Mallory Swanson‘s goal for the Chicago Red Stars on Friday — the equalizer in a 1-1 draw against the Orlando Pride — was her first time scoring in a competitive match in 370 days. The relief was palpable in her celebration as she looked up to the sky and put her hands up in the air, and the goal may be indicative of what’s to come for club and country.
Swanson ruptured her left patella tendon in a U.S. women’s national team tuneup friendly before the 2023 Women’s World Cup. She not only missed almost the entire National Women’s Soccer League season last year as a result, but she lost her spot for the World Cup just as she had become the focal point of the attack for the U.S. team.
Almost exactly a year from her injury and three games into the new NWSL season, Swanson is still finding her way back to being the dominant player she was before. Achieving that will take time, everyone agrees, but the successful early stages of Swanson’s return offer a reminder of how high the soon-to-be-26-year-old’s ceiling is — and how the Red…
