KC star Robinson (ACL) out for season
Credit to Author: Jeff Kassouf| Date: Thu, 30 May 2024 15:51:51 EST
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Kansas City Current center-back Gabrielle Robinson will miss the rest of the National Women’s Soccer League season due to a torn anterior cruciate ligament, the team confirmed on Thursday.
Robinson sustained the injury in Saturday’s 1-0 victory over the Utah Royals. She was the only Kansas City outfield player to start every game and play every minute of the team’s first 10 matches. Kansas City is one of two remaining unbeaten teams through 11 rounds of NWSL play.
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“Gabby has been one of the league’s best defenders this year and we are heartbroken for her,” Current head coach Vlatko Andonovski said in a statement.
“She has worked so hard to make an impact on our club. She has one of the best attitudes around this injury and we are confident she will make a full return as she tackles her recovery process with a positive attitude. Her teammates have been incredibly supportive, and we have talented players that will be able to step in during her absence.”
Robinson was the No. 15 overall pick in the 2023 NWSL Draft. She played in 20 games last year as a rookie for a Kansas City team that struggled and finished second from bottom in the league. She signed a new three-year contract in the offseason and became an integral part of the Current’s revival this season.
Kansas City’s hot start to the season was initially driven by new attacking talents. The Current already set an NWSL single-season record by registering 15 different goal-scorers this year.
Defensively, Kansas City struggled in their first matches of the season — particularly on set pieces — but improved recently; the Current shut out their opponents in three of five games played in May. Robinson helped lead that effort. She ranks in the top five in the NWSL this season in clearances and blocked shots, per TruMedia.