Christen Press

“I actually rid myself of superstitions, but I do a quick 20-minute meditation before games.”

“It's something special being able to build a program up.”

“I didn't have any natural instincts toward heading. It cost me lots of opportunities to score.”

“I remember, playing in college especially, I cried in almost every game I played. I just felt so much stress and pressure that I was letting everyone down if I didn't score a goal or win the game. I carried that weight with me into every game.”

“You can be one inch from the national team and the opportunity to make so much money and a life out of it. That's why people hang on so long.”

“My restlessness leaves my mind racing as I try to wind down at the end of mandatory recovery day. It keeps me tossing after poor performances. And if I played well, well... playing well makes me itch to play better; there is always room for improvement.”

“The tremendous honor of playing on the world stage is even more rewarding when I am able to use my accomplishments to help others.”

“I've always felt like my job is to protect my sister. Even growing up, on the playground, when my sister was too shy, I would speak for her... I even had dreams where I had to save her, growing up, all the time - like, she was falling, and I had to save her.”

“When I started playing in Sweden, there was nobody watching. No one knew who I was, so I was just playing for the love of the game. And after my first season, my coach came up to me and said, 'Of all the people you're the one who smiles the most on the field,' and that was the biggest compliment I ever received.”

“I've stayed away from the actual L.A. scene for most of my life.”

“Everyone, especially athletes and fans everywhere, need to make sunscreen and sun protection a priority.”

“I don't really own a lot of makeup. Usually, though, I don't leave the house without mascara. That is so essential for me. I love playing with lip color, too. I'm just really basic.”

“If I simply stay in that moment on the pitch and read the game, I can do so much more.”

“I was in front of the goal so much at Stanford. I still amassed a lot of goals, but there were so many opportunities that I wasn't scoring.”

“I haven't had many injuries, and I know that's because I take care of my body, and I do the things that I need to do to keep it strong.”

“I have crazy, curly, big hair, so,if I have time to try to make myself look presentable, I usually spend it doing my hair.”

“I would like to fight as hard as I possibly can in each and every game and win or lose, leave it at that, and move forward. I know in my heart that that is the mindset I need to be a successful and happy athlete.”

“Winning and losing isn't what's important. The attempt at success and getting to your best self is what matters.”

“As a goal scorer, my focus is always on converting my chances and being clinical in the box. That's my No. 1 priority.”

“The hardest thing to do is to fail and keep pushing at the same time.”