Meet the U.S. Women's World Cup team: Midfielder Megan Rapinoe

Meet Megan Rapinoe: Winger for the U.S. Women's World Cup team.

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
May 26, 2015

Megan Rapinoe

Midfielder | No. 15

Height: 5'7"
Age: 29
Hometown: Redding, California
Club: Seattle Reign
Twitter:@mPinoe
Goals: 29
Caps: 102

The knee injury that kept Rapinoe out of friendlies against France and England also secured her importance to the U.S. team, as coach Jill Ellis resorted to a narrow 4-4-2 system that lacked the wide presence Rapinoe provides. The team’s most dynamic winger, she can provide service from the flanks or cut inside to take advantage of goalscoring opportunities.

Rapinoe combined those qualities to score an olímpico straight off a corner kick against Canada in the 2012 Olympic semifinals. She led the team in assists in that tournament, adding to her goal and three assists the previous year at the World Cup. Rapinoe reached the 2013 UEFA Women’s Champions League final with Lyon before joining the Seattle Reign in the NWSL. Despite joining Seattle after the halfway point of the season and playing in her usual wing position, she scored five goals to lead the team, and it was her ball from the left that found Abby Wambach for the USA's iconic goal in the 2011 World Cup quarterfinals vs. Brazil.