U.S. Women’s National Team and Gotham FC defender Tierna Davidson didn’t want to make it seem like battling adversity was her specialty, but she did admit it made winning the gold medal at the Paris Olympics all the more sweet.
Davidson, 25, was not a member of the eliminated U.S. Women’s World Cup team in 2023 and missed most of the 2022 NWSL season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament.
Additionally, Davidson missed the team’s two gold medal matches in Paris because of a bruised knee, but returned in time to be in the starting lineup for the win over Brazil.
“Unfortunately, when you sign a contract to be a professional athlete, you agree to a certain degree. You agree to uncertainty, you agree to the possibility of injury, and my story is not unusual in that sense,” Davidson said Thursday during a promotional appearance at Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers at Astor Place.
“I think what makes those moments of victory so much sweeter is knowing your whole story. There are parts that only you know and parts that only your family knows. That’s why I think we have to celebrate and be grateful for those moments, because as athletes, these moments are so fleeting. There are a lot of dark moments leading up to these moments, but I wouldn’t change it because they’re so important to your development as a player and as a person.”
Davidson has won gold and bronze medals (Tokyo 2021) in the first two Olympic appearances of her career so far, and could be credited with helping to secure the latest medal win in a rather unusual turnover for the women’s national team.
The Paris 2024 House on August 11, 2024 in Paris, France. Getty Images for USOPC
New head coach Emma Hayes was hired in November, taking over the program just months before the start of the Summer Olympics, and delayed joining the U.S. Women’s National Team until May, when she finished coaching Chelsea in the Women’s Super League.
Davidson praised Hayes for the role she played in the U.S. program, particularly in helping to bring back “the joy” in her life.
“She does a really great job of recognizing how difficult her job is and our jobs are and what we have to do and the pressure that comes with it,” the American defender said. “She puts that out there so everybody can take a deep breath and understand that a game is just a game. Each game is a 90-minute game, sometimes a 120-minute game, and we always have the same goal. “That really freed us up and allowed us to play with joy and just work with each other and build chemistry, not just as teammates but as friends.”
Defender Tierna Davidson kicks a soccer ball at the Olympics
Homecoming on August 15, 2024 at Raising Cane’s Astor Place
In New York City. Getty Images, Raising Cane’s
Defender Tierna Davidson celebrates Olympic homecoming
Raising Cane’s will take place on August 15, 2024 at Astor Place in New York City. Getty Images, Raising Cane’s
With an eye on the 2027 World Cup, she said the possibilities for the U.S. women’s national team are “endless.”
The United States defeated Brazil 1-0 to win the gold medal. It was the most-watched Olympic soccer match in NBC’s history.The average viewership reached 9 million.
When asked about the number of fans attending games and the impact it has on women’s soccer, Davidson said she’s “really proud of the progress” being made in women’s soccer in the U.S. and overseas.
“I think it speaks to the quality of football we put on the field and the excitement we bring to the game,” Davidson said. “We deserved it and it’s really great to see it come to fruition.”
“Hopefully it’s only going to go up from here.”
