It didn’t take long after announcing head coach Filipa Patão before Boston made its first official signing.
Annie Karich, a 21 year-old midfielder/defender from Surfside, California was announced on the morning of July 2. Karich most recently spent two years at Freiburg in the German Bundesliga, earning 23 starts over that period and 33 total appearances.
At Santa Clara University, Karich was named First Team All-WCC twice, while also winning the 2022 WCC Freshman of the Year and 2023 WCC Defender of the Year.
Playing in more of a defensive role, she graded in the 99th percentile for blocks across FBrefs’ Top 9 Competitions. While she’s probably best suited for the midfield, she spent a good amount of time in Germany playing centre back. This versatility could come in handy for the Legacy if she’s forced into the defense due to injury, rotation, etc.
She’ll be loaned to a Liga MX Femenil club, but that team is currently not named. It was apparently leaked online that it would be Club América, where she would join fellow American Sarah Luebbert.
Her contract is through the end of the 2027 season, with an option to renew for 2028.
This seems like an excellent first signing to me. A young, defensive midfielder (with versatility to play as a center-back) with a successful college career and strong performance in one of Europe’s best leagues? Outside of signing a “star” or a USWNT player, I don’t think you can ask for more than this.
She’s likely an instant starter, either in defense or the midfield, and even with future signings planned, it’s probably going to stay that way. I’m tempering my expectations for any star signings (aside from maybe a New Englander or two), but if the Legacy keep looking to fill out the roster with Karich-level potential, I think Boston will fare better than some other recent expansion teams.
I’ll look to have a more in-depth review of Karich’s time in Germany written soon, but for now, here are some statistical comparisons from her performances over the past year:
Legacy Weekly 