Christen Press

2.1. Childhood and Education

Born in Los Angeles, California, Christen Press was raised in the suburb of Palos Verdes Estates alongside her two sisters, Channing and Tyler. Her family nurtured a diverse athletic environment; her father, Cody Press, played American football at Dartmouth College, while her mother, Stacy Press, was a tennis player. Press began playing soccer at the age of five, demonstrating early passion for the sport.

She attended Chadwick School for high school, where she quickly distinguished herself in soccer. As a two-year team captain and a four-year starter for the high school soccer team, Press led Chadwick to two Southern Section Division IV titles. Her athletic talents extended beyond soccer, as she also lettered in track and tennis. In recognition of her outstanding performance, she was named NSCAA High School All-American and Parade Magazine All-American in 2006. Throughout her high school career, Press scored an impressive 128 goals, including a school-record 38 goals during her junior year alone. She was also twice named Southern Section Division IV Offensive Player of the Year and a four-time Prep League Offensive MVP.

Concurrently with her high school commitments, Press played club soccer for Slammers FC in Newport Beach, California. During her time with the club, she earned the Golden Boot award for scoring the most goals in the US Youth Soccer Association's national championship tournament, a significant achievement that foreshadowed her future professional success.

2.2. Collegiate Career: Stanford Cardinal

Christen Press's collegiate career at Stanford University from 2007 to 2010 was marked by unprecedented individual achievements and a profound impact on the Stanford Cardinal women's soccer team's success. She holds the all-time scoring record for the Stanford Cardinal women's soccer team with 71 goals. Beyond goals, she set numerous other school records, including career points (183, calculated as two points per goal plus one point per assist), career assists (41), and career shots (500). Her single-season records also include 26 goals, 180 shots, and 10 game-winning goals, with the 26 goals tying for the team's all-time single-season record. Press was Stanford's second Hermann Trophy winner, following Kelley O'Hara in 2009, and was a two-time runner-up at the NCAA Women's College Cup.

As a freshman in 2007, Press started 18 of 21 games, leading the team in assists with 6 and ranking second in goals (8), points (22), and shots (60). A highlight of her freshman year was scoring the fastest goal in team history, 37 seconds into a match in the first round of the NCAA College Cup, where she contributed two goals and an assist in a 7-0 victory. She was recognized as Pac-10 Freshman of the Year and earned first-team Freshman All-American honors.

In her sophomore year (2008), Press was one of only five players to start every game. She recorded 16 goals and 11 assists, with her 43 total points ranking second in school history for a single season. She scored the lone goal in the 86th minute of the College Cup quarterfinal against the Portland Pilots, sending the Cardinal to the Final Four. She was the only Stanford player named to the NCAA College Cup All-Tournament Team.

During her junior season (2009), Press set new program records for assists (16) and shots (143). She scored 21 goals, with seven being game-winning goals, and accumulated 58 points, marking the second-highest single-season total in school history and ranking third nationally. She further broke her own record for the fastest goal in Stanford history by scoring 23 seconds into a match against BYU. In the College Cup, she scored the golden goal and provided an assist in a 2-1 overtime victory against the UCLA Bruins, advancing the Cardinal to their first-ever cup final. Although they lost the final to the North Carolina Tar Heels due to an apparent game-tying goal by Press being ruled offside, she was named to the All-Pac-10 first team and was a semi-finalist for the Hermann Trophy.

In her senior year (2010), Press culminated her collegiate career by winning the 2010 Hermann Trophy, recognizing her as the nation's top college soccer player. She led the nation in both goals and points, contributing significantly to the team's impressive 23-1-2 overall record. Their only loss that season occurred in the College Cup final, marking Stanford's second consecutive runner-up finish. For her exceptional performance, Press was also named Soccer America Player of the Year, Pac-10 Player of the Year, and earned National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) first-team All-American honors. Demonstrating her academic commitment, she received Academic All-America honors and won the Pac-10's Scholar-Athlete of the Year award for soccer.

