Christen Annemarie Press (born December 29, 1988) is an American professional soccer player, entrepreneur, and sports journalist. She plays for Angel City FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) and the United States national team. She first appeared for the United States national team during an international Exhibition game against Scotland on February 9, 2013. She has made 155 appearances for her country and is currently ninth all-time with 64 goals scored.
Press was the recipient of the Hermann Trophy in 2010 and holds the all-time scoring and assists records at Stanford Cardinal. Following her collegiate career, Press was selected fourth overall by the Washington Freedom in the 2011 WPS Draft, where she was named WPS Rookie of the Year. She was the Damallsvenskan's top scorer in 2013 with 23 goals scored for Tyresö FF and became the first American to earn the Golden Boot award in the history of the Swedish League.
Press has played for the Chicago Red Stars and Utah Royals in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC and Tyresö FF in the Swedish Damallsvenskan, magicJack in Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) and Manchester United of the English FA Women's Super League. She helped the United States win their titles at the 2015 and 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup. In 2019, she co-founded a gender-neutral lifestyle brand, RE—INC, with fellow athletes Megan Rapinoe, Tobin Heath, and Meghan Klingenberg. Press co-hosts the podcast, The RE—CAP Show, with Tobin Heath.
Press is a Global Ambassador and Board Member of the adolescent health organization Grassroot Soccer.
As a two-year team captain and four-year starter of her high school's soccer team, Press led Chadwick to two Southern Section Division IV titles. She also lettered in track and tennis.
In 2006, she was named NSCAA High School All-American and Parade Magazine All-American. During her high school career, she scored 128 goals, including 38 her junior year alone (a school record). She was named Southern Section Division IV Offensive Player of the Year twice and was a four-time Prep League Offensive MVP.
Press played club soccer for Slammers FC of Newport Beach, California, and won the Golden Boot for most goals scored in the US Youth Soccer Association's national championship tournament.
As a freshman, Press started 18 games for Stanford. She led the team in assists (6) and ranked second in goals (8), points (22) and shots (60). One of her biggest highlights of the year came in the first round of the NCAA College Cup when she scored the fastest goal in team history in the 37th second of the match. She scored twice and also assisted on another goal in the team's 7–0 victory. Press was named Pac-10 Freshman of the Year and earned first-team Freshman All-American honors.
During her sophomore year, Press was one of only five players in the squad to start every game of the season. She scored 16 goals and had 11 assists, while her total of 43 points ranked second in school history. In the College Cup quarterfinal against the Portland Pilots, Press scored the lone goal of the match in the 86th minute to send the Cardinal to the Final Four. She was the only player from the Cardinal squad to be named to the NCAA College Cup All-Tournament Team.
During her third season with the Cardinal, Press set new program records for assists (16) and shots (143). Seven of her 21 goals during the 2009 season were game-winning goals. Her 58 points raised the bar that she set during the previous season for the second-highest point total in a single season and ranked third in the nation. Press also broke her previous record for fastest goal scored in Stanford history after scoring 23 seconds into a match against BYU. In the College Cup, she scored the golden goal and had an assist in the Cardinal's 2–1 overtime win against the UCLA Bruins to send them into their first-ever cup final. They went on to lose the final to the North Carolina Tar Heels, after Press's apparent game-tying goal in the 89th minute was ruled offside. At the end of the season, Press was named to the All-Pac-10 first team and was a semi-finalist for the Hermann Trophy.
In her senior year, Press was the recipient of the 2010 Hermann Trophy for being the nation's top college soccer player. This marked the second consecutive win for a Stanford player following Kelley O'Hara in 2009. Press led the nation in both goals and points, while the club obtained a 23–1–2 record overall. Their only loss in 2010 came in the last match of the season in the College Cup final, which was Stanford's second consecutive runner-up finish. Press was also named Soccer America Player of the Year, Pac-10 Player of the Year, and earned All-Pac-10 first team and National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) first-team All-American honors. She displayed academic proficiency as well, receiving Academic All-America honors and winning the Pac-10's Scholar-Athlete of the Year for soccer.
During her regular season debut with Göteborg on April 10 against Djurgården, she scored two goals (a brace), with her first goal coming in the fifth minute of the match. Later in the month, she scored another brace, this time with the goals scored five minutes apart in the team's 6–0 victory over KIF Örebro. In August, Press recorded her third brace, this time scoring two minutes apart as Göteborg defeated Umeå 5–0. Press ended the year as the second-highest scorer in the Damallsvenskan with 17 league goals, behind only Anja Mittag, and scored a total of 25 in all competitions.
