After 15 successful years in the game Canberra United’s American midfielder Lori Lindsey is looking to sign off by writing one final glorious chapter in her career with Grand Final success in Sunday’s Westfield W-League season finale.
One of the most decorated players ever to grace the local competition, Lindsey is finally hanging up the boots concluding a career that included appearing in the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup alongside some of the greats of the modern era as USA narrowly missed being crowned world champions.
Lindsey will be a central figure in the heart of the Canberra midfield as the 2012 champs seek to deny Perth a maiden crown in what promises to be a spectacular conclusion to a high-quality Westfield W-League season.
Now 34, the Indianapolis native, who alongside Nadine Angerer and Arianne Hingst is one of the best credentialed players ever to feature in the Westfield W-League, says it is time to look for new adventures in life.
“It (retirement) has been coming for a while,” says Lindsey. “I’m fortunate that I can retire on my own terms.
“I have always loved football, and always will, but over the past year my attention has started to sway away from the game, so I always told myself when that happened, that I would know in my heart (it was time).
“I have been very fortunate that I have been to live out a few of my dreams through football.”
Lindsey says she is planning a career in strength and conditioning “helping young females grow their athleticism at a younger age”.
Lindsey, an all-action reliable presence in the midfield, nominates the 2011 Women’s World Cup as a career highlight calling it “arguably the greatest women’s sporting event ever held”.
Lindsey’s impressive resume includes being one of the few players to have featured in all three professional leagues in the US dating back to her WUSA debut in 2002.
Now in her second season with Canberra, Lindsey says her Australia odyssey has attained a special place in her heart.
“My time has been wonderful,” she says. “I love being in Australia, everyone has been so welcoming. And Canberra is such a great sport city.
“I feel like Canberra gets a bad rap across the rest of Australia, but it is a gem of a city.”
There is, of course, one final hurdle to conquer before Lindsey hangs up the boost for good. And it is a significant one with Perth defeated just twice this season, albeit one of those occasions was against United just a fortnight ago.
“I’m excited for the team and want to concentrate on getting the win, but I want to enjoy the game as well,” Lindsey says.
“I think we match-up well (against Perth). There will be a lot of nerves and excitement. It will be important for us to finish our chances. We have been creating quite a few. Concentrate on that, and the rest should take of itself.
“Hopefully Sunday will be a career highlight as well. And hopefully I will be on the right side of the fairytale as well.”
