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USWNT by position: Context and concerns for each group

Rose Lavelle, Lindsey Horan, Sophia Smith and the USWNT will look to bounce back from two losses in October. (Richard Sellers/Soccrates/Getty Images)

When the U.S. women’s national soccer team scheduled friendlies against England and Spain for an October trip abroad, no one quite knew what to expect. The USWNT hadn’t faced many nations in the top 10 of the FIFA rankings since the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, and player absences continued to pile up.

Still, what happened on the trip proved a shock to the system, as the U.S. lost two games in a row for the first time since 2017.

Losses have served as an important part of the World Cup cycle for the USWNT in the past, but the performances against England and Spain nevertheless have fans taking a long look at the panic button.

While a number of issues the USWNT faced this week provide context to the performances on the field, the team also returns to home soil with legitimate causes for concern.

Execution in the midfield

Context

It’s both impossible and unfair to ignore the off-the-field circumstances surrounding the USWNT this week. The Sally Yates report for U.S. Soccer, which detailed years of abuse in the NWSL, dropped just five days before the matchup against England.

For days, players had to field incredibly heavy questions from the news media, some about their direct employers, while also turning their attention to the upcoming matches. While USWNT players have never shied away from using their platform, the toll became evident throughout the week.

The USWNT didn’t lack for energy in their blockbuster battle at Wembley Stadium. Despite a number of significant absences, they were able to keep up in a sometimes frantic transition battle in which they didn’t see much of the ball.

Against Spain, though, the team ran out of gas, mentally switching off on the corner kick that led to Laia Codina’s opening goal—a cleanup shot after the U.S. got caught flat-footed in a goalmouth scrum. The USWNT trailed going into halftime and struggled to force the issue in the second half.

Concerns

There’s no shame in a letdown once the adrenaline wears off, especially after the week the USWNT players had, very far from home. But that letdown only makes the success of Vlatko Andonovski’s system all the more important, as it becomes the backbone that players can rely on when they aren’t firing on all cylinders.

While some progress has been made, top 10 opponents can still make the USWNT feel uncomfortable with concerning ease.

The midfield style, which still prioritizes a ball-winning No. 6 covering superhuman amounts of space, doesn’t lend itself to either Andi Sullivan’s or Sam Coffey’s strengths. Lindsey Horan and Rose Lavelle generate turnovers by pressing opponents’ backlines, but that aggressiveness means the players behind them can be caught in isolation.

We saw during the Concacaf W Championship how the approach can work against teams that concede possession. But neither England nor Spain are that kind of opponent. Against the Lionesses, the USWNT only held the ball for 31.3% of the match, and they paired that with 67.7% passing accuracy.

England and Spain were not able to seize as many opportunities from turnovers as they could have, so the results in both games could have been worse based on the lack of cohesion in the midfield.

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Megan Rapinoe started on the left wing against both England and Spain. (Diego Souto/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)

Evaluating the attack

Context

It feels like every time the USWNT takes the field, another important player is missing. In addition to the previously known absences of Catarina Macario, Christen Press, Tierna Davidson, Sam Mewis, Julie Ertz, Kelley O’Hara and more, the U.S. traveled to Europe without Mallory Pugh, who left camp for a family matter, and without Alex Morgan, who is working through a knee injury.

Adding to the list of October casualties, Emily Fox suffered a concussion against England, resulting in another call-up for North Carolina Courage defender Carson Pickett. Pickett is more than capable of showing what she can do on the world stage, but the last-minute nature of her call-up didn’t set her up for success against Spain.

Concerns

When faced with limited options, the USWNT pulled a few interesting cards. Sophia Smith moved centrally as the team’s main playmaker, and she shined against England. On the wing, Trinity Rodman’s consistent minutes were new at the international level, and she stepped up in big moments.

Other decisions felt distinctly less interesting than they could have been, especially on the left side of the pitch. Megan Rapinoe started both matches at left wing, a decision likely made when Pugh left camp. Rapinoe is clearly an essential locker room presence, and she remains a late-game sub who can turn the tide, but Pugh’s off-ball work was missed in both games.

There’s nothing wrong with seeing what your depth chart can do in the face of injury, but the slotting in of Rapinoe speaks to a larger lethargy. There have been opportunities to bring new forwards into the player pool in recent months, but Andonovski has not taken advantage. Plus, Rapinoe already has so much experience under her belt, so what are she and the coaching staff learning from these losses?

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Naomi Girma's performance against England proved one of the highlights of the European trip. (David Rogers/Getty Images)

What to make of the defense

Context

As with the attack, there are both injuries and absences to take into account when looking at the USWNT defense.

By the second game in the international break, the team started two outside backs who originally joined the squad due to injuries to other players. Crystal Dunn is still working her way back to fitness, and both Kelley O’Hara and Emily Sonnet were missing. The U.S. traveled with just three center-backs: Becky Sauerbrunn, Alana Cook and Naomi Girma.

