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Article continues belowArticle continues belowArticle continues below<ul><li>Defender never backs down from challenge</li><li>Prepared to put her body on the line</li><li>Surprised rival avoided dismissal for late lunge</li></ul>

USWNT star Abby Dahlkemper 'thankful she didn’t break her ankle' as San Diego Wave defender slams refereeing after horror tackle in NWSL defeat to Gotham FC

The United States international defender, who has 84 caps for her country and formed part of a World Cup-winning squad in 2019, was <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/where-watch-nwsl-live-stream-games-online/blt7685197b16410c50" target="_blank">in action for her club side on Wednesday against Gotham FC</a>. A dramatic end to that contest, which saw Maycee Bell net in the 98th minute, delivered a 2-1 defeat for the San Diego Wave.

WHAT HAPPENED?

Dahlkemper was disappointed to find herself left empty-handed in that fixture, with her body literally being put on the line. The 31-year-old has never been one to back down from a challenge, with her combative nature allowing her to <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/uswnt-star-abby-dahlkemper-joins-manchester-city/lz2mndkyff0418rf6ntkyh71o" target="_blank">reach the very top of the game</a>.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

She was, however, fortunate to avoid a serious injury when snapping into tackles against Gotham. One such challenge saw her poke possession away from Mandy Freeman with 10 minutes left on the clock, and Dahlkemper saw her leg trampled as a domestic rival missed the ball by some distance.

DID YOU KNOW?

Dahlkemper has posted a clip of the incident on social media and called out the standard of officiating in NWSL after seeing the challenge in question avoid a red card – despite a VAR review taking place. She has said: “I’m sorry but in what world is this not a red card? Thankful I didn’t break my ankle.”<center><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I’m sorry but in what world is this not a red card? 🧐 thankful I didn’t break my ankle <a href="https://t.co/8mvZOseOlQ">pic.twitter.com/8mvZOseOlQ</a>— Abby Dahlkemper (@AbbyDahlkemper) <a href="https://twitter.com/AbbyDahlkemper/status/1803824199879815630?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 20, 2024</a></blockquote>
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WHAT DAHLKEMPER SAID

Defeat for the Wave has kept them outside of the NWSL playoff spots, as they sit 10th in the table. They are only one point adrift of the top-eight, meaning that time is still on their side when it comes to booking a place in the postseason.

WHAT NEXT?

USWNT star Abby Dahlkemper 'thankful she didn’t break her ankle' as San Diego Wave defender slams refereeing after horror tackle in NWSL defeat to Gotham FC | Goal.com

USWNT star Abby Dahlkemper has slammed refereeing in NWSL and expressed her relief at avoiding a broken ankle following a horror tackle.

USWNT star Abby Dahlkemper &apos;thankful she didn’t break her ankle&apos; as San Diego Wave defender slams refereeing after horror tackle in NWSL defeat to Gotham FC