3.1. Early Professional Career (WPS and Damallsvenskan)

Press began her professional journey in 2011 after being drafted as the fourth overall pick by the Washington Freedom in the 2011 WPS Draft. The team, under new ownership, relocated to Florida and was rebranded as magicJack. Her first professional goal came in May during magicJack's 2-0 victory over the Atlanta Beat. Press expressed her satisfaction, stating, "It was so good to finish. Being a forward, we go into every game thinking our job is to score, so it's nice to finally get that accomplished." In July, she achieved her first professional hat-trick in a 4-0 win against the Boston Breakers. Following the season, Press was awarded the U.S. Soccer Federation's Rookie of the Year award, partly for being the first rookie to achieve a hat-trick. She appeared in 19 games for magicJack, starting 16, and her eight goals ranked third in the league. During the offseason, Press signed with the Atlanta Beat, but the league suspended operations before the season commenced. This left Press feeling, in her own words, "unemployed," and she believed her dream of playing for the United States women's national soccer team was over, as the national team then primarily called up players from the domestic league.

In early 2012, with the folding of Women's Professional Soccer, Press made the significant decision to move to Sweden and sign with Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC in the Damallsvenskan, the top division league. Her debut for Göteborg was a 2011-12 UEFA Women's Champions League quarterfinal match against Arsenal, which ended in a 3-1 loss. In her regular season debut on April 10 against Djurgården, she scored two goals within five minutes. Later that month, she netted another brace in the team's 6-0 victory over KIF Örebro. In August, Press recorded her third brace of the season, scoring two goals within two minutes as Göteborg defeated Umeå 5-0. She finished the year as the second-highest scorer in the Damallsvenskan with 17 league goals, behind only Anja Mittag, and scored a total of 25 goals across all competitions. In the Swedish Cup quarterfinals, Press scored two goals in a 3-0 victory over Kristianstad. Her 13th-minute goal in the semifinals helped Göteborg defeat LdB Malmö 2-1, leading them to the championship final. Göteborg won the championship 2-1 in extra time against Tyresö FF, with Press scoring in the ninth minute and drawing a penalty that Marlene Sjöberg converted to secure the cup.

In early 2013, Press signed with the Damallsvenskan champions, Tyresö FF, based in Stockholm. She scored in her regular season debut for the second consecutive season in a 2-0 win over Vittsjö. Press scored four goals in a dominant 10-2 victory over Sunnanå SK. In the subsequent match, she scored two goals, contributing to a 7-0 win against Jitex BK. On June 9, 2013, she notched a hat-trick in a 5-1 win over Kristianstads DFF. After scoring a pair of goals in each of Tyresö's next two matches, Press secured her second and third hat-tricks of the season against Jitex BK (5-0 win) and Sunnanå IF (8-0 win), respectively. In the team's final regular season match, she scored twice against her former club, Göteborg FC, helping Tyresö to a 4-1 victory. Press concluded the season as the league's top scorer with 23 goals, making her the first American to achieve the Golden Boot in the Damallsvenskan's history. Tyresö finished second in the regular season with a 14-6-2 record, qualifying for the 2014-15 UEFA Women's Champions League. In October, Press scored both of Tyresö's goals in the 2013-14 UEFA Women's Champions League Round of 32, securing a 2-1 aggregate win over French side Paris Saint-Germain Féminines. In 2013, she scored three goals in the Svenska Cupen and nine goals in the 2013-14 UEFA Women's Champions League, bringing her total goal tally to 37 for the season. Her nine Champions League goals propelled the team to the 2014 UEFA Women's Champions League Final, where they lost 4-3 to VfL Wolfsburg.

