Gotham FC defender Emily Sonnett was stretchered off with a suspected knee injury in Friday's 2-2 draw at the Portland Thorns.Sonnett, a mainstay in the back line for Gotham and the U.S. women's national team, went down with a non-contact injury just seven minutes in at Providence Park. The veteran planted awkwardly in the artificial turf and went to ground, eventually needing a stretcher to exit the pitch."Gotham FC defender Emily Sonnett left Friday's match at Portland with a suspected left knee injury. She will receive further evaluation in New Jersey," Gotham said in a statement after the game.Gotham and the USWNT will face a nervous wait over a key veteran, who is still a major contributor for club and country."It's always hard when you lose one of your best players," Gotham acting head coach Shaun Harris said. "Emily's someone who really organizes the team, understands the game plans well. She's good on the ball and once you take her out, obviously we have people to fill in, but that early in the game I feel like it's a bit shocking for people."Emily's one of our key players as a leader on and off the pitch, so it's really difficult when you lose such a great and key player that early in the game."Sonnett has started 10 of 16 NWSL matches this season for Gotham, which is first place in the league standings with a record of 9W-4D-3L.The defender is one of the USWNT's longest-tenured players, earning 118 caps so far. The 32-year-old was part of the 2019 World Cup-champion squad as well as the 2024 team that won Olympic gold in Paris.Saturday, July 25 marks one year until the 2027 Women's World Cup final in Brazil. If healthy, Sonnett is expected to be part of Emma Hayes' USWNT squad for the tournament next summer.This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: USWNT defender Emily Sonnett stretchered off in Gotham FC match