The United States center back sustained a knee injury in NWSL keeping her sidelined for the remainder of 2025 as fellow compatriot Thompson replaces her.
Defender Tierna Davidson will not be with the U.S. women’s national team for the international break after sustaining a torn ACL while playing for Gotham FC over the weekend. The central defender came off for the Bats in the first half of their NWSL match against the Houston Dash sustaining the ‘non-contact injury.’ Angel City’s Gisele Thompson has replaced her on the USWNT roster.
“Tierna is a warrior, is our captain. It was devastating seeing her coming off the pitch how she did but then seeing her on the pitch at the end of the game, it was also a message from her to the team of how strong she is,” Gotham FC coach Juan Carlos Amorós said after the game.”
I know that whatever it is, we’re gonna be with her, we’re gonna support her. She’s in safe hands. We have a fantastic medical team, and I hope [the injury] is the minimum it can be because she’s been outstanding for us and outstanding for her country.”
On Wednesday, Gotham confirmed that Davidson had an ACL tear, her second in a three-year span.“We are heartbroken for Tierna,” said Yael Averbuch West, the general manager and head of soccer operations at Gotham FC. “Our club will do everything we can to support her through this recovery and rehabilitation process. We know she will come back stronger than ever.”
U.S. Soccer said it was elevating Thompson, who was originally set to attend the U.S. Under-23 WNT training camp taking place concurrently with the U.S. WNT training camp in Carson, California. With that move, Portland Thorns midfielder Olivia Moultrie will replace Thompson with the U23s.
Davidson, a 2019 FIFA World Cup champion and a 2024 Olympic Gold Medalist previously sustained an ACL tear in 2022, but returned in early 2023. The U.S. will now be without both starting central defenders against Las Canarinhas – the team they faced in the gold medal game at the 2024 Paris Olympics – as both Davidson and Chelsea centerback Naomi Girma are ruled out of camp due to injury.
Thompson earned her first two senior caps with the USWNT during the 2025 SheBelieves Cup.
The U.S will face Brazil in two separate matches throughout this month – first on Saturday, and then again next Tuesday.
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