Girma was a revelation against England, with a sense of spacing and an understanding of how and when to go to ground. Andonovski has avoided pairing her with Sauerbrunn in 2022, which possibly has to do with both players being more comfortable on the left side of the central defense. But it could also mean that Tierna Davidson and Abby Dahlkemper, both out due to injury, still have opportunities to get back in the rotation.

Concerns

The USWNT defense can get overwhelmed when opponents break through. In these matches, they weren’t helped by turnovers in the midfield. Still, in top-tier international competition defenders frequently are called upon for quick decision-making and one-on-one urgency, which the U.S. lacked in both matches.

The USWNT defense can get overwhelmed when opponents break through. In these matches, they weren’t helped by turnovers in the midfield. Still, in top-tier international competition defenders frequently are called upon for quick decision-making and one-on-one urgency, which the U.S. lacked in both matches.

The USWNT’s penchant for prioritizing distribution over defensive comfort can cost them against top teams. While sometimes the only way for players to improve is through the kind of competition we saw this week, the defense has not looked settled or confident yet.

The issue doesn’t always lie in physical attributes but instead can come down to confidence in making decisions. Andonovski needs to decide how long he can wait for the defense to improve before making the call that the group isn’t coming together.

USC’s McKenzie Forbes: From Gap Year to the NCAA Tournament

As part of our 1-v-1 video series, USC’s India Otto sat down to interview her teammate McKenzie Forbes. 

Here are five things to know from our conversation with the graduate transfer from Folsom, California.

#1 Inspired by USC’s Head Coach, Lindsay Gottlieb, McKenzie wants to be a basketball coach or work in the front office in the future.

When weighing in on what makes a good coach, McKenzie said x’s and o’s are important but “Coaching is a lot of relationship managing and people managing. I think you have to be a good people person and be able to build those relationships, but also in that same breath, you can’t be afraid to have people dislike you in moments. I think that’s a big part of leadership.”

#2 McKenzie says the trajectory of her career changed when she made the decision to transfer from Cal to Harvard.

 In order to transfer, she was forced to take a gap year and spend a lot of time in the gym. “I completely transformed my body and, going into the Harvard season, felt like I was a completely different player. Going to Harvard and playing in a more mid-major conference, I had the ball in my hands a lot more than I might have if I transferred to another Power 5. It really developed other parts of my game.”

#3 How does McKenzie think USC will do in the Women’s College Basketball Tournament?

“I’m not going to give a typical interview answer. I want a Final Four. We have that potential and capability. Like why not? Why not us? I think we have all the pieces.”

#4 Her older brother, Marcus, was her biggest mentor growing up.

“He was basically my trainer from Elementary school on until he went to college.”

#5 Fun facts about Forbes:

She can juggle and she was the quarterback of her Pop Warner football team. “I was slow but I could throw it!”

Watch the full conversation on the Just Women’s Sports YouTube channel.

Christen Press back training with Angel City FC

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 15: Christen Press #23 of Angel City FC waves to fans following a game between the Portland Thorns and Angel City FC at BMO Stadium on October 15, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images)

Christen Press continues to inch her way back to a return, having returned to training with her club team Angel City. 

Angel City FC coach Becki Tweed said on Wednesday that Press is back with the team full-time as she continues to make her way back from an ACL injury. While she’s still working on rehab, her being back with the team gives staff a better picture of her progress. 

"Christen [Press] is back with us full time which is amazing,” she said. “Having her in and around the team every day, continuing to work hard on rehab ... she's in a space where being in with the team is really important to her and her progression as well.”

The status update comes days after Press posted videos to social media that featured her doing lateral movement in cleats on grass. 

“Look out world she’s on the move !” Press captioned it. 

Press has been sidelined with an ACL injury since 2022, which caused her to miss the 2023 World Cup. She’s since had four separate surgeries to help repair her ACL.

Press told The Athletic a month ago that she’s been “relentless” in her optimism with her recovery despite it being a “slow process.”

“I have a bit of relentless optimism,” she told The Athletic. “I never, ever doubted that I would make it back on any of the timelines I’ve been on."

"Every single time I’ve heard, ‘You have to have surgery,’ I’m completely shocked,” she said. “When somebody asks me how it’s going, I’m like, ‘It’s going great. And it was going great every time. So I don’t know what to tell you anymore!’”

Sophia Smith re-signs with Portland on record deal

(Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports)

Sophia Smith is now the NWSL’s highest-paid player. 

The Portland Thorns announced on Wednesday that they have signed Smith to a new contract through the 2025 season, with an option for 2026. While the terms of the deal were not disclosed, the team did reveal that Smith is now the highest-paid player in the league on an annual basis.

It’s the latest in what has been a series of record-breaking contracts in the NWSL offseason. 

Chicago Red Stars forward Mallory Swanson, Bay FC forward Racheal Kundananji, and Orlando Pride forward Barbra Banda all signed multi-year deals worth between $2 million and $2.5 million in total. While Smith’s contract is shorter and not worth as much over the long-term, the annual worth is higher. 

