Career Quotes: Chalupny Through the Eyes of Her Teammates

BECKY SAUERBRUNN

“Growing up she was THE name of women's soccer in St. Louis. I got to train with her and played briefly with her as a member of JB Marine, but she was always just leaps and bounds in front of everyone as far her level of play. I’m sad that I didn't get to play with her more on the national level, but we got this past year together and I was really honored to have gotten to play with her and see what she was all about. She is definitely is one of those players that sees the game so purely and plays it so well that it’s hard not to be awed by it. Her soccer IQ, versatility, and technique only served to make our team better and we all benefitted from having her back. She deserves to end her National Team career the way she is - on top - like the way she's played for as long as I've known her.”

SHANNON BOXX

“I've always believed that she is one of the best defenders the U.S. has ever had. There are so many fond memories I have of her on the field. Then I got to play with her in Chicago and see that she still had it, and her story of coming back and being so successful on the National Team this year, it was just really cool to see. I'm really excited that she's chosen her path and if she wants to keep coaching, she would be a coach I would want to follow if I was a player.”

WHITNEY ENGEN

“Lori is one of the sweetest people, but fiercest competitors I've ever met. She's genuine off the field but man, you put her on the field and she is a bulldog and she will do anything to win. Her competitive edge is just something I've always been in awe of and I grew up watching her at Carolina. I never played with her in college, but I got to see her and she was always somebody that, back in the day, when she was a midfielder and I was a mid-fielder, I had hoped to emulate. Her ability to get stuck into tackles and play great soccer was amazing. She's definitely someone the game will miss.”

HOPE SOLO

“Lori Chalupny and I go way back. I played with her in St. Louis (in the WPS) and I played with her on our first World Cup Team in 2007. She's always been one of my favorite defenders I've ever played with. She's confident on the ball and I believe that she was kind of the first defender to change what a left back should be. It's not just a defender, it's somebody who can attack, it's somebody who's confident on the ball and for me, that was groundbreaking and she was the first one to step on this team to do that.”

ABBY WAMBACH

“Having her comeback to get her 100^th cap, to win a world championship, was amazing. I have been a Lori Chalupny fan since the beginning. When she went out of the team, we really struggled to fill that position. She was a player that played two positions. When she was a midfielder, she got up and down the field. When she was an outside back, it was almost as if she was playing in the midfield. She’s does the things that people don’t realize. She’s a player like Boxxy in that she’s an unsung hero. She’s the one making the pass before the assist. I’m so lucky to have the chance to play with her and know her. It’s been a long road, and for her to go out on this high note is really special. What she does next, I can’t wait to see, because she is going to be a great coach and the qualities she has are the ones that will really make a positive impact on kids.”

TOBIN HEATH

“The first time I had really heard a lot about Lori Chalupny was back when she was a Tar Heel. Anson (Dorrance) would just say that she was the best player on the field, that she covered this insane amount of ground and there was nothing that she couldn't do. I got to play with here for the first time on the National Team. I remember always being on the bench with Cheney and A-Rod and we would always watch Chupa. We would just be in awe of just how good she was. We always thought she was such a stud and was just so ridiculously talented.”

LAUREN HOLIDAY

“Consistent. That describes Lori. You knew that you can rely on her, day in and day out to get the job done. She comes back to the team after being gone for so long and she's the same old Chups: super consistent, super reliable and gets the job done on and off the field. She’s just so much fun to be around and has such a sweet personality.”

JULIE JOHNSTON

“Gosh, I love her. For the path that she’s taken, to be gone for five years from the team and come back, talk about being a leader by example. She's quiet, but when you put her on the field, she knows the game and has one of the highest soccer IQs of anyone I’ve ever played with.”

MEGHAN KLINGENBERG

“Lori has always been a player that I've looked up to because she's small in stature, like myself, but her technique is impeccable, and she was a Tar Heel so Anson (Dorrance) would always tell these incredible stories about her and her competitive fire. Having her here and having her as a teammate has been a blessing because she is a good person on and off the field. She's a caring teammate and having her around has been one of the best decisions the coaching staff has ever made.”

