Feature image via Ali Krieger’s Instagram
Breaking news: Love continues to not be a lie! Today it was proven by soccer legends Ali Krieger and Ashlyn Harris who announced their engagement in People magazine, and let me tell you what, I cried. I sure did. Krieger and Harris have quietly been together so long and have shared so much of themselves with their fans as they’ve helped lead the USWNT to global dominance and popularize women’s professional sports around the country this last decade. But it turns out they’ve still got more to give, including the sweetest, soppiest quotes in their engagement article.
“We became really close friends, and we just hung out, we clicked, and we had so much in common,” Harris, told People. “We always sat next to each other on the bus and on flights, and we kind of just talked about our dreams and our hopes and what we wanted to do one day when we grew up. Because at the time, we were kids.”
Okay, but how did they fall in love? Krieger says, “Since being with Ash, I really feel like I’ve blossomed into the woman that I want to be, and she’s helped me become the woman I am.” Harris says, “It was her big, beautiful brown eyes… She has these unbelievable tiger eyes. I just felt like every time she was talking, I wasn’t even paying attention to what she was saying.”
Harris proposed on a picnic on the beach last fall, after their last Orlando Pride game of the season. There was a sunset and a surprise ring and some crying.
YOU GUYS.
It’s easy to joke that every woman who plays professional soccer and basketball is gay, and certainly there are plenty of us populating those sports these days, but the world — and especially the sports world, which remains rife with homophobia — was a very different place when it became apparent Krieger and Harris were together-together. Because it’s just been known for so long, it’s weird to realize that this is the first time they’ve actually announced that they’re a couple. It fills a heart right up to see them publicly, proudly share their engagement in a mainstream magazine for famous people. And to see U.S. Soccer being so chill and happy about it!
So happy for you both! Congrats, @Ashlyn_Harris @alikrieger! ❤️
— U.S. Soccer WNT (@USWNT) March 13, 2019
Congratulations, you two superstars! Long live love!
As a longtime fan from way before they were “official,” YEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i cannot believe this is their first official announcement of being a couple still!!!! but i’m so happy for them :) they’ve both been seeming so happy recently and comfortable sharing their life together with us, and it’s very heartwarming. :D
awwwww that’s nice :) <3
Crying actual tears. They’ve been my favorite celesbian couple for as long as I can remember. I remember when they were just dipping their toes into more obvious Instagram posts a few years back. Ahhhh they’re the best and I’m so happy for them!
I was so happy to see this pop up in my news feed! I immediately texted my wife! So happy for them!
CONTINUE THE SOCCER COVERAGE PLS! I will seriously write it for you for free, I just don’t have time to compile all the photos.
Krieger starting off 20biteen strong after getting salty that Marta and Toni Pressley stole her 20gayteen thunder.
Yes please more sports coverage
Yeeeees – I live for this very public announcement of what we have all celebrated secretly for years. Please cue YouTube fan account video compilation of them checking on each other when they are injured on the field…
#morequeersportscontentin2019
Hard SAME – I also volunteer as tribute to write queer sports content.
Third volunteer to cover women’s soccer, specifically in the lead up to the world cup!!
They’ve been one of my fave queer couples to follow on Instagram for a while now, and I’m so glad they’re engaged and officially out! I wish them and their ever-growing puppy much happiness <3
Well this is the kind of news that makes you wake up your half-asleep girlfriend!
She was so excited you guys, she made a weird full body jump lying in bed!!
bahahahaha Toni and Marta so shook they went out and adopted a new dog 😂
I am not always #TeamLoveIsALie, but I am currently on that bandwagon. This *almost* makes me want to jump off. Almost.
I’m so happy they are out OUT now! And happy!
The woso (women’s soccer) lady-loving train is rolling! Check out the feature on Sam Kerr on Instagram by Nike, in which her girlfriend and teammate Nikki Stanton is prominently mentioned.
Between this awesome coverage of women’s soccer players and the beautiful (heartbreaking) announcement of One day at a time, I finally bought an autostraddle membership to support queer media covering the issues like these that i care about most.
Yay! Welcome and thank you for supporting Autostraddle!
enGAYged! is exactly how I said it without meaning to when I stopped immediately to leave a whatsapp voice message for my gay bestie.
I am still bitter AF that the USWNT didn’t get Ali her 100 caps. There were so many low-stakes friendlies where they could have and also our back line is a hot mess so maybe we could’ve used her? But also, I think being out of the NT pool has let her feel more comfortable being open and public with this part of her life and it has been a joy to watch those two become instagram Dog mommies. SO…