3.2. National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) Career

In January 2014, the Chicago Red Stars announced Press would join their roster for the 2014 season after her commitments with Tyresö in the Champions League concluded. Joining the team in late May, two months into the 2014 NWSL season, she still managed to score a team-high six goals in just 12 matches, earning the team's Golden Boot. On July 4, she scored two goals in the final fifteen minutes against reigning champions Portland Thorns FC at Providence Park, equalizing the score after being down 2-0 at halftime. She recorded another brace on August 16, scoring in the 17th and 60th minutes, contributing to a 3-3 draw against Western New York Flash. Chicago finished fifth in the regular season with a 9 wins, 7 losses, 8 draws record. Press was recognized by players, coaches, and media, being named to the league's Second XI team.

Press returned to the Chicago Red Stars for the 2015 season. In the team's first home match against Seattle Reign FC, she scored a brace and assisted a goal by Jen Hoy, leading to a 3-2 win. This performance earned her the league's NWSL Player of the Week for week two. On April 25, Press scored two early goals in a drawn match against Portland. By the end of April, with four goals and one assist, Press was the league's leading scorer and was named NWSL Player of the Month. She missed the next eight games due to her participation in the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup. Upon her return, she scored four goals in a three-game span, including a brace in the Red Stars' 2-2 draw with FC Kansas City on August 1.

For the 2016 season, Press was named captain and tallied eight goals in 14 games. She scored a goal in the NWSL Playoffs, though the Red Stars were eliminated after a 2-1 loss to the Washington Spirit in extra time. She continued to captain the team for the 2017 season. Press was the top scorer on the team with 11 goals and the fourth-highest scorer in the league. Chicago finished fourth in the regular season, securing a playoff berth, but were defeated 1-0 by regular season winners North Carolina Courage in the semi-finals. Press was named to the NWSL Best XI at the end of the season.

On January 18, 2018, Press was traded to the Houston Dash as part of a three-team deal. However, on March 10, the Dash were informed that Press would not join the club, as she had multiple offers in Sweden and preferred to play abroad.

In March 2018, Press signed a three-month contract with her former club, Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC, while the Houston Dash still retained her NWSL rights. After scoring four goals in three games, Press was named Damallsvenskan Player of the Month for April. In May, she scored a brace in a 3-1 win against IF Limhamn Bunkeflo. On June 19, Göteborg FC announced an agreement with NWSL expansion club, Utah Royals FC, to release Press from her contract early so she could join the Royals for the remainder of the 2018 season.

On June 18, Utah Royals FC officially acquired the rights to Press in a trade that involved sending Brooke Elby and six draft picks to the Chicago Red Stars. She made her debut for the Royals on June 27 in a 0-0 draw against the Seattle Reign. Press appeared in 11 games during the Royals' 2018 season, scoring two goals. The Royals finished in fifth place during their inaugural season, narrowly missing a berth to the NWSL Playoffs by two points.

Press started the 2019 NWSL season strongly, assisting Lo'eau LaBonta's goal in a 1-0 victory over the Washington Spirit in Utah's season opener. The following week, she scored the lone goal in a 1-0 Royals victory over the Orlando Pride. Press was named to the NWSL Team of the Month for April. She recorded a goal or an assist in her first five games of the season, but due to her participation in the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup and subsequent Victory Tour, she missed 11 Utah games. Press was named NWSL Player of the Week for Week 17 and later earned her second NWSL Player of the Month award for August. She finished second on the team in scoring with eight goals and was named to the end-of-season NWSL Best XI, her fourth time being named to the Best XI.

With the 2020 season significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, Press opted not to participate in the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup. On November 12, 2020, Racing Louisville FC acquired Press's NWSL rights from Utah during the 2020 NWSL Expansion Draft, as Utah had left her unprotected.

3.3. FA Women's Super League (FA WSL) Career

On September 9, 2020, Manchester United announced the signing of Press and her national team teammate Tobin Heath to one-year contracts. Press made her debut on October 4 as a 77th-minute substitute in a 3-0 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion. She scored her first goal for the club on October 18 as part of a 4-2 WSL victory away to West Ham United. On January 31, 2021, Press scored her second goal for the club in a 2-0 away victory against Everton. She scored again during a 2-0 victory against West Ham United on March 27, 2021, which marked the team's first match played at Old Trafford. On June 24, the club announced that Press would depart upon the expiry of her contract at the end of the month.

