The cross from Aly Wagner came in and the ball bounced once, twice and, just before it took a third hop, Caroline Putz tucked it into the near post. The goal was her first for the U.S. women’s national team, scored just minutes into her international debut in a 4-1 win over Italy.
After that goal, nothing. No second goal. No additional minutes. Not even another call-up. Her career with the USWNT was over before she knew it.
Of the millions of soccer players around the world, few ever represent their country, and even fewer score. Putz, whose last name is now Leith, did both in the span of four minutes. With her one and only cap, she is also part of an even smaller group of soccer players: the one-cap club.
As of three weeks before the 2023 Women’s World Cup begins, 251 women have suited up for the U.S. women’s national team, and 32 of them did it exactly once. Ahead of the World Cup, ESPN chatted with a few members of the one-cap club — the players whose international careers started and ended on the same day.
Caroline Leith, forward: July 7, 2000, vs. Italy
The Utah native and high school All-American never…
