O’Reilly Joins Breakers

Veteran U.S. Women’s National Team and WPS midfielder Heather O’Reilly will join the Breakers this season in between National Team commitments, the club announced on Monday.

O’Reilly, who’s won two gold medals with the National Team (2004 and 2008) and played in two World Cups (2007 and 2011), has been capped 155 times at the senior team level.  Since earning her first cap in 2002, she’s gone on to score 34 goals.

The 27-year-old recently competed in the Algarve Cup, a tournament in which the U.S. finished 3rd. O’Reilly and the U.S. will face Japan (Apr. 1) and Brazil (Apr. 3) in the Kirin Cup Challenge next month.

Although O’Reilly will be tied to National Team duty as the U.S. prepares to defend its gold medal at the Summer Olympics in London (Jul. 27-Aug. 12), there’s little doubt that the attacking midfielder will bolster the Breakers’ offense, when available.

In addition to her experience with the national team, the former North Carolina Tar Heel  is a two-time WPS All-Star. In 50 career WPS games, she scored four goals to go along with nine assists and served as Sky Blue FC’s co-captain during her three years with the club.

The Breakers originally signed O’Reilly in December, but was released of her contract obligations after WPS suspended operations for the 2012 season. She is the ninth player to re-sign with the club after the Breakers joined the WPSL Elite League.