REPUBLIC OF IRELAND US-born international Kyra Carusa says she is “optimistic” of change for the better following the findings of the Yates report.

An independent investigation into allegations of misconduct in US women’s soccer released this week found “systemic” abuse and sexual misconduct by coaches.

The probe by former US Attorney General Sally Yates and the King & Spalding law firm uncovered verbal and emotional abuse and sexual misconduct. The 172-page report included interviews with more than 200 National Women’s Soccer League [NWSL] players and detailed patterns of abuse from coaches, manipulation and tirades plus retaliation for those who complained.

Speaking ahead of Ireland’s historic World Cup play-off away to Scotland on Tuesday [KO 8pm, live on RTÉ 2], Karusa began:

“Personally, having team-mates and friends, and knowing quite a few people who play in the league and who have played on these teams and under these programmes, I think the biggest thing is that programmes need to hear what women have to say and take those allegations seriously.

“I think the report shows that there were a lot of mishaps and missteps. Of course we are human and those things can happen, but for it to be over 170 pages worth of mishaps and missteps is quite concerning. To know that my friends were a part of those teams or were involved in those programmes that were directly affected by that, or indirectly on teams that don’t even get affected by that, I think for me reading it over, I would hope that this, in a perfect world, doesn’t ever happen again.

“But the biggest thing is that these programmes can control what they control, and when these allegations or discussions come to their desks that they are met with as much seriousness as any other allegation, regardless of it coming from a player or an administrative staff. It’s important to believe that and to move forward in a professional manner and actually investigate.”

San Diego native Carusa, 26, has played most of her senior career overseas, currently captain of HB Køge in Denmark, though was drafted by NWSL outfit Sky Blue — now Gotham FC — in 2019.

She says she did hear of some minor issues from friends, but was largely unaware of what was occurring.

“Reading that, there were a lot of things that I had never understood or heard about or knew the depths to which it went. It was really concerning to read into that and see how far it did lead. But I guess that’s with anything, you would hope, it’s like an iceberg, you would hope that it doesn’t go… how much larger it is under the surface. It was a very eye-opening kind of a report which showed you how deep it really did go.

“Besides the same old, same old, you got a crazy coach here or there, I would say there was nothing that really jumped out, which is also a part of the situation in itself. It’s not always such a laid-out issue. It’s hard for players to even say anything, or things can look different to how they actually are, and you can kind of convince yourself of things in that sense.

“I wouldn’t say there was anyone who came to me in any capacity with anything to the depth of this report. But of course there are those moments of, ‘oh yeah, that’s just them being them’ sort of a thing. But I think that’s a very big ‘guys are just guys’ to a deeper issue.”

On hopes for change for the better in the wake of such harrowing findings, she added: “I would say I am optimistic, absolutely. And I am optimistic on a world stage as well, that this is not just something that can happen in the US.

“The seriousness of which these to be taken in a professional manner. I am optimistic. It is a lot but it is a step in the right direction.

“It is important to show these girls that you are not crazy if you see things and say something. And that you are met with a programme where you can say things in confidence to people you can trust.

“An underlying issue to it all is you have to understand the responsibility that these massive programmes have to take care of the players, to protect them, especially at underage.”

Carusa is back in Vera Pauw’s Ireland squad after missing the Georgia, Finland and Slovakia games due to a stress fracture in her femur.

“Not a fun one,” the striker assures, explaining it was due to load and was discovered after discomfort and pain in her hip. “I wouldn’t recommend.

“In the beginning, when it’s not diagnosed it’s terrifying. It’s like a disguise injury because you can play for a bit on it. The percentages of load go on and on and on. And then something that is an overuse injury turns into a fracture. 

Carusa (right) celebrates after scoring against Georgia last November. Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO

“When they diagnosed it they were like, ‘Wow, this is something normally your grandparents get when they take a misstep and fall on their hip. I was like, ‘Oh, you’re calling me old, jeez!’

“It’s definitely not the best in terms of location. It was caught early enough and taken seriously enough. That was the most promising thing. At the time your mentality has to change from, ‘Oh my gosh, that timeline is so long,’ to, ‘What a positive thing that I can start this and control what I can control now and take it as seriously as the doctors say. Being at my age and healthy and fit, you come back faster than your grandparent would.”

Rehabilitation and recovery was progressive, graduating to the next step once pain free. 

But it was a variable, unstructured process. “In the very beginning, the nature of where the injury was, it’s very important you’re off of it completely,” she explains. “You can’t even jump in a pool and swim. It was very scary to all of a sudden lose the thing you were doing your whole life so quickly, and it wasn’t a choice of yours.

“It’s been a very humbling process. It was the first time in my professional career I have had something so serious, where you have to not do anything for a bit. Not doing anything will make you better. Whereas you think the complete opposite. Your mentality is to do more and get fitter and put on more load.

“But now I sit here four months out, humbled. I feel like I have aged a lot in the last four months. It gives you a really massive perspective when you miss out on those camps; why you do this and how much you do love it. I sit here now and it was well worth the recovery.”

“Overall, being back in a game three months after the injury is pretty massive, I’d say,” she concludes, injury concerns perhaps ironically opening the door for her Ireland return at Hampden on Tuesday.

“The soccer comes back to you quicker than you think. I’ve been lucky enough to have a good recovery, and all good at this point.”