Unsung hero Kelley O'Hara presents tough call for U.S. coach
OTTAWA – It was an hour into the United States' Women's World Cup quarterfinal victory over China when the blood began to stream down Kelley O'Hara's face. In an instant, the U.S. bench leaped into action, with the team's training and medical staff frantically beckoning her toward the sidelines.
But O'Hara, a productive stint into her first start of the tournament, turned her back, wiped her nose with the back of her hand, gritted her teeth, and carried on playing.
FIFA has strict rules about blood however, and as soon as referee Carina Vitulano spotted the claret streaks descending onto O'Hara's chin and dripping onto the jersey of the U.S. defender/midfielder, she was ordered to seek treatment.
A few minutes later, with a deep bruise already starting to well on the bridge of her nose, the product of an accidental headbutt from a Chinese player, she was replaced by Christen Press.
"Kelley had blood on her face and she absolutely refused to have the training staff come on because she wanted to keep playing," said central defender Becky Sauerbrunn. "That's amazing. You look at that and you're like, 'yeah, that's awesome.'"
O'Hara was one of the unsung heroes of Friday's win, which booked a semifinal against tournament heavyweight Germany, at Montreal's Olympic Stadium on Tuesday. But now she has an agonizing wait, one that could be far more painful than the damage caused by an opposition skull.
As well as the 26-year-old performed on the right wing after being introduced in a surprise move, there are no guarantees that she will retain her spot, not due to injury, but by a roster change.
Megan Rapinoe (certainly) and Lauren Holiday (probably) are in line to return to the starting group after serving one-game suspensions, and O'Hara has no chance of getting called into her preferred position in the back four, with the unshakeable defense having allowed just one goal in the tournament so far.
For her to retain her place on the right side of midfield would likely require head coach Jill Ellis to sacrifice Tobin Heath, perhaps the team's most skillful ball controller.
On Saturday, O'Hara was given the all-clear by team doctors. She was "breathing fine" and her status was "no further treatment needed", according to a team spokesman. On Friday night O'Hara had told Paste BN Sports she would be "praying" the nose was not broken.
After getting a taste of the action, O'Hara is desperate for more and would relish the chance to be given another run against Germany.
"It is not easy when you are not getting playing time," she added. "But it is a squad of 23 players and it is a seven-game tournament. So just have to show up for practice, be professional, work your butt off and be ready. It would be amazing to play a World Cup semifinal. I am ready for anything and I would love to have that chance."
One of the most inspiring images of the tournament could be O'Hara, a cotton swab rammed up her nostril, still trying to convince Ellis and the coaching staff that she could return to the fray in the moments before her substitution against China.
As decision time for Ellis looms, O'Hara will hope it is not the last we see of her at this tournament.