The U.S. wrapped up their January game schedule in New Zealand on Friday, kicking off 2023 with two big wins, nine goals scored and none conceded. The trip was as much about getting acclimated to long travel in the World Cup host country as it was about friendly competition, but now that we’re under six months away from the tournament, every game matters.

Here are my three main takeaways from the 4-0 and 5-0 wins, which provided some insight into final roster decisions.

The USWNT’s attacking depth is ridiculous

No matter who is healthy in July, the U.S. is going to have to leave multiple world-class attackers off the World Cup roster due to sheer force of numbers.

Take a look at the list of attacking players who have been in camp in the last calendar year and wonder at the potential: Sophia Smith, Trinity Rodman, Alex Morgan, Catarina Macario, Mallory Swanson, Ashley Hatch, Lynn Williams, Midge Purce, Megan Rapinoe and Alyssa Thompson have all gotten minutes with the U.S. and made an impact. The USWNT took seven forwards to the 2019 World Cup, which puts the numbers at odds with the current player pool before even considering other players who deserve looks, like Christen Press and Mia Fishel.

In New Zealand, the team was without Macario, Rapinoe and Smith and still didn’t miss a beat in the attack. Midge Purce, whom coach Vlatko Andonovski placed on the bubble late in 2022, did everything but get on the scoresheet in the team’s first match. The Gotham FC forward was the biggest bright spot in the USWNT attack during a tepid first half.

If Purce came back with a vengeance, then Trinity Rodman set the whole house on fire. The 20-year-old notched three assists in two games, providing passing outlets and attacking dangerously off the dribble. Rodman has just three USWNT starts in her career thus far, but she looked calm and collected as she collaborated well with the rest of the frontline. Lynn Williams also looked sharp in her first minutes with the U.S. since last February, scoring one goal and notching one assist off the bench in two games.

But perhaps the best example of Andonovski’s looming impossible attacking decisions is Ashley Hatch. Hatch has been in with the U.S. for an extended period of time dating back to December 2021, but she has struggled to get on the field as other players have risen around her. Competing positionally with both Alex Morgan and Catarina Macario, Hatch also doesn’t have the versatility to play both centrally and out wide like a number of her teammates.

And yet, there she was scoring in New Zealand, making the most of the minutes granted to her. Hatch probably still has a steep climb onto the 2023 World Cup roster, but her job is to make the decision as difficult as she possibly can. That level of competition is good for the team at large, with every player making an impact in preparation even if they don’t get the call in July.

The midfield still feels thin

Andonovski made one major positional concession last week when he put Rose Lavelle and Ashley Sanchez on the field together as a No. 8 and a No. 10, superseding the stretched dual No. 10 we saw at times in 2022.

The new spacing allowed Andi Sullivan to play at her best as the team’s defensive midfielder. The Spirit captain moved confidently and passed around New Zealand’s mid-block press. It’s obvious that the team’s Plan A is to rely heavily on Sullivan, and reconfiguring the playmakers around her to provide defensive support and passing lanes paid dividends in the second half of the first match and the entirety of the second.

Plan B in midfield personnel, however, feels as thin as ever. Andonovski started Taylor Kornieck as the No. 6 in the first half of the first match, and the San Diego midfielder didn’t appear ready for the role thrust upon her in her very first USWNT start. Portland Thorns defensive midfielder Sam Coffey didn’t get time in either match, with Kornieck coming off the bench in the second match to close things out.

In general, the midfield roster as constructed feels full of too many specialists, which has resulted in only a few players getting consistent starts. Kornieck is great in the air and has strong passing vision to break lines, but she’s not a No. 6 defensively. Kristie Mewis is another reliable option as a No. 8 off the bench, and Sanchez effectively gives them another creative attacker when she’s on the pitch.

But if the plan is to have Lavelle or Horan play as true No. 8s, the team appears to be relying too heavily on its specialists without giving experience to the players who could become starters with time. Sanchez proved this week that she has a unique skill set worth adjusting for, but other roles remain unclear.

The backline is very attacking-minded

We can attribute some of this to the way the U.S. wanted to play New Zealand, who were missing a number of key players, but the USWNT defense once again shined in attacking possession rather than defensive transition.

Sofia Huerta excelled as an attacking generator in the second match, and what she brings as a crosser will likely cement her place on the 2023 World Cup roster. Crystal Dunn looked her sharpest at left back in the second match, combining in passing triangles that unlocked New Zealand’s defensive formation.

Naomi Girma started both matches and was given the freedom to push forward and find the best passing lanes through New Zealand’s defense. But in the very brief moments the U.S. had to scramble on counterattacks, the defense felt somewhat shaky.

Casey Murphy started the second match in goal. The 26-year-old had one cautious punch off a corner kick turn into a chance opportunity, upon which the USWNT benefitted from a foul call to calm the danger. Murphy has all the tools to be a great international goalkeeper, but even in limited action, her occasional hesitation in goal is obvious enough to set the defense on edge. The U.S. has struggled at times to defend set pieces over the last year, and the communication didn’t always seem crisp last week.

Overall, the team appeared collectively calm, like they had righted some structural imbalances from late in 2022 and were having fun. As the schedule turns to the SheBelieves Cup in February, these games provided several lessons the U.S. will want to carry with them.

Claire Watkins is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @ScoutRipley.

USWNT stalwart Alex Morgan will miss at least one week of NWSL action after suffering a left ankle knock in her last club appearance, Wave manager Casey Stoney said on Thursday.

Morgan was helped off the field after rolling her ankle in the later stages of the Wave’s 1-0 loss to the Orlando Pride last weekend, despite the San Diego side being out of available substitutes.

