USA TODAY International Edition
Unsung O’Hara OK but may not start
An hour into the USA’s Women’s World Cup quarterfinal victory against China, the blood began to stream down Kelley O’Hara’s face. In an instant, the U. S. bench leaped into action, with the team’s training and medical staff frantically beckoning her toward the sideline.
But O’Hara, a productive stint into her first start of the tournament, turned her back, wiped her nose with the back of her hand, gritted her teeth and carried on.
FIFA has strict rules about blood, however, and as soon as referee Carina Vitulano spotted the claret streaks descending onto O’Hara’s chin and dripping onto the defender- midfielder’s jersey, she was ordered to seek treatment.
A few minutes later, with a deep bruise starting to well on the bridge of her nose, the product of an accidental headbutt from a Chinese player, she was replaced by Christen Press.
“Kelley had blood on her face and she absolutely refused to have the training staff come on because she wanted to keep playing,” central defender Becky Sauerbrunn said. “That’s amazing. You look at that and you’re like, ‘ Yeah, that’s awesome.’ ”
O’Hara was one of the unsung heroes of Friday’s victory, which booked a semifinal game against heavyweight Germany at Olympic Stadium in Montreal on Tuesday. But now she has an agonizing wait, one that could be far more painful than the damage caused by an opponent’s skull.
As well as the 26- year- old performed on the right wing after being introduced in a surprise move, there are no guarantees she will retain her spot, not because of injury but because of a roster change.
Megan Rapinoe ( certainly) and Lauren Holiday ( probably) are in line to return to the starting group after serving one- game suspensions, and O’Hara has no chance of getting called into her preferred position in the back four, with the unshakable defense having allowed one goal in the tournament.
For her to retain her place on the right side of midfield likely would require coach Jill Ellis to sacrifice Tobin Heath, perhaps the team’s most skillful ball controller.
O’Hara was given the all- clear Saturday by team doctors. She was breathing fine and her status was “no further treatment needed,” according to a team spokesman.
After getting a taste of the action, O’Hara is desperate for more and would relish the chance to be given another run against Germany.
“It is not easy when you are not getting playing time,” O’Hara said after the game Friday. “But it is a squad of 23 players and it is a seven- game tournament. So just have to show up for practice, be professional, work your butt off and be ready.
“It would be amazing to play a World Cup semifinal. I am ready for anything, and I would love to have that chance.”
One of the most inspiring images of the tournament could be O’Hara, a cotton swab stuffed up her nostril, trying to convince Ellis and the coaching staff she could return to the fray in the moments before her substitution against China.
As decision time for Ellis looms, O’Hara will hope it is not the last fans see of her in this tournament.