Allie Long: “Those are just things. I’m just glad that me and my husband were OK, and nothing happened.” (Brad Penner – USA TODAY Sports)
By Michael Lewis
FrontRowSoccer.com Editor
Allie Long is hopeful, hopeful that Los Angeles Police Detectives will solve the crime that saw someone take her wedding ring, cash and the key to New York City from her room at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in LA Wednesday night.
Long, a Northport, N.Y., who was in LA for the ESPYs after the U.S. national team won the Women’s World Cup last week, said the police were “so supportive and helpful.”
“I know that they’re doing everything they can to try to track down what happened and just get some answers for us,” she said. “At first, of course, I was so unbelievably upset. Your wedding ring is so sentimental and means so much, more than the amount of money of what it’s worth. The sentimental value is something that is hard to get over.
“The key to New York, which was extremely sentimental as well. At the end of the day, those are just things. I’m just glad that me and my husband were OK, and nothing happened. We weren’t in the room at the time. That’s obviously the most important thing and everything else can be replaced.”
Long, 31, is married to former U.S. youth international and Molloy College standout Jose Batista.
NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a tweet Friday that Long will get a replacement key to the city the midfielder and her teammates received during a parade down the Canyon of Heroes and victory celebration at City Hall Wednesday.
“So, I’m happy about that,” Long said.
Growing up on Long Island, Long was a standout at Northport High School, helping the school to several Suffolk County titles. She also played for the Northport/Cow Harbor Soccer Club, Oceanside Express and also the Albertson Express in the Long Island Junior Soccer League.
“I am also happy that they didn’t take my medal,” Long said. “That would have been devastating.”
A midfielder, Long played the final 31 minutes of the U.S.’s 3-0 Group F victory over Chile in Paris last month.
She soon will return to Reign FC in Seattle, which competes in the National Women’s Soccer League.
