
Diana Matheson Working Toward 2018
During the offseason, Seattle Reign FC acquired midfielder Diana Matheson from the Washington Spirt. Before joining Reign FC, Matheson played the previous four seasons with the Spirit and helped the club to their first-ever NWSL Championship match. Over 67 games, Matheson tallied 23 goals and 12 assists.
In February, it was announced that Matheson had torn her ACL during training with the Canada Soccer women’s national team. After recovering from tearing her ACL before the Women’s World Cup in 2015, an MRI revealed she had re-torn her previously repaired ACL. While upsetting to be sidelined by another injury, Matheson is grateful to have a less accelerated recovery.
“I really rushed back in terms of what our timeline was [in 2015], so, this one, it being a non-tournament year, and the beginning of the season, the plan from the outset was to have a longer timeline and make sure this one stuck around,” said Matheson. “I am at the end of my career, so the plan is for this to be the last surgery, and then stay healthy for a few more years.”

After having surgery in March, Matheson has been working with both Reign FC director of high performance Nick Leman and staff from the Canadian Soccer Association on her path to recovery. The plan is for a nine-month recovery before returning to play fully.
“They’ve been fantastic. The plan is great, from the stuff we do on the field to the treatment,” said Matheson. “They’re super receptive to any feedback. We have a plan leading up to [November], that will get me doing more and more here. It’s starting to get a little more exciting now. We’ve been moving forward slow and steady.”
Matheson has started joining the team for passing drills at the beginning of practices, and will get more involved so long as there is no contact. The midfielder feels she’s where she needs to be in the recovery process, and is fully focused on taking things one stage at a time.
“Just finding the positives in whatever step you’re at is important,” said Matheson. “Whether it’s this week I get to pass with the team, so that’s a little exciting, or in a couple of weeks, maybe I’ll get to do some 4v1. I’m not going to be fully back playing, but I get to enjoy the little things along the way. That’s what it’s about.”

As crucial as her relationship and communication with the training staff, Matheson has found it incredibly important to be involved with the team. Even if she isn’t fully training each day, the team environment has been a big part of her recovery.
“It’s kind of been exactly what I was hoping it would be,” said Matheson. “I wanted to still be in a team environment, even though I didn’t really know this club or the people coming in new this year. I feel like I’m still a part of a team and not super isolated in rehab. It’s always tough going through injuries, and that’s for sure the hardest part in not having that team environment.”

With eyes on a return to full contact in November, Matheson’s first match for Reign FC will have to wait until the 2018 NWSL season, and she’s excited for what lies ahead.
“I can’t wait to play with this team. They play a fun brand of soccer, that’s one of the reasons I wanted to come here,” said Matheson. “I’m on the same page with Laura’s [Harvey] tactics, I really like the way she sees the game. The players they have here have always looked like they would be great to play with, and that’s been reinforced just watching them train every day. I can’t wait to get out there next year.”