3.4. Injury and Return

On August 23, 2021, Racing Louisville FC traded Press's NWSL playing rights to Angel City FC, having acquired them in the 2020 NWSL Expansion Draft. In return, Racing Louisville received Angel City's first-round pick in the 2022 NWSL Draft, 75.00 K USD in allocation money, and roster protection from Angel City in the 2021 NWSL Expansion Draft. Press signed a two-year contract with an optional third year, reportedly valued at 700.00 K USD in total, making her one of the highest-paid players in NWSL history.

In June 2022, Press suffered an ACL injury during an NWSL match against Racing Louisville FC, which required four surgeries to repair. This significant injury forced her to miss the entire 2023 Angel City FC season. After a prolonged rehabilitation, she returned to training with the Angel City senior team on June 11, 2024, exactly two years after her initial ACL tear. Press made her highly anticipated return to the field 781 days after her injury on August 1, 2024, in an NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup group stage match against the San Diego Wave. The match ended in a scoreless draw, but Press successfully converted her penalty kick in the ensuing shootout, which Angel City won. On October 12, 2024, Press came on as a second-half substitute against the North Carolina Courage and scored her first regular season goal for Angel City since her ACL tear in the 90+7th minute, a match that ultimately ended in a draw. This match also marked her 100th appearance in the NWSL regular season. On January 17, 2025, Press and Angel City agreed to a new one-year contract, extending her stay through the 2025 National Women's Soccer League season.

4.1. Early Years and Development

Press progressed through the youth national teams, including the U-20 and U-23 squads. In 2012, she was part of the United States women's national soccer team player pool and was named an alternate for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, though she did not make the final roster.

Her official debut for the senior national team occurred on February 9, 2013, in a friendly against Scotland. Starting as a right midfielder, she made an immediate impact by scoring the first two goals of the match and then assisting the United States' third goal. This performance made her only the third woman in U.S. national team history to score two goals in her debut match, following Cindy Parlow Cone in 1996 and Sherrill Kester in 2000. The United States defeated Scotland 4-1, and Press was named Budweiser Woman of the Match. Just four days later, she scored another goal in her second cap, helping the United States defeat Scotland 2-0. Notably, no other American woman has scored three goals in her first two national team appearances.

Press's third cap for the national team was at the 2013 Algarve Cup on March 6, 2013, during the team's first group stage match against Iceland. She subbed in during the 64th minute for Carli Lloyd, contributing to a 3-0 U.S. victory. In the team's next group stage match on March 8, 2013, Press scored her fourth international goal against China in a commanding 5-0 win, making her the fifth women's national team player to score at least four goals in her first four matches. She earned two more caps at the Algarve Cup, playing in the knockout stage match against Sweden (led by former United States coach, Pia Sundhage) and starting in the final against Germany. The United States won the 2013 Algarve Cup with a 2-0 victory over Germany. Press concluded her first year with the senior national team with eight goals in 12 matches.

4.2. FIFA Women's World Cup and Olympic Participation

Press was named to the national team squad for the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada. On June 8, she made her first tournament start against Australia and scored her first World Cup goal in the 61st minute. She played in four of the team's seven games, starting two, helping the United States reach the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup Final. The United States secured the tournament title by defeating Japan 5-2.

Press was selected as one of the 18 members of the team for the 2016 Summer Olympics. After advancing to the knockout stages, the team suffered a quarter-final loss to Sweden. Following a 1-1 draw, they lost 4-3 in a penalty shootout, with Press missing the team's decisive final kick. In a show of solidarity, supporters on social media initiated the #DogsforChristen hashtag to cheer her up, which became a trending worldwide topic on Twitter. Press competed in all four of the team's matches and was a starting forward in the 2-2 draw against Colombia. She was one of only two United States players to appear in all 25 games in 2016, finishing the year with 12 goals, her best goal-scoring record for the team. This marked her third consecutive year of scoring double-figure goals, making her the fifth player in team history to achieve this, joining Mia Hamm, Abby Wambach, Tiffeny Milbrett, and Carli Lloyd.

