page_title: Megan Rapinoe
section_title: Women's Professional Soccer (WPS), 2009–2011
hierarchical_section_title: Megan Rapinoe / Club career / Women's Professional Soccer (WPS), 2009–2011
caption_attribution_description: English: Megan Rapinoe warming up before a MagicJack match.
context_page_description: Megan Anna Rapinoe is an American professional soccer player who plays as a winger and captains OL Reign in the National Women's Soccer League and the United States national team. Winner of the Ballon d'Or Féminin and named The Best FIFA Women's Player in 2019, Rapinoe won gold with the national team at the 2012 London Summer Olympics, 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, and 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup and she played for the team at the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup where the U.S. finished in second place. Since 2018, she co-captains the national team alongside Carli Lloyd and Alex Morgan. She previously played for the Chicago Red Stars, Philadelphia Independence, and MagicJack in Women's Professional Soccer, as well as Olympique Lyon in France's Division 1 Féminine.
  Rapinoe is internationally known for her crafty style of play and activism. Her precise cross to Abby Wambach in the 122nd minute of the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup quarterfinal match against Brazil resulted in an equalizer goal and eventual win for the Americans after a penalty shootout. The last-minute goal was awarded ESPN's 2011 ESPY Award for Best Play of the Year.
context_section_description: Rapinoe was selected second overall in the 2009 WPS Draft by the Chicago Red Stars for the inaugural season of Women's Professional Soccer (WPS), the highest division of soccer in the United States at the time. She was on the starting lineup in 17 of the 18 games in which she appeared for the Red Stars for a total of 1,375 minutes on the pitch. Rapinoe scored two goals and assisted on three others. In August 2009, she was named to the league's All-Star Team and played in the 2009 WPS All-Star Game against Swedish Damallsvenskan champions Umeå IK. In 2010, she started in 19 of the 20 games in which she appeared for the Red Stars. She scored one goal.
  In December 2010, Rapinoe signed with expansion team Philadelphia Independence after the Chicago Red Stars ceased operations. She appeared in four games and scored one goal before being traded to MagicJack (formerly Washington Freedom) while she was in Germany for the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup. It was reported that the "cash considerations" involved in the transfer were $100,000. The average salary for a female player in the league was $25,000. Rapinoe scored two goals in her eight regular season appearances for MagicJack helping the team finish third in the league standings and secure a spot in the playoffs. During the team's semi-final match against the Boston Breakers on August 17, 2011, Rapinoe scored in the 61st minute solidifying the team's 3–1 win and advancement to the championship final. MagicJack was later defeated 2–0 by the Philadelphia Independence in the final. On October 25, 2011, the WPS voted to terminate the MagicJack franchise, leaving Rapinoe and many other players as free agents for the 2012 season. The league suspended operations in early 2012.
caption: Rapinoe warming up before a MagicJack match, 2011
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