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Will one of Canada’s most well known soccer players return to the Canadian Women’s National Team? On June 14, Sean Fitz-Gerald of the National Post exclusively revealed that Kara Lang started working on her comeback in March under the guidance of B2ten, a privately-funded organization “that contributes to athletic excellence in Canadian amateur sport,” as well as certified athletic trainer Scott Livingston, who treated the Montreal Canadiens for almost a decade.
Before the 2012 London Olympics, CanWNT coach John Herdman got the idea going that Lang should suit up for the team once again. Canada’s bronze medal win and the potential of playing on home soil at the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup were both likely incredibly alluring for Lang.
Placing her broadcasting career on hold and remaining cautious yet optimistic, the rehabilitation process may see Lang, now 26, officially back on the pitch as early as November.
Plagued by ACL injuries sustained in 2005 and 2009, Lang was forced to cut her soccer career short and retired from the national team in January 2011 at just 24-years-old. She made 92 appearances for Canada, scoring 35 goals.
A lauded striker with thundering free kicks from distance, Lang was the youngest player to debut for Canada at the age of 15 (March 1, 2002). She scored her first goals two days later, netting a pair against Wales.
Canada Women's soccer team incredible Goals:
It was the 2002 FIFA U-19 Women’s World Cup in Canada where the nation was captivated by an exhilarating group of young players. Almost 48,000 filled the seats of Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton to watch Canada finish in second place, with Lang among those (Melanie Booth, Candace Chapman, Robyn Gayle, Erin McLeod, Carmelina Moscato, Christine Sinclair and Brittany Timko) who would soon form the core of the senior team for years to come.
Lang went on to star for the UCLA Bruins (2005-2009) at the college level. And, along the way, saw relative success with the CanWNT, finishing fourth at the 2003 WWC and making it to the quarter-finals of Beijing 2008, Canada’s first appearance at the Olympic Games.
News of Lang’s potential return to the CanWNT was met with great fanfare. Around the Internet, folks were excited that their favourite player could be back, they wrote about themselves or relatives who were inspired by Lang and tweeted words of encouragement to the athlete herself (@Kara_Lang). On a personal note, I was part of the generation introduced to women’s soccer by the 1999 WWC, but it was Lang (and Sinclair) who turned me into a proud supporter of Canada’s national team.
“This is an opportunity to re-write my ending... Who’s going to turn that down, no matter how painful the rehab is?” Lang told the National Post.
We are all enthusiastically waiting for the next chapter of her story. Wishing her nothing but the best.
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