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USWNT injury list: Players they most need back for World Cup

Emily Sonnett and Julie Ertz are two players the USWNT hopes to bring back into the fold. (Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)

We were reminded this week just how monumental the U.S. women’s national team’s list of injuries is, as head coach Vlatko Andonovski gave a rundown of over 10 players working their way back into the fold during his media availability Monday. Some players are well on their way back, while a few have more nebulous timelines that warrant more reflection ahead of the World Cup next summer.

While every injured player brings talent that almost any national team would welcome, there are a few players in key positions that the U.S. could use back on the pitch sooner rather than later.

Defense

Emily Sonnett

This is maybe a less obvious pick, but hear me out. When dealing with further attrition to the wide areas of the USWNT backline, Andonovski brought in Hailie Mace, who has played many different roles for her NWSL clubs. Mace was called up as an outside back, but she’s recently played wingback for her club and spent time as a No. 10 or defensive midfielder (not my favorite place for her.) In short, Mace was brought in to play the same role Emily Sonnett has filled for the team for ages: a catch-all defender who can train well and slot onto the field in a pinch. Sonnett had an excellent year at center-back for Washington in 2021, and she has experience as the team’s Swiss Army Knife. They might miss her more than you think.

Kelley O’Hara

The USWNT has featured very attacking-minded outside backs in recent months. Emily Fox and Sofia Huerta have done a fine job when the USWNT is in possession, with crisp crosses and good recovery speed in defensive transition. But against top opponents, one has to wonder if the backline is missing a certain amount of dexterity out wide. O’Hara has historically been strong in both areas, and her vision from wide positions can be helpful in advancing the ball. And do not count out Casey Krueger, who featured on the team’s 2021 Olympic roster as a defensive option at outside back and now works her way back from the birth of her son, Caleb.

Tierna Davidson

While much of the focus is on the outside-back positions, the USWNT’s center-back situation is less settled than one might think. Naomi Girma has excelled in her fast track to a spot with the first team, and Becky Sauerbrunn hasn’t missed a step in NWSL play. But Andonovski seems against playing the two together since they both sit on the left side. This has placed heavy responsibility on the shoulders of Alana Cook, who has looked equal parts steady and shaky in international play. Davidson is working her way back from the third serious injury of her young career, but she was a bright spot in a tough Tokyo Olympic campaign and should provide a healthy amount of competition to the central defense.

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Sam Mewis had surgery on her right knee last August. (Brad Smith/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

Midfield

Sam Mewis

The players with the least concrete return timelines are those whose roles the USWNT consistently misses the most: Sam Mewis and Julie Ertz. Connectivity in the midfield has been an issue for the USWNT for over a year, to the point where Andonovski has adjusted his game plan at times to avoid it against other top nations. Mewis is not a holding midfielder, nor is she a drifting playmaker who pushes toward the opponent’s backline. But therein lies the point: The USWNT does not have a replacement for her — a possessor who allows the other midfielders to focus on their most natural positions — in their current midfield pool. If Mewis’ knee issue continues to linger, the U.S. might have to commit to a replacement (they have a good candidate, but she’s currently listed as a defender.)

Julie Ertz

No one knows if or when Julie Ertz might return to professional soccer, and Andonovski was reluctant to speculate this week on her timeline for a return. Her unknown status is what makes the current USWNT approach all the more confounding, as their 4-3-3 formation requires a defensive midfielder of Ertz’s physical profile to protect dangerous areas and break up the other team’s possession. Andi Sullivan and Sam Coffey are capable No. 6s, but Sullivan has looked hesitant when asked to pressure in front of her own penalty area. The USWNT would be giving something up to implement a “buddy system” in front of the backline, and Andonovski seems reluctant to try, but Ertz is the only player who can consistently make the current system work.

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Catarina Macario said recently that her knee is feeling "good" after tearing her ACL in June. (Brad Smith/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

Attack

Catarina Macario

Almost too obvious to mention, but the USWNT attack has stayed in Macario mode even after the 23-year-old tore her ACL right before the Concacaf W Championship. During the team’s subsequent friendlies, Sophia Smith has taken on a proto-Macario role, starting centrally and at times drifting into the USWNT midfield to help progress the ball. Those experiments didn’t always set the team up for a scintillating attack, especially when they were missing Mallory Pugh in October. But the vision remains of Macario returning as a false No. 9 and Smith pushing further wide with a new wealth of experience. Much of the USWNT’s attack is riding on Macario returning to score goals and allow the rest of the forward lines to be their best selves.

