ORLANDO, Fla. (Sept. 8, 2022) — After suffering left ankle ligament damage during the Pride’s Aug. 26 match against OL Reign, Orlando Pride midfielder Viviana Villacorta underwent successful surgery on Wednesday, the Club announced today. The surgery was performed by Dr. Steven C. Choung of the Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute, the team’s official medical and presenting partner.
Subsequently, Villacorta has been placed on the Season Ending Injury list and will miss the remainder of the Pride’s 2022 season.
“Viv has had such a strong rookie season and has been an important part of our midfield, so we’re absolutely devastated to have her miss the remainder of the year,” Orlando Pride General Manager Ian Fleming said. “But if there’s anything we know about her, it’s that she comes back even stronger from her setbacks. With both the resources we have as a Club and through our partners at Orlando Health, we’re here to do everything we can to assist her in making a safe and speedy return to the field.”
Villacorta, 23, was selected by the Pride with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2021 NWSL Draft but missed that campaign after suffering an ACL tear in her final season at UCLA. The midfielder went on to make her professional debut on May 1 in Orlando’s 2022 regular season opener. Since then, she has appeared in all but two regular season matches, totaling 1,044 minutes and leading all midfielders with 21 interceptions.
TRANSACTION: Midfielder Viviana Villacorta placed on the Season Ending Injury list.
