Crystal Dunn poses for a portrait during the Team USA Tokyo 2020 shoot on Nov. 21, 2019 in West Hollywood, Calif.
Portland has become home for U.S. national team defender Crystal Dunn after an October 2020 trade sent her to the Portland Thorns and reunited her with husband and Thorns trainer Pierre Soubrier, and now they’ll be starting a family there as well.
Dunn announced on social media Thursday that she and Soubrier are expecting their first child in May of next year, writing, “The biggest blessing of them all: we are so excited and happy to be adding a new member to our family in 2022!”
Accompanying the post was a series of emojis constituting the current makeup of the Dunn-Soubrier household of feathered friends and felines: five chickens and three cats. Also included were photos featuring some tiny Nike sneakers — not cleats quite yet, though it’s hard to imagine the little one won’t catch the soccer bug from his or her parents.
Dunn and Soubrier first met in 2015 in Washington, D.C. as Dunn was playing with the Washington Spirit. Friends at first, they bonded over watching that year’s Women’s World Cup. A little over three years later, they were married. Dunn’s career took her to England from 2017–18, playing with Chelsea, and then back to the States in 2018 with the North Carolina Courage. Travel is nothing new for the couple, as Soubrier even made the trek to France for the 2019 World Cup to support Dunn as she and the U.S. won gold.
Soubrier was hired by the Thorns in 2019. After a couple more seasons apart, Dunn requested the aforementioned trade that brought her and Soubrier back together. Dunn, 29, made her Olympic debut this past summer in Tokyo, starting all six matches and helping Team USA bring home a bronze medal.