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USLSL Spokane Zephyr FC

Zephyr's Sophia Braun, Emina Ekić and Riley Tanner Called up for International Duty

October 21, 2024 - USL Super League (USLSL)
Spokane Zephyr FC News Release


Spokane Zephyr FC's Emina Ekić, Sophia Braun and Riley Tanner have been called up for international duty to play for their respective senior national teams at the end of the month. They are among some of the first USL Super League players to represent their countries in a FIFA window.

Braun will represent Argentina in an international friendly with the United States on Oct. 30. She has 29 caps with the Argentina national team. She will report to training camp on Oct. 26 and return to club play following the match.

Braun played for Argentina and scored the country's first goal in the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.

Braun has appeared in five matches for Zephyr this season for a total of 382 minutes.

"It's always an honor to represent Argentina and to wear the jersey," Braun said. "It will be really special for me to play against the U.S., I know hearing both of the national anthems before the game will be emotional for me as it represents my blended nationalities. Being able to compete against a powerhouse like the U.S. is really important for us and I hope that we can showcase our passion for the game and give the reigning Olympic champs some true competition."

Ekić has been named to the Bosnia and Herzegovina National Team for UEFA European Women's Championship playoff matches against Serbia at the end of the month. Ekić was first called up to the Bosnia and Herzegovina National Team in 2023 and has since collected 12 international caps.

Bosnia and Herzegovina will have matches on Oct. 25 and Oct. 29 against Serbia in the W Euro knockout stage. Ekić will report for camp on Oct. 21 and return to Spokane following the matches.

Ekić has played in five matches for Spokane this season. She scored Zephyr's first-ever goal in their inaugural match and has two goals and two assists on the season so far.

"It's an honor and a privilege to be among some of the first in the league," Ekić said. "I am super excited to represent Zephyr, the USL and Bosnia on the international stage."

Tanner has been called up to the Panama Women's National Team camp at the end of the month. She will report to training camp on Oct. 21.

Tanner has collected 14 international caps for Panama including appearing in three matches in the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup. She also appeared in three matches in the 2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup for Panama.

"This set of games is the start of a new era for Panama," Tanner said. "We just hired a new coach and I am excited to get to know her and her playing style. I hope to come in coachable and help her get her first international friendly wins as we begin our push toward the World Cup."

Zephyr will play their final home match of the fall on Oct. 27 against Tampa Bay Sun FC at 2 p.m. PDT at ONE Spokane Stadium. They will finish the fall season with a six-match road trip.

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