LI's Crystal Dunn, Allie Long honored alongside USWNT teammates at parade
Allie Long celebrates during the U.S. Women's National Team World Cup victory parade and City Hall ceremony on Wednesday in Manhattan. Credit: Getty Images / Al Bello
From Rockville Centre, from Northport, and all the way to the Canyon of Heroes and the top of the World.
Long Island was well-represented Wednesday morning as Crystal Dunn and Allie Long rode atop a float — alongside their women’s U.S. soccer teammates — as New York City feted the World Cup winners.
“So much fun,” an exuberant Dunn told News12 as she rode at the front of her float, near Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo. “I’m going to continue having fun. I have no worries right now but that’s OK. I’m so happy to be here. New York showed up so big; we always do. I knew they would . . . This parade is amazing.”
The 27-year-old Rockville Centre-raised former South Side High School standout joined her teammates in their vocal activism, shouting “equal pay” from her float — a nod to the team’s gender discrimination lawsuit against the U.S. Soccer Federation.
“Long Island, I love you so much,” Dunn told WNBC/4 during the parade.
Dunn played forward for the Washington Spirit during the 2015 National Women’s Soccer League season. She was named MVP and won the Golden Boot as the league’s top scorer with 15 goals in 20 games that season. After playing overseas for Chelsea L.F.C. in London, Dunn returned to the NWSL and was a midfielder for the champion North Carolina Courage in 2018, finishing with a league-best 57 points.
She showed why she is considered one of the most versatile players for the United States in the World Cup, playing left back and helping the United States to its fourth World Cup title. Dunn was a key part of the U.S. defense, going up against some of the world’s best right-side forwards and helping the United States hold opponents to three goals in seven matches. Dunn played in six matches in the World Cup.
From left, U.S. women's national team players Crystal Dunn, Alex Morgan and Kelley O'Hara celebrate at the Parade of Champions in Manhattan on Wednesday. Credit: AP/Brian Ach
Dunn was one of the final cuts by U.S. head coach Jill Ellis for the 2015 World Cup team.
Long, 31, was born in Huntington, but grew up in Northport. She played on the Northport High School girls soccer team for four years. Long is a veteran of the Women’s Professional Soccer league and the NWSL. Long has won two NWSL titles with Portland Thorns FC.
Long, a midfielder, played in the World Cup for the first time, appearing in one match.
Laura Albanese is a reporter, feature writer and columnist covering local professional sports teams; she began at Newsday in 2007 as an intern.