ALI KRIEGER

“She’s one of the legends. She is an unbelievable player. I remember when I was on the Under-21 National Team and I thought she was, I think still to this day, one of the best left backs in the entire world. She's just an amazing defender, an amazing person, and a fantastic teammate. We are about the same age, so I will miss her so much because I feel like I've seen her from the very beginning. It’s just so nice to see how successful she has been after taking those years away from the National Team and she came back and was great. She inspires a lot of our younger players and I think that's what it's all about. She makes people want to challenge themselves and want to be better. And that's something I will never forget.”

CARLI LLOYD

“I got to play with her on the Atlanta Beat and she’s just an unbelievable player, someone who can be thrown up top, or in the midfield, or who can be, in my opinion, one of the best left backs in the world. She's had a tremendous career and I'm so glad that she was able to come back, do so well, earn her 100^th cap and win a World Cup. I’m so glad she got to go out on top as she's just an amazing player and an amazing person. It's been a joy to be able to play with her, to know her, and I wish her nothing but the best.”

ALEX MORGAN

“Lori is one of the players that I looked up to most when I was 17 or so. Lori was at the top of her game. She was just killing it. I just remember going, ‘Who is that redhead? She is so good.’ She was just up and down the flank and taking players on. She was incredible. It was great to finally get to know her and be her teammate for that short period of time. She worked so hard to be able to come back and she totally deserves it. Now she's going out on top. She had a great career.”

KELLEY O’HARA

“She is a legend. She's such a good player and such a good human and teammate. It was so nice to be able to get to know her and play with her and see her excel and be successful. To see her make this team and go to the World Cup after going through everything she did was inspiring. Then to know that she achieved a goal that she probably thought wasn't even in the picture anymore, it was like, ‘That's what I needed, that's what I wanted, I'm good. I’m retiring." That makes me so happy because she's happy. She's content. It's an incredible, incredible story.”

HEATHER O’REILLY

“Lori Chalupny is one of the most talented players that this team has seen. I've known her since we've played together on the Under-19 team in 2002 so we've been teammates and roommates for a couple of residency camps. She is just a blue-collar hard worker. She's so resilient. For her to take a bunch of years off and then to be able to come back, nearly five years later and contribute to this team, push this team and make this team better, I just think it speaks so much of her character. She can play all over the field and she's very well-rounded off the field and she's as sweet as they come. I think it's been really cool to see her personality blossom and her confidence grow through the years. She's not the same person that she was 10 years ago, she is so much more confident. She has such a more powerful voice now, that I think will help her in her life and in coaching if that’s what she wants to do. I think soccer has done that for her.”

CHRISTEN PRESS

“Playing with Chups has been awesome. Playing with her last year in Chicago before she was back with this group, I got to know her as a leader and our captain. It's such a special story that she fought her way back onto this World Cup team. She had already played in World Cups and Olympics, and still had that motivation to come back and train for years outside of this environment. Then to come back into this group and make such an impact in her year here, I have so much respect for what she's done, and I think she brought a lot of quality and a lot of happiness to our squad.”

CHRISTIE RAMPONE

“I will miss her. Her vision and footwork is truly amazing and we will be sad to see her go. She was such a big part of this team before the concussions set her back, but she’s probably one of the best left backs I've ever played with. Five years away from the team is a long time but I’m totally proud of her for coming back and doing what she could this past year. She was an excellent player and played her role well. I’ll miss that left foot and just missing having her around the team on and off the field.”

MEGAN RAPINOE

“Chups is one of the best players I think I've ever played with, especially early on in her career. She was so fantastic with the way she reads the game and her technical and tactical ability. She was one of the best. In her prime, she was just one of the best footballers I think that I've ever played with.”

AMY RODRIGUEZ

“I've absolutely loved playing with Lori Chalupny. She's been a player that I've always looked up to and admired. She's a fantastic leader and player and will surely be missed.”