US soccer stars Ali Krieger, Ashlyn Harris on ‘tricky’ marriage

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Newlyweds Ashlyn Harris and Ali Krieger may be forever teammates, but their love story isn’t without complications.

As members of both the Orlando Pride and the US Women’s National Soccer Team, the couple — who tied the knot last December — told Allure that making time for one another amid professional commitments can be “tricky.”

“The team comes first,” Harris said in the August 2020 cover story. “We actually don’t [often] stay in the same room [on the road]. If we are in the same room, we’re in separate beds because sleep is a huge part of our recovery. I think that’s the hardest part. We don’t get really good time together. We have to make time even though we see each other all the time. It’s tricky.”

Krieger, a 35-year-old right and center back, said when she and goaltender Harris, 34, do spend that time together, it’s made up of meaningful moments.

“Sometimes, when we go to bed, we will say, ‘What was your favorite part of today?’ or ‘What do you want to accomplish tomorrow?’ This is a good way to check in,” Krieger said.

Though Krieger and Harris have spoken about the possibility of starting a family, questions about fitting both children and careers into the same picture remain.

“We talk about having kids a lot. The unfortunate part is someone’s going to have to give in their career,” Harris said. “Which is not fair. Because we both love our jobs and have waited our whole lives for these moments. Just taking a year off… where does that fit in? I can’t even take a weekend off. We’ve talked about surrogates, we’ve talked about adoption, and it’s just really tough because what — are we going to take the child everywhere? I mean, we’ve been home for seven days in the last three months.”

As for their future beyond the sport, while Krieger could see herself veering toward a broadcasting route, it’s more than simply shutting a door for Harris.

“I will need something to fuel me to move on to the next thing,” Harris said. “I think I’ve truly given the sport and this country all of me. I’ve brought the fans along the way. I’ve been an open book. I have fought for the right things. I’ve always stayed true to myself.

“And when I’m done, I’m going to have to shut the door just to breathe again. I will need to start anew and put that strength and energy and experience into something else,” she continued.