During the quarterfinals of the Swedish Cup, Press scored two goals in a 3–0 victory over Kristianstad. In the semifinals, her thirteenth-minute goal helped Göteborg defeat LdB Malmö 2–1 and progress to the championship final. Göteborg won the championship over Tyresö FF by a score of 2–1 after extra time, with Press involved in both goals. She scored in the ninth minute of the game and then drew a penalty in the added time, which Marlene Sjöberg converted to secure the cup.
Press finished the season as the top scorer in the league with 23 goals, becoming the first American to do so in the history of the Damallsvenskan. Tyresö finished second during the regular season with a 14–6–2 record and thus qualified for the 2014–15 UEFA Women's Champions League. In October, Press scored Tyresö's only two goals during the 2013–14 UEFA Women's Champions League's Round of 32 match, securing a 2–1 aggregate win over French side Paris Saint-Germain Féminines, and sending her team to the Round of 16. In 2013, she scored three times in the Svenska Cupen and nine times in the 2013–14 UEFA Women's Champions League competitions, for a total goal tally of 37. Her nine goals scored in the Champions League helped lift the team to the 2014 UEFA Women's Champions League Final where they lost 4–3 to VfL Wolfsburg.
Press returned to the Chicago Red Stars for the 2015 season. During the team's first home match against Seattle Reign FC, she scored a brace and assisted a goal scored by Jen Hoy, resulting in a 3–2 win. She was subsequently named the league's NWSL Player of the Week for week two of the season. On April 25, Press scored two early goals in a drawn match against Portland. At the end of April, having recorded four goals and one assist, Press was the league's goal leader and was named NWSL Player of the Month. Press missed the next eight games due to her participation in the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup. After returning, 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.
During 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.
Press captained the team for a second season in 2017. She was the top scorer on the team with 11 goals and the fourth highest scorer in the league. Chicago finished in fourth place during the regular season with an record, securing a berth to the playoffs. The team was defeated by regular season winners North Carolina Courage 1–0 during 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 a three-team trade which also included Carli Lloyd and Sam Kerr. On March 10, the Dash were informed that Press would not be joining the club and had multiple offers in Sweden.
Press began the 2019 NWSL season assisting Lo'eau LaBonta's goal in a 1–0 over the Washington Spirit in Utah's season opener. The following week, Press scored the only goal in 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 assist in her first five games of the season but, due to her participation in the 2019 Women's World Cup and subsequent Victory Tour, missed 11 Utah games during the season. Press was named NWSL Player of the Week for Week 17 and later named NWSL Player of the Month for August, her second player of the month award. Press finished second on the team in scoring with 8 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 disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, Press elected not to participate in the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup.
On November 12, 2020, having left Press unprotected, Utah lost her NWSL rights to Racing Louisville FC during the 2020 NWSL Expansion Draft.
Press suffered an ACL injury in June 2022 in a NWSL match against Racing Louisville which required four surgeries to repair. She missed the entire 2023 season and returned to training with the Angel City senior team on June 11, 2024, 2 years to the day since she originally tore her ACL. Press made her return to the field 781 days after her injury on August 1, 2024 in a NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup group stage match against the San Diego Wave. The match ended in a scoreless draw, and Press 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 she tore her ACL, a match that ultimately ended in a draw. This match also marked the 100th appearance in the NWSL regular season for Press.
On January 17, 2025, Press and Angel City agreed to a new one-year contract through the 2025 NWSL season.
Press was one of two United States players to appear in all 25 games in 2016. She finished the year with 12 goals, which was the third straight year she recorded double-figure goals and was her best goal-scoring record on the team. She became the fifth player in team history to score double-figure goals for three consecutive years, joining Mia Hamm, Abby Wambach, Tiffeny Milbrett, and Carli Lloyd in the team record books.
After signing with Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC at the end of March, Press was called up to the next United States camp in June for a set of 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. She had two assists in the game as the United States won 2–1. On August 31, Press was honored for her 100th cap during a friendly against Chile in her hometown of Los Angeles and captained the team. She scored a goal in the 59th minute and the United States won 3–0.
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 and earned a berth to the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup in France.
Press 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, to put the USA ahead 1–0, the United States would go on to win 2–1, advancing to their third straight 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, to win their second consecutive World Cup. This was Press' second World Cup win.
On November 7, 2019, Press became the 12th player in USWNT history to score 50 international goals. Her 50th goal occurred 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 5 goals and 12 assists. Her 12 assists lead the team, she was also the only member of the USWNT to appear in all 24 games in 2019.
