Why it’s wrong to leave Ali Krieger stuck at 98 caps

Ali Krieger has 98 caps for the United States women’s national team. She helped them win a World Cup in 2015 and was a defining force on the right in the 2011 World Cup. She probably would have been a heavy contributor to the team’s 2012 Olympic run to a gold medal had she not cruelly torn her ACL during CONCACAF qualifying. All told, she has been represented the United States and represented them well for nearly 10 years. That’s why it’s such a shame that she seems to be stuck shy of 100 caps.

Sports are a business and the national team is a meritocracy. That’s the refrain from people who would try to argue that no one “deserves” a milestone like 100 caps. To a certain extent, that’s true.…