(Photo by Victor Tan / New Day Review)
ORLANDO, Fla. – It’s been a long time coming, but United States women’s national team and Portland Thorns midfielder Tobin Heath finally returned to a National Women’s Soccer League pitch. Heath logged her first minutes of the 2017 season for the Thorns after being ruled out for both national-team and club duty because of a back injury she suffered shortly after the 2017 SheBelieves Cup in early March 2017.
For the 29-year-old national-team fixture, her return to club play was good preparation for the playoffs. Heath also logged minutes with the national team, entering a 5-0 friendly win over the New Zealand women’s national team in the 72nd minute on Sept. 19.
“It was wonderful. I don’t find it to be hostile here at all,” Heath said after a 0-0 draw with the Pride on Sept. 23. “But it was great to be back on the field, obviously, this point of the season. It’s kind of a special time for us. Obviously, we’ve already clinched that home-playoff [spot], so it was nice for me to get a run in and not have, you know, the type of pressure that these other teams are still playing for.”
For Orlando Pride head coach Tom Sermanni, it’s a welcome sight to see a player of Heath’s caliber back on the field. However, that talent gave him a little a scare.
“yeah, it’s great, you know? It’s always good to have your best players in the league,” Sermanni said after the draw. “You know, it’s not so good when they’re, you know, bearing down on your penalty area one against one, at the time. But, I think, for the good of the league, I think it’s terrific to see her back.
“She’s a wonderful player. She’s got great personality, great professional. So it’s always good to have those players. We need as many good players in this league as we can get. So it was really good to see her come back. It was even better that she didn’t score.”
While in Orlando, Heath stayed with longtime friend, national-team teammate and Pride goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris. At media availability during training leading up to the draw between the two sides, Harris joked about giving Heath food poisoning to keep her out of the draw.
“Yeah, it’s wonderful. I mean, these are really great friends of mine that I’ve known for a really, really long time,” Heath said. “And it’s always nice when we get to spend time together kind of outside of, you know, national team and stuff like that and just get to kinda see where we’re at in life and to kind of see the life that she’s built here, and Orlando is special. And I know the city’s embraced her, and she’s really embraced the city as well, and she’s really proud of this place.”
Heath and the Thorns conclude their regular season by hosting the Chicago Red Stars on Saturday. As for the Pride, they can earn their first-ever playoff berth with a Seattle Reign loss or draw to FC Kansas City Sunday night at 9 p.m.
For more on the Pride, as they look to solidify their first-ever playoff spot, follow Victor Tan on Twitter at @NDR_VictorTan.
