The 23-player USWNT squad tasked with achieving an unprecedented World Cup three-peat was revealed by manager Vlatko Andonovski on Wednesday, and despite many obvious selections on the back of a qualifying cycle that grew pretty predictable, a late injury to captain Becky Sauerbrunn has shaken things up.
The Portland Thorns and Angel City played the NWSL's game of the season on Saturday night at Providence Park — who says draws are boring?
The match had absolutely everything.
In the 10th-minute, 18-year-old phenom Alyssa Thompson gave Angel City the lead with a run that showcased her frightening pace before beating Portland keeper Bella Bixby at her near post.
All signs pointed to a quick return to the NWSL after Julie Ertz made a surprising comeback with the USWNT, and on Monday we got confirmation of Angel City FC signing her to a one-year contract.
Based off what we've seen from the Concacaf W Championship and SheBelieves Cup, a USWNT World Cup roster prediction seems like a pretty straightforward exercise — Vlatko Andonovski hasn't been tinkering away with his squads.
However, the dramatic recall of Julie Ertz showed us that certain veterans can't be ruled out with three months of club ball still to be played. There are proven stars returning from longterm injuries who'll be watched closely by the staff, and let's just hope that Mallory Swanson is the only late addition to the casualty list.
A terrifying Mal Swanson injury overshadowed the USWNT’s 2-0 victory vs. Ireland in a friendly match at Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas, on Saturday.
Swanson went down injured twice in the first half. The first came when Swanson collided with goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan after Ireland’s Aofie Mannion shoved Swanson in the back. The star American forward was down for several minutes with what appeared to be a neck injury.
By the time the USWNT and Ireland wrap-up their two-match friendly series next Tuesday at CityPark, there'll be less than 100 days before the start of the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
So although the U.S. holds a 13-0-0 advantage all-time against the Girls in Green (outscoring them 48 to one in the process), there'll be plenty of internal battles to focus on at Q2 Stadium in Austin on Saturday before the second game in St. Louis three days later.
After Nike set the bar about as low as it gets for the USMNT in Qatar, we're happy to report that the USWNT jersey options for the 2023 World Cup are much more desirable.
The sales people said we'd learn to love the USMNT kits eventually, but it's been five months and I still don't like them. As for the latest USWNT efforts, I do believe these will look better and better as the team moves toward the World Cup final in Sydney.
NEW KIT DROP pic.twitter.com/gNlxB7BF1e
In an unexpected twist, Julie Ertz was named on the 26-player roster for the United States women’s national team’s pair of friendly games vs. Ireland in early April. If Ertz appears in either game, it will be her first appearance for club or country since the bronze medal match in the Tokyo Olympics on Aug. 5, 2021.
Ertz has been away from the game for over a year and a half due to injuries and the birth of her child, Madden, in August 2022.
The United States women’s national team is preparing for two January friendlies in New Zealand against the Football Ferns. USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski released the 24-player roster for the friendlies on Thursday and some fans were surprised to not see star player Mallory Pugh on the list.
What those fans didn’t realize was that a Mal Pugh name change had taken place since the last time the U.S. played. In December the Chicago Red Stars forward married Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson.
With Women’s World Cup qualifying three weeks away, USWNT players are peaking at the right time. Alex Morgan is unstoppable, Sophia Smith and Mal Pugh are lighting up the scoreboards and Rose Lavelle is literally flying.