51黑料

Lo鈥檈au LaBonta has played in hundreds of soccer games over the years, but when the Kansas City Current midfielder went into the U.S. women鈥檚 national team game with China on Saturday in the 70th minute, it was an all-new experience.

鈥淥h, it was amazing,鈥� she said Monday, standing a short distance from the field at Energizer Park. 鈥淚 was on the bench just cheering on, being the best teammate I could be. They called my name, and I think my heart rate shot up and I was ready to go.鈥�

The cause for all the excitement for LaBonta was that getting in that game was the end of a very long wait. At 32 years, two months and 13 days, LaBonta was the oldest player ever to make her debut for the U.S. women鈥檚 team, by more than a year. The player she replaced on the field, Lily Yohannes, is 17, and just past half LaBonta鈥檚 age.

LaBonta could very possibly make her second appearance with the national team Tuesday night, when the United States faces Jamaica in a friendly match. With only two days off between this match and the China match on Friday, coach Emma Hayes figures to make many changes to her lineup.

LaBonta鈥檚 story is one of perseverance. She鈥檚 made provisional rosters, the list of players told to be ready for a possible call-up, for the national team over the run of her 11-year pro career but was never was able to make the final cut and fulfill her dream. Finally she did.

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 always a goal, right?鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 always there. Maybe I didn鈥檛 think it was going to happen, but I didn鈥檛 stop trying. I didn鈥檛 stop working to be the best that I could. And I think that鈥檚 what the national team is. If you鈥檙e playing, they want the best. So whether I was subconsciously doing it or not, that was always a goal.鈥�

鈥淟o鈥檚 situation should serve as a reminder to everyone that we watch every game and that we are invested in what you鈥檙e doing, day in, day out,鈥� said Hayes. 鈥淎ge is just a number, and she鈥檚 fit and she鈥檚 healthy. She鈥檚 someone who鈥檚 always striving, and I鈥檝e heard her speak a number of times. She鈥檚 someone who constantly sees that there鈥檚 room for improvement in what she鈥檚 doing.鈥�

Even though she鈥檚 the second-oldest player in this camp, behind only defender Crystal Dunn (who made her 160th appearance on Saturday), LaBonta brings energy. Hayes said that in the internal competitions within the team, LaBonta is among the leaders. She鈥檚 also, along with Dunn, the shortest player on the team at 5-foot-1.

鈥淪he still wants to improve all the time,鈥� Hayes said, 鈥渂ut she鈥檚 come in not just with great humility but a great confidence in herself and what she brings. She鈥檚 soaked up every single minute like it was her last, and her behaviors towards not just herself, but everybody else in the team, I think serves as a great reminder that while it鈥檚 never too late but also that you never stop learning. And she鈥檚 been an unbelievable learner all week with an unbelievable growth mindset. She鈥檚 been absolutely brilliant.鈥�

鈥淚 got to where I am because I鈥檓 very competitive,鈥� said LaBonta. 鈥淵ou can clearly see I鈥檓 not the tallest, strongest, fastest, so I鈥檝e had to work the hardest. ... I鈥檓 just trying to soak up everything I can and be competitive as well.鈥�

LaBonta has never gotten this much attention in her career, which includes an NCAA championship at Stanford, where she graduated with a degree in engineering. Right now, she鈥檚 the talk of U.S. soccer.

鈥淚t is fascinating,鈥� she said. 鈥淢y dad first said it. He was like, 鈥業鈥檝e never seen someone get so much love.鈥� And then I was like: Oh, but that鈥檚 just a dad. He鈥檚 a fan. Of course, he鈥檚 going to focus on me. But then my husband, who鈥檚 had an international career as well, was like, 鈥楴o, everyone is loving you.鈥� And it鈥檚 a great story, right? Someone finally achieved their dreams this far on. So I have felt it. I鈥檝e loved it. If I haven鈥檛 responded to you yet, I鈥檓 really trying. I鈥檓 just trying to impress Emma first before I get back to your messages. I鈥檝e felt it, and I love it.鈥�

And now that she鈥檚 achieved that goal of playing for the national team, she wants more.

鈥淵eah I want more,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檓 going back to the buffet. I want more of that.鈥�

The match Tuesday was originally supposed to be against China, which the U.S. beat 3-0 on Saturday, but the Chinese bowed out of the second game in April. Jamaica was picked as a replacement. While Jamaica has gone to the past two women鈥檚 World Cups, it鈥檚 No. 40 in the current FIFA rankings compared to No. 15 for China.

鈥淭he big challenge now is we鈥檝e demonstrated we can do our first game really well in camp,鈥� Hayes said. 鈥淭he challenge is sustaining that level over a 90-minute period in the second game. Now, granted, I鈥檝e made lots of changes from Game 1 to Game 2 as we develop an accumulation of experience for a bigger depth, larger playing pool, but that will be the challenge I set for the team is: I want to see another level in us again over a 90-minute period.鈥�

The game is also be a tribute match for former U.S. national team defender and captain Becky Sauerbrunn, the Ladue High graduate who retired at the end of the last NWSL season.