Matildas veteran Chloe Logarzo Berryhill has been forced into early retirement after a horror knee injury shattered her dream of making the Asian Cup squad.
Logarzo Berryhill had flagged this season with Western Sydney Wanderers would be her last before retiring and starting a family.
But the 31-year-old's hopes of ending her career on her own terms - pushing for Asian Cup selection after missing the 2023 Women's World Cup and 2024 Olympics - were cruelly dashed.
Logarzo went down screaming after her right knee was clattered when she and Brisbane's Leia Varley contested a ball in last Friday's A-League Women match and was stretchered off in tears.
The Wanderers confirmed on Saturday Logarzo had sustained an ACL, LCL and tendon avulsion injury - which prompted her immediate retirement.
The 31-year-old previously tore the ACL in her right knee in 2021, which started her run of injury issues.
Before that, the popular midfielder had been a mainstay under Alen Stajcic, Ante Milicic and Tony Gustavsson.
Logarzo, an energetic, hard-running midfielder who could also play as a winger, scored eight goals in 59 caps, including representing Australia at the Brazil and Tokyo Olympics, the 2019 Women's World Cup and the 2018 Asian Cup.
The midfielder was player of the match in Australia's famous 'Miracle of Montpellier' 3-2 comeback win over Brazil that revived the Matildas' 2019 World Cup campaign.
Logarzo also had an impressive club career, predominantly at Sydney FC with stints in Sweden, Norway, the USA and England, while she was Western United captain before joining the Wanderers.
"As I look back on the last decade, I feel nothing but extreme gratitude for the career I have had," Logarzo said.
"Through all the challenges, heartbreak, success and suffering, there have been moments of pure happiness and pride. I accomplished my childhood dream, and along the way I pushed myself past what I thought was possible.
"None of those moments would have been as special without the people and coaches who have made seemingly small snippets of my life feel monumental. Thank you to my family and best friends for being my first and biggest supporters.
"Thank you, Mum and Dad, for countless sacrifices, sleepless nights and early mornings, for holding me while I cry, and for showing unconditional love and support.
"To my beautiful wife, thank you for allowing me to chase my dream for as many years as I wanted.
"Finally, thank you to the coaches who saw something in me and invested time and energy in making me a better person, which made me a better player."