Christen Press

I simply do not believe that the backup position to Pugh’s starting role at left wing is as secure as Andonovski has projected it to be. Megan Rapinoe is a crucial leader in the locker room and lethal in dead-ball situations. But if the USWNT can take 26 players to the 2023 World Cup, they need someone who can be effective for a full 90 minutes in the off-chance Pugh is not available for every match. Press has the experience and class on the ball to connect with the midfield and provide defensive cover for whichever outside back is playing behind her. She can also be clinical from distance, an attribute that can break a close game open when other attacking options fail.

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

2025 WNBA Season Tips Off with Action-Packed Friday Lineup

The Golden State Valkyries and LA Sparks tip off a 2025 WNBA preseason game.
The Valkyries play their first-ever official league game in Friday's 2025 WNBA season tip-off. (Supriya Limaye/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

The 2025 WNBA season is finally here, with Friday's official tip-off leading an opening weekend full of tough competition and simmering storylines.

The reigning champion New York Liberty enter as odds-on favorites, but results are nearly impossible to predict after a very active offseason across the league.

This weekend's slate features new builds, regional rivalries, and plenty of fresh faces as top 2025 draft picks log their first pro minutes.

  • Minnesota Lynx vs. Dallas Wings, Friday at 7:30 PM ET (ION): This year's No. 1 draft pick Paige Bueckers makes her official WNBA debut as revamped Dallas tests itself against a Minnesota team still stinging over last year's title loss.
  • Los Angeles Sparks vs. Golden State Valkyries, Friday at 10 PM ET (ION): The Valkyries play their first-ever regular-season game, looking to form an identity against downstate rivals LA, led by new Sparks addition Kelsey Plum.
  • Las Vegas Aces vs. New York Liberty, Saturday at 1 PM ET (ABC): The 2023 champs meet the 2024 title-winners in a heavyweight clash that sees 2024 MVP A'ja Wilson take on a confident New York team led by guard Sabrina Ionescu.
  • Chicago Sky vs. Indiana Fever, Saturday at 3 PM ET (ABC): Last year's rookie headliners Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese meet again in Indiana, with the regional rivals relying on both incoming vets and young cores to write their next chapters.

Packed with great matchups, this weekend is the ideal tip-off for a 2025 season that promises to be a wild ride — no matter which WNBA team you follow.

No. 1 Kansas City Faces No. 2 Orlando in Top-Table NWSL Weekend Match

Orlando's Marta dribbles the ball past Kansas City's Nichelle Prince during the 2024 NWSL semifinals.
Orlando ousted Kansas City in the 2024 NWSL semifinals. (Dustin Markland/Getty Images)

The NWSL is back in action this weekend with a top-table match, a bicoastal battle, and some middle-of-the-pack clashes as the 2025 season enters its ninth matchday.

Parity is riding high these days, with just three points dividing the No. 1 Kansas City Current and No. 3 Washington Spirit in the NWSL standings — while only three more separate the No. 4 San Diego Wave from the No. 8 Seattle Reign.

With competition remaining tough as nails, don't expect much more daylight between teams following this weekend's tense lineup:

  • No. 7 Gotham FC vs. No. 4 San Diego Wave, Friday at 7:30 PM ET (NWSL+): Coming off a two-game winless streak, Gotham is still searching for consistency as they take on a confident San Diego side that hasn't lost in four games.
  • No. 9 Racing Louisville vs. No. 8 Seattle Reign, Friday at 7:30 PM ET (NWSL+): All tied up with 11 points each, Seattle will look to hold off Louisville as Racing continues to hunt the club's first-ever playoff berth.
  • No. 2 Orlando Pride vs. No. 1 Kansas City Current, Friday at 8 PM ET (Prime): There's little love lost between these NWSL titans, as the reigning champion Pride takes on hosting duties in an attempt to leapfrog current top-dog Kansas City in Friday's marquee match.

In a season dominated by topsy-turvy results, the pressure to secure points week-over-week weighs heaviest on the teams who know they have the talent to rise above the rest.

