U.S. soccer stars Ali Krieger and Ashlyn Harris surprised fans this week by going public about their relationship ― and announcing their engagement in the process, too.
On Wednesday, the Orlando Pride teammates confirmed the news to People, saying that after nine years together, they plan to tie the knot later this year. The proposal reportedly took place Sept. 15, 2018, just a few days after their final game of the season.
“We became really close friends, and we just hung out, we clicked, and we had so much in common,” Harris, who is a goalkeeper, said of their first meeting in 2010, when both were playing for the U.S. National Team. “We always sat next to each other on the bus and on flights, and we kind of just talked about our dreams and our hopes and what we wanted to do one day when we grew up.”
“The rest has kind of been history,” she added.
Krieger, a defender on Orlando Pride, echoed those sentiments, telling People she was initially drawn to Harris’ “creativity and ambition.”
Both had been appearing regularly on one another’s Instagram accounts for some time. Though soccer fans had apparently taken note of the chemistry between the two ― even dubbing them “Krashlyn” ― the pair had never publicly confirmed their romance until now.
Krieger and Harris say they made a decision to keep their relationship under wraps so as not to create an off-the-field distraction for their team.
“We wanted to be professional and make sure that we showed up every day and did our job,” Krieger said. “It wasn’t just because we were together, it was because we love what we do, and we’re really good at what we do.”
These days, however, they feel comfortable sharing their love with the world.
“We were like, now is the right time … and I feel like it’s a massive weight off of my shoulders,” Harris said. “Finally, after all these years, I just feel like I don’t have to hide anything or feel like I’m not living up to the community I’m in.”
Congrats, ladies!
