REIMS, France (AP) — Becky Sauerbrunn was not in the U.S. national team’s starting lineup for its Women’s World Cup opener against Thailand because of a quad injury.
Julie Ertz was moved to the backline for Tuesday night’s game and Samantha Mewis got the start in the midfield. The team said Sauerbrunn’s injury was minor and sitting out was precautionary.
This is Sauerbrunn’s third World Cup and the veteran defender played on the team that won the title in Canada four years ago.
The 33-year-old has been with the national team since 2008, with 158 appearances. She was part of the 2011 and 2015 World Cup teams, as well as the U.S. team that won the gold medal at the London Olympics.