“She's got an ankle injury and she's out for this weekend, and then it'll be week by week from there,” Stoney said, confirming that Morgan’s been ruled out for Saturday’s showdown with NWSL newcomer Bay FC.

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Depending on its severity, Morgan’s ankle issue might have larger ramifications than missing a few weeks of NSWL play. Morgan was added to the team's Gold Cup roster after an ACL injury sidelined young striker Mia Fishel, and she's since made a number of USWNT starts in the team's Gold Cup and SheBelieves wins. A long-term injury could potentially derail the center forward’s Olympic plans.

With her return timeline uncertain, it's possible the injury could also impact Morgan's ability to participate in new head coach Emma Hayes' first U.S. friendlies in June and July.

Morgan's injury concerns aren't uncommon in the U.S. player pool, but add a sense of urgency as Hayes eyes the NWSL for top-performing players in the upcoming weeks. Gotham's Tierna Davidson and Rose Lavelle have also been dealing with injuries: Lavelle has yet to appear for Gotham, while Davidson exited last weekend's match early with a hamstring injury.

Gotham has yet to issue an update concerning Davidson's status.

This week, legendary Brazilian superstar Marta announced that she’ll retire from the national team at the end of 2024.

In an interview with CNN Esportes published Thursday, the iconic footballer confirmed that she would be hanging up her boots regardless of whether or not she ends up making Brazil's 18-player roster for the 2024 Paris Olympics. 

“If I go to the Olympics, I will enjoy every moment, because regardless of whether I go to the Olympics or not, this is my last year with the national team,” she said. “There is no longer Marta in the national team as an athlete from 2025 onwards.”

Marta will retire as a giant of the women's game, having appeared in five Olympics and multiple World Cups. When discussing her retirement, she stressed confidence in the rising generation of Brazilian players, noting that she was, “very calm about this, because I see with great optimism this development that we are having in relation to young athletes." 

The statement echoes back to a plea she made during the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup after Brazil lost to France 2-1 in the Round of 16. “It's wanting more. It's training more. It's taking care of yourself more. It's being ready to play 90 plus 30 minutes. This is what I ask of the girls,” she said then, addressing the young players following in her footsteps. 

In 2023, she signaled a farewell to World Cup competition with the same sentiment, telling media, “We ask the new generation to continue where we left off.”

If selected for the 2024 Olympic team, Marta has a shot at extending her own consecutive-scoring record with the ability to score in an unbelievable sixth-straight Olympic Games. She currently stands as Brazil’s top goalscorer, racking up 116 career goals in 175 matches, as well as the leading goalscorer in any World Cup, women’s or men’s, with 17 to her name. 

Marta will continue to play for the NWSL’s Orlando Pride through at least the end of 2024. The longtime forward and club captain has already contributed to multiple goals this season.

U.S. Soccer announced Tuesday that the USWNT will play their last home game on July 16th in the lead-up to the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris.

The 2024 Send-Off Match against Costa Rica will take place at Washington, DC’s Audi Field — home to both the Washington Spirit and DC United — at 7:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, July 16th. The friendly rounds out a four-game Olympic run-up campaign under incoming head coach Emma Hayes’ side, with the last two set to feature the finalized 2024 U.S. Olympic Women’s Soccer Team roster.

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Hayes will appear on the USWNT sideline for the first time this June, helming the team as they embark on a two-game series against Korea Republic hosted by Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado on June 1st followed by Allianz Stadium in St. Paul, Minnesota on June 4th. 

The team is then scheduled to meet a talented Mexico squad on July 13th at Gotham FC’s Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey, where the Olympic-bound lineup will attempt to rewrite February’s shocking 2-0 loss to El Tri Femenil in the group stages of this year’s Concacaf W Gold Cup. And while clear roster favorites have emerged from both of this year’s Gold Cup and SheBelives Cup rosters, a spate of recent and recurring injuries means making it to the Olympics is still largely anyone’s game.

Broadcast and streaming channels for the USWNT's final July 16th friendly at Audi Field include TNT, truTV, Universo, Max, and Peacock.

The USA Basketball Women's National Team is still considering Caitlin Clark for a spot on the Paris Olympics squad, says selection committee chair Jennifer Rizzotti. 

On Monday, Rizzotti told the AP that the committee will be evaluating the college phenom’s Olympic prospects by keeping a close eye on her first few weeks of WNBA play with Indiana.

The move is somewhat unconventional. While Clark was invited to participate in the 14-player national team training camp held earlier this month — the last camp before Team USA’s roster drops — she was unable to attend due to it coinciding with Iowa’s trip to the NCAA Women’s Final Four.

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Judging by the immense talent spread throughout the league in what might be their most hyped season to date, competition for a piece of the Olympic pie could be fiercer than ever before.

"You always want to introduce new players into the pool whether it's for now or the future," said Rizzotti. "We stick to our principles of talent, obviously, positional fit, loyalty and experience. It's got to be a combination of an entire body of work. It's still not going to be fair to some people."

Of course, Clark isn’t the first rookie the committee has made exceptions for. Coming off an exceptional college season that saw her averaging 19.4 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 4 assists per game for UConn, Breanna Stewart was tapped to represent the U.S. at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil less than two weeks after being drafted No. 1 overall by the Seattle Storm. Eight years prior, fellow No. 1 pick Candace Parker punched her ticket to the 2008 Games in Beijing just two weeks after making her first appearance for the L.A. Sparks.

In the lead-up to Paris’ Opening Ceremony on July 26th, USA Basketball Women’s National Team is scheduled to play a pair of exhibition games. They'll first go up against the WNBA's finest at the July 20th WNBA All-Star Game in Phoenix before facing Germany in London on July 23rd.

While an official roster announcement date hasn’t yet been issued, players won’t find out if they’ve made this year’s Olympic cut until at least June 1st.