Meet the U.S. Women's World Cup team: Defender Becky Sauerbrunn

Meet Becky Sauerbrunn; Defender for the U.S. Women's World Cup team

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
May 26, 2015

Becky Sauerbrunn

Defender | No. 4

Height: 5'7"
Age: 29
Hometown: St. Louis, Missouri
Club: FC Kansas City
Twitter:@beckysauerbrunn
Goals: 0
Caps: 81

Sauerbrunn has played a progressively more involved role in the U.S. defense since the 2011 World Cup. She started the semifinal win over France after Rachel Van Hollebeke’s red-card suspension, and she also came off the bench for Van Hollebeke in the 2012 Olympic semifinal and final. Since then, she has overtaken her teammate in the depth chart.

Sauerbrunn, 29, has played all but 21 minutes of the U.S.’s 2015 matches. Her spot in the starting lineup is all but assured, even as her defensive partner is somewhat unsettled. She won both NWSL Defender of the Year awards so far with FC Kansas City, helping the team to a championship in the league’s second season in 2014. Her leadership and experience make her an indispensable part of the U.S.'s starting lineup.