“We are over the moon to have Soph commit again to the Thorns. She is a proven, world-class talent and one that we are excited to have contribute to the team’s continued success,” said head coach Mike Norris in a statement. “We look forward to working with her in a Thorns jersey as she continues to shine as one of the top strikers in the world.”

In just four seasons in the NWSL, Smith has led the Thorns to five trophies – including the 2022 NWSL championship – while winning league and championship MVP in 2022. In 61 appearances with Portland, she has 34 goals – including a brace to start this season against Kansas City. 

She’s also a member of the USWNT, having scored 16 goals in 44 international appearances.  Set to become a free agent at the end of this season, she told ESPN she “thought of all the options” but ultimately Portland felt like the right decision.

"There is no place like Portland," Smith said in a small roundtable interview that included ESPN. "I don't believe there's an environment like Portland to play in and it's a city that's so special to me and a city that I feel like I've grown up in almost and become who I am."

She also told ESPN that the team’s new ownership “changes everything.” The club is now led by the Bhathal family, who bought the club after Merritt Paulson was forced to sell it following his part in the NWSL’s abuse scandal. 

"Since I've been here there has been a lot of things going on with this club -- a lot of not-great things going on with this club -- and I have just been waiting for some stability and some reassurance that this club is headed in the right direction, and the Bhathal family coming in is doing exactly that, if not more,” Smith said. 

"Their vision for this club is so exciting, and you can just tell how passionate they are about making this what it should be and continuing to push the standard in women's soccer globally.”

Caitlin Clark offered $5 million to compete in Ice Cube’s league

IOWA CITY, IOWA- MARCH 25: Guard Caitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes celebrates as time runs out in the second half against the West Virginia Mountaineers during their second round match-up in the 2024 NCAA Division 1 Women's Basketball Championship at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on March 25, 2024 in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images)

Caitlin Clark has been offered $5 million to play in Ice Cube's Big3 league, he confirmed on social media Wednesday after the offer leaked.

"We intended the offer to remain private while Caitlin Clark plays for the championship," Ice Cube wrote on social media. "But I won't deny what's now already out there: BIG3 made a historic offer to Caitlin Clark. Why wouldn't we? Caitlin is a generational athlete who can achieve tremendous success in the BIG3."

While there has yet to be a women's player in the league, both Nancy Lieberman and Lisa Leslie have been part of the league as coaches and won championships.

"The skeptics laughed when we made Nancy Lieberman the first female coach of a men's pro team, and she won the championship in her first year," Ice Cube continued. "Then Lisa Leslie won it all in year two. With our offer, Caitlin Clark can make history and break down even more barriers for women athletes."

Ice Cube, whose name is O’Shea Jackson, says that the offer was made with the intention that Clark be able to compete in the WNBA “offseason.” Clark is largely expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft in April. But it’s unclear how the scheduling of the two leagues would work. 

The 2024 Big3 season is set to tip off on June 15, with 10 games spanning through mid-August. The WNBA regular season, meanwhile, begins on May 14 and ends on Sept. 19.

On “The Pat McAfee Show” on Wednesday, Jackson said that the league has yet to hear back from Clark. 

“We just need an answer, as soon as they are ready to give it to us,” he said. “It’s always 50-50 till we get a no. At the end of the day, it’s a generous offer.”

The offer – as well as the confusion on Jackson’s part about the timing of the WNBA season – caused some current WNBA players to react. 

"It's funny cause I be seeing his son at W games.. they don't talk?" wrote former No. 1 pick Rhyne Howard

"So no other women's basketball player has came to mind in the last 7 years?" wrote Lexie Brown, adding that she'd support if Ice Cube wanted to build a women's iteration of the league. She later discussed it on the Gils Arena Show, noting that his reasoning of wanting to “uplift and support WNBA players and women athletes” is a “cop out.”

Kalani Brown, meanwhile, told Clark to "take that money" and start a women's Big3.

WNBA salaries has been a talking point in recent months as more collegiate stars declare for the league. WNBA stars have often made more money playing abroad than they have in the WNBA. Clark is expected to be the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft on April 15, with a rookie salary of $76,535 for lottery draft picks (Nos. 1-4) that rises to $97,582 by her fourth season. But she also has an NIL valuation of almost $3.5 million.

Diana Taurasi famously skipped the 2015 WNBA season at the request of her Russian club, who paid her more to sit out than she would have made in the W. Her contract with the club was reportedly near $1.5 million per year.

Jackson also seemed to suggest that his league could be an alternative to going abroad

“America’s women athletes should not be forced to spend their off seasons playing in often dismal and dubious foreign countries just to make ends meet,” he wrote. Although it’s unclear whether or not the rapper intends to make offers to additional WNBA players. 

While the league does hold prioritization rules in its CBA, those typically apply only to players playing in overseas leagues. It’s unclear whether or not that would prevent Clark’s participation in the Big3 league.

WNBA players that don’t want to go overseas currently have the option of playing in Athletes Unlimited, which competes in the WNBA offseason.

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