SportsOakville Beaver SPORTS EDITOR: JON KUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 432) Fax 905-337-5571 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com THURSDAY, JANUARY 6, 2011 13 Kara Lang accomplished a lot in womens soccer before knee injuries forced her to retire at the age of 24. Heres a look at some of the key moments and achievements: March 1, 2002 Makes debut with the Canadian senior womens team at age 15, becoming the youngest-ever player to suit up for Canadas senior team March 3, 2002 Scores twice against Wales at the Algarve Cup, setting a world womens football record as the youngest-ever player to score a full international goal (age 15, 132 days) 2002 FIFA U-19 World Championships Scores three times in six games and notches a crucial penalty-kick goal in the semifinals against Brazil 2003 FIFA Womens World Cup Plays in all six of Canadas games, scoring twice 2004 Helps Vancouver Whitecaps win the W-League championship 2005 Shines as freshman at UCLA, scoring a hat trick in second game and notching eight goals in six games at the 2005 NCAA tournament. Finishes rook- ie year with 17 goals and six assists in 24 games January 22, 2006 Sets record for fastest-ever goal, scoring four seconds from opening kickoff against Mexico in CONCACAF U-20 Qualifying Tournament August 6, 2008 Scores winning goal for Canada in 2-1 victory over Argentina at Beijing Olympics (Canada goes on to reach quarter-finals before losing to U.S.) 2009 Signs contract with Pali Blues of United Soccer Leagues W-League and scores first goal for team on May 17 A look back at Karas career TORONTO STAR FILE PHOTO At peace with her decision By Jon Kuiperij BEAVER SPORTS EDITOR For someone whose accomplished career was cutshort at an early age by injuries, Kara Langseemed remarkably at peace yesterday (Wednesday) at the Oakville Soccer Club. The long-time Canadian womens soc- cer team midfielder-forward, who official- ly announced her retirement from the game with a press conference at the club where she first began playing the game nearly 20 years ago, made it clear that she has no regrets about hanging up her cleats at the tender age of 24. If youd asked me how Id like to leave the game, it probably wouldnt have been this way, said Lang. But, regardless, leaving something you poured your heart and soul into for so many years would be hard, no matter what. A lot of people would look at me and say, How can someone retire at 24? But Ive been around for a while and had a long (career), and it has taken its toll on my body. Ive put in the years, and now Im feeling the effects. Knee injuries brought a premature end to Langs nine-year tenure with the womens national team. The former St. Thomas Aquinas student tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee last year while play- ing NCAA soccer for the UCLA Bruins, the second time shed suffered the injury in a three-year span. Lang managed to recover from both injuries, including helping the national team qualify for the FIFA Womens World Cup China in 2007. But Lang recently came to the painful realization that if she con- tinued to play, it would be at the cost of extreme con- sequences to her health in the future. I was so determined to come back and be healthy for (this years) World Cup. But when we were in Brazil, I met with our team doctor and we reassessed my situ- ation, Lang said. As soon as talk of knee replacement at 35 and arthritis for the rest of my life, when those talks started happening, I really started to consider what was ahead of me and what my options were. At the end of the day, it was a matter of choosing my health and my happiness first. Thats not to say it was an easy deci- sion for Lang, who had been with the senior national team since 2002, when at 15 years old she became the youngest- ever player to suit up for the squad. With the Canadian senior team, Lang competed in two FIFA Womens World Cups (2003 and 2007), the Olympics (2008), Pan-American Games (2007) and four CONCACAF championships (2002, 2004, 2008 and 2010). She also played in two FIFA U- 20 Womens World Cups (2002 and 2004) and two CONCACAF Womens Under-20 Championships (2004 and 2006). She finished her career with 92 appearances for Canada, scoring 34 goals 21 of those coming in her first two seasons with the senior team. Probably the hardest part was having to say good- bye to my teammates. The experiences I shared with them are probably the biggest thing Ill take with me for the rest of my life, she said. I consider myself Kara Lang has no regrets leaving the game she loves BEGINNING AND END: Kara Lang stands on an indoor field at the Oakville Soccer Club, the club where she first began a soccer career that would eventually take her to the World Cup and Olympics. She retired yesterday at age 24. NIKKI WESLEY / OAKVILLE BEAVER See OSC page 14 Ive been around for a while and had a long (career), and it has taken its toll on my body. Ive put in the years, and now Im feeling the effects. Kara Lang