She was eventually transferred to the National Rehabilitation Hospital where she stayed until she was well enough to return to Portland.

Frustratingly, she had to watch Portland's last home game of the season on TV from her hospital bed.

But while Raso wasn't able to be there, fans and teammate rallied around her on a Facetime call during celebrations.

"Hearing the whole crowd chant my name was indescribable, I felt like I was really there in that moment," Raso admitted.

"It made me set a new goal for myself – to progress my rehabilitation enough to be discharged and able to fly back to Portland in time for the semi-final game."

Raso is currently completing rehabilitation in Portland but is set to arrive in Australia next week where she will meet with neurosurgeons and continue her rehab at home.

While the whole process has been tough and has tested her, she says she is lucky to be okay. 

"It’s been tough. I have good days and bad days. It’s been extremely challenging, not only physically, but mentally," Raso said.

"I usually set big goals for myself, but this injury made rolling over, sitting up or taking a step, a huge achievement for me.

"Going through this injury has really tested my character and changed my perspective on life. I am so lucky to be okay, to walk again, to play soccer again and to do the things I love again."

Raso won't feature in the Matildas matches against France and England in October and is also set to miss the two matches against Chile but is aiming to return in time to play some part in the new W-League season.

"I will only miss some games at the start of the season, so it’s exciting to look forward to making my comeback at home in front of my friends and family," she said.

The injury will be a learning curve for the NWSL with Raso suggesting measures need to be in place to ensure that the pain she experienced throughout the process does not happen to anyone else.

She added: "I think measures need to be put in place to adequately treat and transport any player with a suspected spinal cord injury, to minimise the pain and further risk of injury that I experienced."