020)

Christen was chosen for the 2016 Summer Olympics team. The team lost to Sweden in the quarter-finals in a penalty shootout. Christen missed her penalty kick. Fans on social media started the #DogsforChristen hashtag to cheer her up. She played in all four games for the team. She finished 2016 with 12 goals, her best scoring record for the team.

Press with the national team in 2017.

Press playing for the national team in 2017.

In 2017, Christen played in every game for the U.S. team. She scored the only goal in a 1–0 win against Norway. She also scored a goal and assisted another in a comeback win against Brazil.

In 2018, Christen played her 100th game for the U.S. team. She had two assists in that game. She was honored for her 100th game in her hometown of Los Angeles. She captained the team and scored a goal. She also helped the U.S. win the 2018 CONCACAF Women's Championship, which qualified them for the 2019 World Cup.

In 2020, Christen scored in all three group stage games of the Olympic Qualifying tournament. She was awarded the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player. She also scored two goals in the 2020 SheBelieves Cup, which the U.S. won. She led the team in goals with seven in 2020.

Christen was part of the U.S. team for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. She played in all six matches. The team won the bronze medal after beating Australia 4–3. Christen scored a goal and forced an own-goal in a 6–1 win against New Zealand. She also scored a penalty kick in a shootout win against the Netherlands.

Recent International Career (2021–Present)

In 2021, Christen scored twice in the SheBelieves Cup, helping the U.S. win the tournament again. She scored six goals and had five assists for the U.S. in 2021.

In September 2021, Christen announced she would take a break from the national team. She said she needed time to focus on her mental health. Because of this, she was not included in later team rosters. In June 2022, she suffered a serious ACL injury while playing for her club team. This injury means she cannot play for the national team while she recovers.

Personal Life

Christen Press is in a relationship with fellow soccer player Tobin Heath. Tobin was also her teammate on the U.S. national team and at Manchester United.

In 2021, Christen spoke out about bad behavior she experienced from a former coach. She said she tried to report it in 2014, but her concerns were not taken seriously. She also said she asked to be traded from her team in 2017 because of how the coach treated her. In 2018, she filed a formal complaint. Other players supported Christen and shared similar stories.

Career Statistics

Club

International Summary

Honors and Awards

Club Achievements

• Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC
  • Swedish Cup: 2012
• Tyresö FF
  • UEFA Women's Champions League runners-up: 2013–14

United States National Team Achievements

• FIFA Women's World Cup: 2015, 2019
• Olympic Bronze Medal: 2020
• CONCACAF Women's Championship: 2014, 2018
• CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament: 2016, 2020
• Algarve Cup: 2013, 2015
• SheBelieves Cup: 2016, 2018, 2020, 2021
• Tournament of Nations: 2018

Individual Awards

• Hermann Trophy: 2010 (Best College Player)
• Pac-10 Conference Player of the Year: 2010
• Soccer America Player of the Year Award: 2010
• WPS Rookie of the Year: 2011
• Damallsvenskan Golden Boot: 2013 (Top Scorer in Swedish League)
• NWSL Best XI: 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019 (Named among the best players in the NWSL)
• NWSL Player of the Month: April 2015, August 2019
• Damallsvenskan Player of the Month: April 2018
• CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament Golden Ball: 2020 (Best Player in the Tournament)
• CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament Best XI: 2020

Images for kids

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  Press (far right) with her magicJack teammates during a match against the Boston Breakers on August 6, 2011.

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  Press playing for Tyresö FF in 2013.

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  Christen Press warming up as a Red Star in 2015.

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  Press playing for the United States in 2015.

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  Press in 2015.

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  Press with the national team in 2017.

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  Press playing for the national team in 2017.