For the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics (played in 2021), Press was named to the 18-player roster. She appeared in all six matches for the United States in the tournament, which saw the team secure the bronze medal on August 5, following a 4-3 victory over Australia. Press scored and also forced an own-goal in the team's 6-1 group stage win over New Zealand on July 24, and successfully converted a penalty kick in the team's quarter-final shootout win over the Netherlands on July 30. Press tallied a total of six goals and five assists in 2021 for the United States national team.

4.3. Recent International Activities and Issues

In 2017, Press once again appeared in every game for the United States, being one of only three players to do so. She scored the lone goal in a 1-0 friendly win over Norway in June. At the 2017 Tournament of Nations, held in California and Washington, Press scored in the 80th minute against Brazil to narrow the deficit to 3-2. Five minutes later, she assisted Megan Rapinoe's equalizer. With an additional goal from Julie Ertz, the team achieved a dramatic 4-3 comeback victory. She finished 2017 with three goals and three assists.

Press was named to the roster for the 2018 SheBelieves Cup in February, which the United States won for the second time. After she was traded to the Houston Dash against her wishes, Press declined to join the team and was reportedly considering multiple offers from Swedish clubs. Consequently, she was left off the U.S. roster for friendlies against Mexico in April 2018. Head coach Jill Ellis stated, "We've had several conversations and [Press] understands our expectations are that a consistent training and match environment for a professional is an important factor for selection into women's national team rosters...I am certain that once Christen transitions to a new team, she will embrace being back on the pitch and will help her team be successful."

Following her signing with Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC at the end of March, Press was recalled to the United States camp in June for friendlies against China. On June 12, Press became the 37th female player in U.S. history to play in 100 games for the US Women's National Team, contributing two assists in a 2-1 victory. On August 31, Press was honored for her 100th cap during a friendly against Chile in her hometown of Los Angeles, where she captained the team and scored a goal in the 59th minute, contributing to a 3-0 win. In September, Press was named to the 20-player squad for the 2018 CONCACAF Women's Championship. She recorded a goal and two assists in a 5-0 victory over Panama in the group stage. The United States won their second consecutive CONCACAF Championship, earning a berth to the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup in France.

In January 2019, Press scored the sole goal in a 1-0 victory over Spain in a friendly in Alicante. At the 2019 SheBelieves Cup, she assisted Alex Morgan's goal just one minute after entering the game. A month later, in a friendly against Belgium, Press recorded three assists in a dominant 6-0 victory. On May 2, 2019, Press was named to the final 23-player roster for the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup, marking her second participation in the tournament. She appeared in all three group stage games and started and played the full 90 minutes in the second group match against Chile. She was a second-half substitute in both the Round of 16 and the quarter-final matches. Press started the semi-final match against England and scored a goal in the 10th minute, putting the USA ahead 1-0 in a match they ultimately won 2-1, advancing to their third consecutive World Cup Final. Press appeared in the World Cup Final as a second-half substitute, replacing Megan Rapinoe. She was one of four U.S. players to play in all seven World Cup games. The United States defeated the Netherlands 2-0 in the Final, securing their second consecutive World Cup title, which was Press's second World Cup win. On November 7, 2019, Press became the 12th player in USWNT history to score 50 international goals, achieving this milestone in the 28th minute of a friendly against Sweden. The United States won 3-2, and Press also recorded an assist in the game. Press finished 2019 with five goals and 12 assists, leading the team in assists and being the only USWNT member to appear in all 24 games that year.

