Soccer star Ali Krieger announces retirement

Ali Krieger, a soccer star known for her impressive defensive skills and leadership on and off the field, announced on "CBS Mornings" on Thursday that she is retiring from professional soccer.

"This is the right time for me," she said. "I've given so much to the game, and I've gotten a lot in return. But I feel it. My body also feels it."

Krieger has been an integral part of U.S. women's soccer for more than a decade, making more than 100 appearances with the U.S. Women's National Team. She currently plays for Gotham FC, a member of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) — and plans to retire at the end of the league's season.

In her final season, she has a last chance to win a title that has eluded her.

"I see the 2023 season as an opportunity to celebrate with our fans and my fellow players, but make no mistake - my entire focus is on winning the NWSL championship with Gotham FC," Krieger said in a news release.

"To achieve this before our incredible Gotham FC fans will motivate me every day this season," she said.

Krieger has a long list of accolades. Before joining Gotham FC in 2021, she played five seasons with the Orlando Pride and four seasons with Washington Spirit, which she led to the NWSL championship game in 2016. She has been named to the NWSL Best XI.

She also played a key role in the U.S. Women's National Team's victories at the 2015 and 2019 FIFA Women's World Cups. In 2016, she starred for Team USA at the Rio Olympics.

Off the field, Krieger has advocated for equal pay, as well as the LGBTQ+ community. She said it's her impact off the field that she's most proud of.

"I want to leave the game better than where I found it," Krieger said.

Krieger is married to fellow professional soccer player Ashlyn Harris, who announced her retirement from professional soccer last year. The two met while playing for the U.S. Women's National Team over a decade ago, and now have two young children.

Krieger said she's looking forward to spending more time with her family, and having a schedule that allows her to wake up with her kids, spend the day with them and then put them to bed.

"It's like the times that we really cherish as moms," she said.

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