Boston Breakers to Retire Leslie Osborne's Number

Former Boston Breaker stalwart and captain Leslie Osborne will have her number 12 retired by the team. Osborne will join the pantheon of Breakers stars who form the team's "Pillars of Excellence": Angela Hucles, Kristine Lilly, and Maren Meinert. The ceremony will take place on May 22 at halftime of the Breakers' game against Sky Blue FC.

"I will never forget my time in Boston, and I am forever grateful for all of the owners who helped allow me the opportunity to play professionally there," Osborne said. "To have my number retired by Boston and be next to Kristine Lilly, Angela Hucles, and Maren Meinert is an incredible honor. Playing for Boston was really, really special. It was the best decision in my career."

Osborne joined the Boston Breakers in 2009 during WPS, immediately taking on the mantle of captain, and eventually amassed 51 caps with 50 starts over three seasons. Osborne was known as a hard-nosed defensive midfielder who was as determined to get stuck in on the field as she was nice off of it. She was a fan favorite not just because of her work as a player, but because of her dedication to keeping the Breakers alive as a professional organization and her relentless promotion of the women's game.

"Boston was always that team and organization from the WUSA days with great coaches, players, staff, and overall following," she said. "It was a big transition and move for me to leave FC Gold Pride and what I was comfortable in and move to Boston. Being part of the Boston community was amazing. Boston is so unique and all the teams and fans support each other. Our following was great, and to feel connected in the community along with the other top pro teams there was awesome. Boston became my home. I fell in love with the city, the restaurants, shopping, history, and my team. They were some of the best memories of my soccer career. Thanks, Boston, for an incredible three years."