Press was named to the 20-player roster for the 2020 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying tournament, her second time participating in Olympic qualifying. She scored in all three group stage games, including two goals against Costa Rica, and also scored in the semi-final against Mexico. After the United States defeated Canada in the Championship game, Press was awarded the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player. Press was included in the United States' 23-player roster for the 2020 SheBelieves Cup, where she appeared in all three matches. She was the joint top scorer of the tournament, netting two goals-one against England on March 5 and another against Japan on March 11. She also registered an assist on a game-winning goal against Spain on March 8, delivering a set piece to teammate Julie Ertz. The United States won the tournament, having won all three of their matches. Press was named to the roster when the United States traveled to the Netherlands to face off in a friendly on November 27 in Breda. The team won 2-0, and Press registered another international assist on a goal scored by Rose Lavelle. Press led the team in total goals with seven scored, tied with teammate Lindsey Horan, and provided three assists in 2020.

After missing a series of friendlies against Colombia in January 2021 due to illness, Press was recalled to the USWNT squad in February for the 2021 SheBelieves Cup. She appeared in all three games and scored twice in victories over Brazil and Argentina as the United States retained the SheBelieves Cup.

On September 9, 2021, Press announced via social media that despite being called up, she would not participate in the upcoming international windows, stating that she needed a few months' break to focus on her mental health and spiritual growth. Ahead of two friendlies abroad against Australia in November 2021, former USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski opted to leave a core group of veteran players, including Press, off his 22-player roster. As a result of this decision, Press was subsequently not included in the 23-player roster for the 2022 SheBelieves Cup in February. On June 13, 2022, Press was also not included in the 23-player roster for the upcoming 2022 CONCACAF W Championship. This decision led to some confusion among media and fans, as Press had been playing consistent minutes for Angel City FC in the preceding months. When questioned by reporters about omitting Press, Andonovski claimed that she was performing well but not "out-performing" the players in front of her. Press ultimately suffered an ACL tear with her club team on June 11, 2022, confirming her unavailability for national team selection while she recovered.

6.1. Media Appearances and Endorsements

Press has been a sought-after personality for numerous commercial partnerships and promotional initiatives. She has appeared in several advertisements and promotional pieces for Nike, a major sports apparel company. In 2014, she was featured in a promotional campaign for Wheaties, the iconic breakfast cereal. In May 2015, Press starred in television commercials for Coppertone sunscreen. In February 2016, she became a brand ambassador for Genesis Today, a nutritional product manufacturer. In January 2018, she partnered with Hydrive Energy Water.

Her likeness has also transcended traditional sports media. In May 2015, Press appeared on The Simpsons alongside teammates Alex Morgan and Abby Wambach. The same year, she starred in the short film, An Equal Playing Field, which shed light on challenges in women's soccer. Press has been featured in a variety of magazines, including Self, Howler, Shape, Darling Magazine, and Glamour. In 2015, she graced the covers of both Sports Illustrated and Yoga Digest. In 2016, Press notably posed nude for ESPN's annual The Body Issue magazine, further expanding her public visibility.

Her presence also entered the realm of interactive entertainment; Press was featured with her national teammates in the EA Sports' FIFA video game series in FIFA 16, marking the first time women players were included in the game. In October 2015, she was announced as a host for FOX Sports' @The Buzzer and, alongside teammates Julie Ertz and Lori Chalupny, led a Chicago Cubs crowd in singing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame."

6.2. Official Recognition and Honors

Following the United States' victory at the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, Christen Press and her teammates received historic public tributes. They became the first women's sports team to be honored with a ticker tape parade in New York City, a prestigious event traditionally reserved for major sports champions and national heroes. Each player was presented with a key to the city by Mayor Bill de Blasio. In October of the same year, the team was further honored by President Barack Obama at the White House, underscoring their national significance and impact.

7.1. Club Statistics

7.2. International Summary Statistics

7.3. International Goals

The following table lists each of Christen Press's international goals for the United States women's national team.