Becky Sauerbrunn
Becky Sauerbrunn

Success doesn't motivate me as much as integrity does. Everyone loses. I enjoy the pressure of showing up every single day, being focused, putting forth my best effort, getting the best out of my teammates, and enjoying the journey.

Becky Sauerbrunn
Becky Sauerbrunn

If they don't score, we can't lose.

Becky Sauerbrunn
Becky Sauerbrunn

The past doesn't matter. Take today.

Becky Sauerbrunn
Becky Sauerbrunn

If I could play a game and not have to tackle, I know that I did everything right. I organized everyone the right way, read every play the right way.

Becky Sauerbrunn
Becky Sauerbrunn

I always wanted to write a book. Not a romance novel. Maybe a crime thriller. Something with action. Maybe that will happen some day.

Becky Sauerbrunn
Becky Sauerbrunn

I think a lot of where I find my confidence is knowing I've prepared as well as I could have.

Becky Sauerbrunn
Becky Sauerbrunn

Although offensive play is important, it's defending that gets you titles.

Becky Sauerbrunn
Becky Sauerbrunn

I always have oatmeal before training or a match. It's easy on the stomach, offers so many vitamins and minerals, and is slow-burning, so it won't leave me hungry at half-time.

Becky Sauerbrunn
Becky Sauerbrunn

Defenders don't really get any sort of notoriety or anything like that.

Becky Sauerbrunn
Becky Sauerbrunn

I'm very hard on myself. I think that drives me because I don't want to let people down or let myself down. That fear of failing drives me from being complacent.

Becky Sauerbrunn
Becky Sauerbrunn

I actually got my start playing indoor soccer with the boys, a bunch of boys I played with. We eventually became a club team and then essentially got to the point where I couldn't be a girl on the boys' team, so I switched over to JB Marine.

Becky Sauerbrunn
Becky Sauerbrunn

A lot of young women play soccer, and it's wonderful to give them something to aspire to.

Becky Sauerbrunn
Becky Sauerbrunn

When you have somebody like Christie Rampone, with the vast experience she has had, you're going to defer to her line because she has played in so many huge games, and she knows what she's talking about.

Becky Sauerbrunn
Becky Sauerbrunn

Soccer can be very subtle; it's a very nuanced sport. If I happen to make things easy and people don't see it, that could be a reason why someone might stand out more than I do. But that's just the way I've grown up playing the game.

Becky Sauerbrunn
Becky Sauerbrunn

The women's national team is a very successful team, and that success has given us a platform to speak on gender equity issues. Millions of young women play soccer in this country, and it's empowering for them to see that our contribution to the game is valued.

Becky Sauerbrunn
Becky Sauerbrunn

I've never been the tallest or the strongest or the fastest. But I'd like to think that I can read the game well enough, that I can position myself well enough, that I can level the playing field when it comes to physical differences. When it comes to height, whoever wants the ball more is going to win it.

Becky Sauerbrunn
Becky Sauerbrunn

Julie Johnston is what I would call a loud central defender, as far as how she tackles and how she plays - you notice her. And you notice her in a positive way. She's a destroyer. She interrupts plays and tackles the crap out of people. That's a very visual thing.

Becky Sauerbrunn
Becky Sauerbrunn

Soccer, more often than not, helps to unite the world. What this Muslim ban is doing is dividing it: separating 'Us' and 'Them' to another degree, adding more division to a country that already struggles with race, religion, sexual orientation, and gender.

Becky Sauerbrunn
Becky Sauerbrunn

When I represent my country on the field, I do so with heartfelt gratitude to the people who fight for and defend our fundamental freedoms - to believe in whatever I want, to love whoever I want, and to be a valued member of society while doing so. That's the America I play for.

Becky Sauerbrunn
Becky Sauerbrunn

I play for the America that embraces refugees from war-torn nations, for the America that welcomes all people who want the chance to experience the American Dream, for the America that appreciates the contributions from all the people it shelters.