Esther Extends Gotham Contract Amid MVP-Quality NWSL Season

Gotham forward Esther celebrates a goal during a 2025 NWSL match.
Gotham FC's Esther currently leads the 2025 NWSL Golden Boot race. (Hannah Foslien/NWSL via Getty Images)

This season's NWSL Golden Boot leader Esther González is sticking with Gotham, with the Spanish international extending her contract with the NJ/NY club through 2027.

After helping Gotham to a first-ever NWSL championship in 2023, González earned the league's Best XI Second Team honors last year before launching a red-hot campaign this season.

The 2023 World Cup winner has tallied seven goals in nine games for Gotham in 2025, showcasing a blistering rush of form that has her sitting two goals ahead of the next Golden Boot race contender.

"Above all, it's about how I've felt during these two and a half years with Gotham FC," González said in Thursday's team announcement. "Continuing to be happy both on and off the field is really important. To keep enjoying myself and representing Gotham's colors, which I truly identify with, is something really incredible."

Gotham's continued investment underlines the 32-year-old's case for 2025 MVP candidacy, as award frontrunners start to emerge one-third of the way through the 2025 NWSL season.

González leads the NWSL in shots on target while sitting fourth in expected goals per 90 minutes, with her scoring outpacing many of her peers.

Other players crafting strong 2025 NWSL MVP resumes include Kansas City's 2024 MVP Temwa Chawinga and comeback star Debinha, Angel City wunderkind Alyssa Thompson, and Orlando sharpshooter Barbra Banda.

FA Cup Finalist Chelsea FC Heads to Wembley with Historic Treble in Sight

Chelsea defender Lucy Bronze heads the game-winning goal past Manchester United goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce in a 2025 WSL match.
Chelsea will aim for the domestic treble in Sunday's 2025 FA Cup final. (Molly Darlington - The FA/The FA via Getty Images)

Following a dominant 2024/25 campaign, Chelsea FC will look to cap their historic run by completing a domestic treble on Sunday, when they'll battle Manchester United for a third season trophy in the 2025 FA Cup final.

After securing the 2024/25 League Cup in March amidst an unbeaten run to a sixth-straight WSL title, the Blues will close out their season against the league's third-place finishers, the Red Devils, in London's iconic Wembley Stadium.

Should Chelsea secure the 2025 FA Cup, they will add a second domestic treble to their resume after clinching their first trio of trophies in the 2020/21 season. This time, however, they could do so in undefeated fashion.

"We are in a really good place, just the fact that we won the league being unbeaten," said first-year Blues manager Sonia Bompastor. "To end the season with an FA Cup final at Wembley against Man United is maybe the perfect way to end the season."

The 2023/24 Manchester United team and staff celebrate their first-ever FA Cup championship.
Manchester United seeks to defend their 2024 FA Cup title. (Visionhaus/Getty Images)

Manchester United hunts second straight FA Cup trophy

Standing between Chelsea and the treble are 2024 FA Cup champions Manchester United, who will take aim at their only trophy of the season partly behind the play of 2024/25 WSL Golden Glove winner and USWNT goalkeeper prospect Phallon Tullis-Joyce.

Man United enter as the game's undisputed underdogs, having dropped both their WSL regular-season matches against Chelsea in narrow 1-0 defeats.

Even more, the Red Devils must overcome a particular tough stretch of play, facing more than a month without a victory on their schedule.

Man United's last win was their 2-0 FA Cup semifinal victory over Manchester City on April 13th, with the Red Devils suffering a pair of losses and recording two draws to close out WSL play.

That said, United has experience downing the Blues on the FA Cup stage, ousting Chelsea from last year's semifinals en route to a club-first FA title.

Remarking that Manchester United "are a really strong team," Bompastor pointed out that the Red Devils "don't concede a lot of goals, and we need to remember that."

"You only get the trophy if you win, so we need to make sure going into the game we have the best preparation and we perform on the day."

How to watch Chelsea play Manchester United at the FA Cup final

The 2025 FA Cup final between Chelsea FC and Manchester United will kick off at 8:30 AM ET on Sunday.

Live coverage of the match will begin at 8:20 AM ET on ESPN+.

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