Top draft pick Villacorta tears ACL in season opener
Orlando Pride draft pick Viviana Villacorta tore her ACL during the UCLA season opener on Feb. 7, sidelining the senior for her final NCAA season.
The Pride selected Villacorta with the No. 9 pick in the 2021 NWSL Draft. The midfielder chose to finish her senior season with the Bruins before joining Orlando.
Villacorta suffered the injury in the 44th minute of the season-opening match against Pepperdine.
The midfielder had played every match of her three-year tenure with the Bruins, netting seven goals and adding 16 assists. Orlando Pride coach Marc Skinner described Villacorta as a “metronome” for the midfield, and he hoped her efficiency as a passer could make an immediate impact during the 2021 season.
The NCAA women’s soccer season typically takes place in the fall, but the coronavirus pandemic forced a delay to the spring. The deferral caused an overlap with the NWSL season, a unique challenge for the 2021 season.
All four of the Pride’s 2021 draft picks opted to remain with their college teams for their senior seasons and will report to Orlando following the conclusion of the NCAA season in May. Skinner endorsed the decision on draft night.
“I absolutely understand why they would want to finish their senior year in the most effective way,” Skinner said. “These players are giving so much of their life; they moved their life across a huge country to do something different. ... For me, I’m absolutely understanding of that. Hopefully they come in sooner rather than later for them as well, but there’s no pressure from them. I’m absolutely happy to support them in their life experiences as well as their football experience.”
Villacorta is a native of Lawndale, Calif., a southern suburb of Los Angeles. She will remain in California to undergo surgery and recovery before reporting to the Pride.