“Even though it was 3-0, she was diving in to get that ball,” the announcer declared during Heather O’Reilly’s final match with the USWNT Thursday night.
This statement encompasses the player that O’Reilly — better known as HAO — has been since she joined the USWNT at 17 years of age as a senior in high school. With a 15-year international career, O’Reilly, 31, has been nothing short of amazing.
O’Reilly ends her career with 231 caps (7th best in USWNT history), 47 goals (against 24 different countries), 55 assists, with three Women’s World Cup tournaments, three Olympic games, and three Olympic gold medals under her belt, but she will be remembered far more for the person she was. Three Fs can describe her: fit, fierce (on the field), and fun (off the field); O’Reilly was loved by her teammates, coaches and fans without fail for the past 15 years. I look up to her greatly, and I believe every athlete, no matter the sport you play or your gender, should look up to her.
I can think of three crucial reasons why Heather O’Reilly is one of the best to ever play the game.
1. The Game Face
Over the course of 15 years, O’Reilly has traveled to over 15 countries, gotten married, and grown from a nervous teenager into a legend. However, one of the things that has not changed is the “HAO game face.” One of the most fun-loving people off of the field, O’Reilly was also one of the fiercest competitors on it. Her “game face” shows the immense passion she brings to her sport, to her country, and to every single game she has played.
No. 9 has given her all to this team for 15 years, and the game face is a decade and a half of proof. Just looking at her game face gives me chills, because it shows her incredible heart.
2. Her team spirit
Every soccer player’s dream is going to the Olympics. The amount of hard work, blood, sweat and tears you put into this sport only make that dream stronger. When the 18-player Olympic roster was announced in early July, veteran Heather O’Reilly was not on it, but she was named as one of the four alternates instead. Instead of putting her head down in defeat or acting unsupportive, O’Reilly did just the opposite: she congratulated her teammates and said she would “whatever [she] needs to do to help the U.S. win.” Her tear-jerking message on Instagram shows the disappointment (because who wouldn’t be?) but it shows, even more so, the love and pride she has for her teammates and for the USA. I cannot imagine a better teammate than Heather O’Reilly was for her team these many years.
You can also see her exceptional team spirit in her assist to goal ratio. Over 15 years, O’Reilly has captured a stunning 47 goals, but even more amazing are the 55 assists she leaves with. Every soccer player knows the feeling of scoring a goal; there is nothing like it. I can only imagine the feeling of doing it while wearing a national team jersey. However, O’Reilly leaves with eight more assists than she has goals. This shows the selflessness she brings to the field…along with some killer crosses.
3. Her ability to admit to mistakes
In an article titled 'Never Late Again - The Lesson From My First WNT Camp,' Heather O’Reilly, a three-time Olympic gold medalist, admits to a mistake she made on her first day of USWNT camp. She and her roommate slept through their alarms and missed team breakfast. They did not think it was a big deal, and they arrived at their morning session with everyone else. No one said anything, so they assumed they were in the clear. However, right before training began, Captain Julie Foudy brought to the attention of everyone the fact that two players had missed a team meal… and were, therefore, going to get on the end line and run full-field sprints.
As a college soccer player, I know the feeling of your team having to pay for something you did, and I know how badly you want to make up for that mistake. This is why, when coach April Heinrichs of the USWNT signaled them to start their sprints, O’Reilly took off like lightning. She wanted to show them that she would make up for her error. She did just that, sprinting as fast as she could for 40 yards… 50 yards… 60 yards, with not one player in her sight, until she glanced behind her and realized that she was the only one running. Every other player was rolling in laughter on the end line. It was the team’s way of gently bringing the newcomers onto the team and letting them know that things are done a certain way. O’Reilly proudly states that she never missed breakfast again. In fact, it is her favorite meal of the day.
Fifteen years spent at team breakfasts, practices, traveling on planes, and busting her butt on the field, 13,409 minutes in a USWNT uniform, 231 caps, 47 goals, and 55 assists and HAO leaves us with memories that will last forever.
