How Tara McKeown got out of her own head and into the USWNT defense | OneFootball

The 2022 NWSL season was coming to a close, and the Washington Spirit technical staff were conducting season ending interviews after a frustrating 11th-place finish. It was there that Tara McKeown got the feedback that changed her entire career trajectory.

McKeown had played forward throughout a successful college career and her first two years as a pro. But then-Spirit GM Mark Krikorian told her he believed her ceiling was higher as a central defender.

Looking back now from her second camp with the U.S. women's national team, it's clear to McKeown that Krikorian was right. But at the time, she was dumbfounded.

"I didn’t see the qualities he saw in me at first, like being able to play from the back, and I didn’t think I was a good defender, so I was just worried about looking like a fool, honestly," she said Tuesday amid preparations for a pair of upcoming friendlies against Brazil. "But I think the more years that I have, and my coaches obviously, I’ve just been able to develop and feel more comfortable."

A quick learner

McKeown adjusted quickly. By 2024, she had earned a spot in the NWSL Best XI second team, and this February she earned her first call from USWNT manager Emma Hayes for the 2025 She Believes Cup, where she made two appearances.

But even if the transition has looked remarkably natural, McKeown concedes it hasn't always felt that way.

"I think a lot of it was mental challenges, like getting it out of my own head that I’m not a good center back, I guess," McKeown said of the early days of her switch. "And understanding and going into film and learning from Mark at the time and my coaches at the time, that this is what top center backs do. And I’m able to do that. So just switching the mindset from like, 'This is weird, I don’t know if I can do this,' to giving it my best shot and trying to improve every day."

Drastic position transitions after turning pro aren't common, but they're also not completely unheard of. On the men's side, Lothar Matheus and Kolo Toure are among the most notable players who followed a path similar to McKeown's, from attack to central defense. A bit closer to home, former FC Cincinnati GM Chris Albright began his MLS career as an attacker before making the transition to defense.

McKeown is bought in. So is a large group of family and friends who will be at SoFi Stadium Saturday night in Inglewood, Calif., to support the native of nearby Ventura County.

But there's still plenty of things to work on. Among them?

"Being able to lead more," McKeown said. "I feel like I’m a new player coming in, so maybe I’m not as comfortable leading the line, but as a center back that’s something that you need to do. So being more comfortable and more vocal with the whole team ... ."