Riley Tanner Called Up to Panama National Team for 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup
Washington Spirit | June 22, 2023
The first-year midfielder will represent Panama in its first-ever FIFA Women’s World Cup appearance
Washington, D.C. (06/22/2023) – Washington Spirit first-year midfielder Riley Tanner has been called up to the Panama Women’s National Football Team for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, the Panamanian Football Federation announced today.
Tanner, the 30th overall pick in the 2023 NWSL Draft, is being called up to the Panama National team for the fifth time. Earlier this year, Tanner helped Panama defeat Paraguay, 1-0, and advance out of the inaugural FIFA Play-Off Tournament. This tournament, which featured ten teams split into three groups with each group’s winner earning a berth in the World Cup, propelled Panama to its first-ever appearance in the Women’s World Cup. Tanner scored her first international goal in the semifinal of the tournament against Papua New Guinea.
This season, Tanner has appeared in two 2023 UKG NWSL Challenge Cup matches, making her NWSL debut on May 10 against Orlando and earning her first-ever NWSL start on June 14 against North Carolina. Additionally, she recorded an assist in her NWSL debut.
As part of Group F, Panama will take on France, Brazil and Jamaica in the group stage of this summer’s World Cup. The first-time World Cup participants begin their debut in Australia, playing group stage matches in Adelaide, Perth and Sydney:
vs Brazil, Monday, July 24 at 7 a.m. EDT (Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide)
vs Jamaica, Saturday, July 29 at 8:30 a.m. EDT (nib Stadium, Perth)
vs France, Wednesday, August 2 at 6 a.m. EDT (Allianz Stadium, Sydney)
Should Panama place in the top two of Group F, the team will advance to the knockout stage, which features a 16-team single elimination bracket.
Prior to joining the Spirit, Tanner played collegiately at the University of South Carolina before transferring to the University of Alabama. In 2019, she became the first Lady Gamecock to score in three straight NCAA Tournament games. In her final season of college soccer, Tanner was named a Second Team All-SEC member with Alabama. There, she finished her career third in all-time single season game-winning goals (3) and fourth in all-time single-season assists (8).
The Spirit’s next home match will be on Saturday, July 1 when the team takes on the Orlando Pride. The club announced earlier this offseason that all 14 home matches will be played for the first time at Audi Field in Buzzard Point, ensuring players and fans alike access to a facility befitting a professional club. Fans can secure tickets now to all remaining 2023 home matches with a prorated season membership. Available here, the season membership grants fans access to priority seating, an exclusive Trinity Rodman bobblehead, invitations to special events throughout the season and more. Single game tickets are also on sale now.
About The Washington Spirit
The Washington Spirit is the professional women’s soccer team based at Audi Field in Washington, D.C. Launched in 2012, the Spirit plays in the National Women’s Soccer League, the premier women’s soccer competition in North America. For more information about the Spirit, visit WashingtonSpirit.com and follow the club on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
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