The U.S Women’s National Team is riding high after taking home the Concacaf W Championship trophy Monday, defeating Canada 1-0 in the tournament’s final.

The team’s fruitful Concacaf run qualifies the USWNT for the 2023 World Cup and 2024 Olympics. While the USWNT’s victory marks the first step in the squad’s major tournament cycle, questions still remain.

Head coach Vlatko Andonovski used the competition to evaluate up-and-coming talent, leaving many to speculate about the USWNT’s roster moving forward. With a series of key players missing qualifying due to injury and maternity leave, questions surround personnel shifts in the year leading up to the Australia- and New Zealand-hosted World Cup.

The Biggest Lineup questions ahead of the 2023 World Cup:

Goalkeepers:

The contest for the USWNT’s starting goalkeeper position appears to have narrowed to North Carolina Courage star Casey Murphy and veteran Alyssa Naeher.

Murphy got the starting nod for three of the Concacaf matchups, but critically, Naeher earned the start in the tournament’s final against Canada. The 34-year-old provided a reliable presence in goal for the USWNT, maintaining the squad’s clean sheet and helping clinch the United States an Olympic berth.

Murphy, who logged three shutouts, looked less assured in her appearance against Costa Rica, with apparent communication breakdowns prompting several miscues out of the back.

With Naeher yet to make a misstep, the starting goalkeeper role will come down to Murphy’s upside and potential weighed against the Red Star’s proven ability in big games.

Defenders:

The USWNT’s back line has been plagued by injury and absences leading up to the Concacaf W Championship, with center backs Tierna Davidson and Abby Dahlkemper battling injury and outside back Crystal Dunn out after welcoming her first child.

In their place, Naomi Girma and Alana Cook have made a name for themselves in the central defender position alongside captain Becky Sauerbrunn. Girma, in particular, had a breakout tournament, showcasing her ball disruption and one-v-one defensive talents.

On the flanks, Emily Fox and Sofia Huerta also got crucial minutes on the pitch. Despite missing two games due to COVID-19 protocol, Fox made a strong case as the team’s starting left back. A true defender with talent on the ball and comfortable getting up the pitch, Fox appears to have locked up a roster spot on the backline.

Huerta showed what she can bring to the defensive unit as well, dominating the flank with a series of quality services into the box. The OL Reign defender split some minutes with veteran Kelley O’Hara. Both are still in the running for a starting spot on the right side.

A shining quality of Naomi Girma is her ability to set the attack with long-range accuracy or dribble out of pressure. This is the type of incisive pass the #USWNT needs more of. It's paying off already.pic.twitter.com/tcrdPC4CqQ

— Jeff Kassouf (@JeffKassouf) July 7, 2022

Midfielders:

Andonovski’s midfield has perhaps the most question marks of any USWNT position group.

The squad has struggled in Julie Ertz’s absence, with the midfielder out due to pregnancy after already suffering an injury prior to her maternity leave. The defensive midfield position has proved challenging to fill, with Andi Sullivan still finding her footing at the No. 6 role.

Star Sam Mewis, who was critical to the USWNT’s 2019 World Cup win, has also been sidelined due to injury. Due to the lack of depth, Horan found herself playing a lot of minutes with a tapped leg, looking less than 100 percent healthy.

The silver lining, however, is the absences gave opportunities to players like Ashley Sanchez, who showed off her creative flair and attacking capabilities. Sanchez, perhaps more than any other rookie midfielder, proved her value to the USWNT, offering a playing style few others do on the pitch.

Ashley Sanchez with a right foot 🚀 to score the 3-0 for @USWNT! 🇺🇸#CWC pic.twitter.com/UQKnHBYe4g

— Concacaf W (@ConcacafW) July 15, 2022

Forwards:

Ahead of the Concacaf W Championship, it was an open question how the USWNT would fair without star Catarina Macario after the 22-year-old tore her ACL playing with her club team Lyon.

Alex Morgan, however, stepped up, reclaiming her place as the starter in the No. 9 role, scoring the game-winning goal in the United States’ final against Canada and earning Golden Boot honors. An exciting development could occur on the front line if Macario heals in time for the World Cup and Morgan continues her goal-scoring tear for club and country, posing a potentially tricky decision to Andonovski.

On the outside of the pitch, Sophia Smith and Mallory Pugh are leaving the Concacaf W Championship as the surest locks on the USWNT starting lineup. Andonovski is high on what Smith and Pugh are capable of on the flanks, with the young forwards showing their work ethic off the ball during qualifying.

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.