On November 22, 2021, amidst the 2021 NWSL abuse scandal, Press alleged abuse against former Chicago Red Stars manager Rory Dames. Press revealed in an article by The Washington Post that she had tried to speak up about Dames' behavior in 2014 to former US Soccer President Sunil Gulati, but her "concerns were dismissed." Press went on to say that her request for a trade from the Chicago Red Stars in 2017 was due to Dames's treatment of her, and in 2018, she filed a complaint against him to US Soccer. The NWSL Players Association released a statement in support of Press and Press's former Red Stars teammates Jen Hoy and Samantha Johnson, who came forward with similar allegations.
Since 2013, Press has worked with Grassroot Soccer, an adolescent health organization that leverages the power of soccer to equip young people with the life-saving information, services, and mentorship they need to live healthier lives. First joining as a Global Ambassador, she was elected to the organization's Board of Directors in 2018 and has visited its soccer-based health programs in South Africa and Zambia.
Press' likeness appeared on The Simpsons along with teammates Alex Morgan and Abby Wambach in May 2015. The same year, she starred in the short film, An Equal Playing Field. She has been featured in a number of magazines including Self, Howler, Shape, Darling Magazine, and Glamour. In 2015, she was featured on the covers of Sports Illustrated and Yoga Digest.
In 2016, Press posed nude for the ESPN's annual The Body Issue magazine and was one of the athletes featured on a cover. Regarding appearing in the issue, Press said:
Press was featured with her national teammates in the EA Sports' FIFA video game series in FIFA 16, 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 led a Chicago Cubs crowd in singing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" along with teammates Julie Ertz and Lori Chalupny.
Tyresö FF
Stanford Cardinal (2007–2010)
Stanford statistics
Source
6 11 16 8
Club career
magicJack (2011)
Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC (2012)
Tyresö FF (2013–2014)
Chicago Red Stars (2014–2017)
Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC (2018)
Utah Royals FC (2018–2020)
Manchester United (2020–2021)
Angel City FC (2021–present)
International career
2012
2013
2014
2015: FIFA Women's World Cup
2016: Summer Olympics
2017
2018
2019
2019 FIFA Women's World Cup
2020
2021
2021–present
Personal life
In popular culture
Media and endorsements
I think that a lot of women experience that balance between feeling insecure about and appreciative for their bodies. I definitely have. So, when I decided to say yes to, I had all that in my mind and realized it would be a good opportunity to face some of my own fears and show my body some love.
Ticker tape parade and White House honor
Career statistics
Club
+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition Pali Blues 2010 USL W-League 4 magicJack 2011 WPS 8 Göteborg FC 2012 Damallsvenskan 25 Tyresö FF 2013 Damallsvenskan 35 2014 2 Chicago Red Stars 2014 NWSL 6 2015 10 2016 9 2017 11 Göteborg FC 2018 Damallsvenskan 4 Utah Royals FC 2018 NWSL 2 2019 8 Manchester United 2020–21 FA WSL 4 Angel City FC 2022 NWSL 4 2023 0 0 0 0 0 0 — 0 0 2024 9 1 0 0 2 0 — 11 1 2025 10 1 — — — 10 1
International summary
8 11 10 12 3 2 5 7 6
International goals
World Cup appearances
2015 FIFA Women's World Cup June 9, 2015 Winnipeg, Manitoba 3–1 W Group stage June 13, 2015 Winnipeg, Manitoba 0–0 D Group stage June 23, 2015 Edmonton, Alberta 2–0 W Round of 16 June 27, 2015 Ottawa, Ontario 1–0 W Quarter-final 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup June 11, 2019 Reims, France 13–0 W Group stage June 16, 2019 Paris, France Start 3–0 W Group stage June 20, 2019 Le Havre, France 2–0 W Group stage June 24, 2019 Reims, France 2–1 W Round of 16 June 28, 2019 Paris, France 2–1 W Quarter-final July 2, 2019 Lyon, France Start 2–1 W Semi-final July 7, 2019 2–0 W Final
Olympic appearances
2016 Women's Olympic Football Tournament August 3, 2016 Belo Horizonte, Brazil 2–0 W Group stage August 6, 2016 1–0 W Group stage August 9, 2016 Manaus, Brazil Start 2–2 D Group stage August 12, 2016 BrasĂlia, Brazil 1–1 (4–3 p) (L) Quarter-final 2020 Women's Olympic Football Tournament July 21, 2021 Tokyo, Japan Start 3–0 L Group stage July 24, 2021 Saitama, Japan 6–1 W Group stage July 27, 2021 Kashima, Japan 0–0 D Group stage July 30, 2021 Yokohama, Japan 2–2 (4–2 p) (W) Quarter-final August 2, 2021 Kashima, Japan 0–1 L Semi-final August 5, 2021 Kashima, Japan 4–3 W Bronze medal match
Honors and awards
Individual
See also
Notes
Further reading
External links
|
|