Photo: Robert Cianflone / Getty Images Sport / Getty Images
LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Angel City Football Club will conduct a "retirement appreciation" for U.S. women's national team and OL Reign forward Megan Rapinoe Sunday.
The game at BMO Stadium will be Rapinoe's last regular-season game in Los Angeles. The 38-year-old Rapinoe announced July 8 that she would retire following the conclusion of the 2023 National Women's Soccer League season.
Rapinoe was a member of the 2015 and 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup- winning teams and 2012 Olympic gold-medal winning team.
In 2019, she was selected as The Best FIFA Women's Player of the Year, Ballon d'Or Féminin as the world's best women's player and Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year. She won the Golden Ball as the best player in the World Cup and the Golden Boot as the top scorer with six goals.
Actress Eva Longoria, an ACFC founding investor, will lead the "Three Clap" before the 5 p.m. game.
According to team President and Co-Founder Julie Uhrman, the cheer was originated by U.S. women's national team midfielder Julie Foudy during one of the three Olympics in which she competed.
"She was working out every morning and she started with a three clap," Uhrman said in a video posted on the team's Instagram account. "Given that she is an owner and investor in Angel City Football Club, we loved it and have decided to work with her to make it our own."
USC's Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Caleb Williams and the Trojans' offensive line are scheduled to attend, an Angel City official said.
The game is Angel City's first at BMO Stadium since the Women's World Cup. Angel City FC (4-6-6) is 11th in the 12-team league with 16 points. It is 2-0-3 in league play and 4-0-4 in all competitions since coach Freya Coombe was fired June 15 and replaced on an interim basis by assistant coach Becki Tweed.
OL Reign (7-6-3) is fourth with 24 points.
The game will be televised by Bally Sports SoCal and streamed on Paramount+.
A Fan Fest will begin at 1 p.m. at Christmas Tree Lane Park, which includes a pit bulls adoption event and a blood drive.