Gotham FC captain Tierna Davidson is “itching” to get back on the field in her United States uniform.

The 27-year-old defender last played for the United States women’s national team on February 26, 2025, where Japan claimed its first SheBelieves Cup title by defeating the Americans 2-1 at San Diego’s Snapdragon Stadium.

After being sidelined for 358 days due to a torn left ACL, Davidson was able to return for Gotham on March 21 in a scoreless draw against the North Carolina Courage.

USWNT head coach Emma Hayes said that she expects Davidson to play in “a limited capacity” across a three-match international friendly series that renews the Americans’ rivalry with Japan. The three games will take place on April 11 in San Jose, followed by an April 14 meeting in Seattle and concluding with an April 17 match in Commerce City, Colorado.

Davidson Excited About San Jose Homecoming Match

It would be especially fitting if Davidson makes her on-field return for the USWNT in front of family and friends in San Jose, given that she was raised in nearby Menlo Park.

“I’m feeling great,” Davidson said in a mixed zone interview on Friday. “I’m so happy to be home. I’m so happy that this is the camp that it worked out that I could come back into and be able to be at home with the girls. It’s so great to be back in camp. There’s a lot to learn, a lot to re-familiarize myself with. So it’s been a really fun past couple of days in training. But, you know, I’m feeling good, and I’m excited to be in front of the home crowd.”

The arduous rehabilitation journey has made Davidson all the more appreciative of her opportunity to represent the USWNT once again.

“I know it’s a long process,” Davidson reflected. “When you get to the end, you’re just itching to be back out onto the field. But still part of the process and the return to play journey is the limited minutes and making sure that we’re hitting those benchmarks before we go crazy.

“So I think it’s part of what I have to do in this process. But I’m really excited to be able to come in and hopefully affect the game positively if my number is called. So it’s something that I’m just really happy to even have the opportunity to be back out on the field at this point. So I’m just happy to be able to help the team.”

After Two ACL Injuries, Gratitude Shapes Davidson’s Perspective

Davidson previously tore her right ACL in 2022. After recovering from a pair of serious knee injuries, the 5-foot-10 defender is enjoying the moment and the day-to-day joys that come with being Gotham’s captain and a highly trusted member of Hayes’ U.S. national team.

Since her March 21 Gotham return, she has made four substitute appearances totaling 118 minutes for the Bats.

“I think I’m really trying to be present and to focus on gratitude,” she stated. “I think sometimes that’s difficult when you’re in a really highly competitive environment, because you’re really focused on excelling in the performance and making sure that you’re doing things correctly.

“But I think especially after going through this injury process twice, just being very grateful to be able to do what I love as a job, as a career, and to be able to do it at the highest level with some great people coaching, some great people playing. It’s something that I think is easy to take for granted when things are moving really quickly. But when you step away, and you kind of evaluate where you’re at, it’s something that is so important to make sure that I value with the time that I have on the field.”

Saturday’s match at PayPal Park will kick off at 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time.

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