Sports Then and Now

St. Louis Athletica announced today that captain Lori Chalupny is taking an indefinite leave from soccer to deal with concussion-related issues.

Chalupny will miss the USA’s trip to the Algarve Cup tournament in Portugal for the first time in six years. No definitive time of return has been determined for Chalupny’s return. The captain of the US Women’s National Team, she is also expected to miss a portion of the Athletica’s preseason training camp, set to begin March 1.

“I am taking some time off so I can get some additional testing done for these concussion related issues,” Chalupny said to WPS media. “I need to go through this process now to insure my health for the future. I certainly don’t like the idea of missing a tournament like the Algarve Cup, or missing any time with Athletica. I just need to get some rest and take care of these issues.”

Chalupny started in all 18 games she played in for the Athletica in 2009, scoring two goals and adding one assist. A starter for the WPS All-Star game, Chalupny was also named WPS Player of the Week for Week Seven.

A regular starter for the US women, Chalupny has 92 appearances with the national team, and has eight goals to her international career. Among her accolades, Chalupny has an Olympic gold medal from the 2008 Beijing Games, and was also a member of the 2007 Women’s World Cup Team.

This article was excerpted from a press release and reworked by freelance writer Lauren Salter.

photo: www.soccerbyives.net