The U.S. women’s national team has named its 23-player roster for the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand this summer. From 37-year-old Megan Rapinoe — a two-time World Cup champion with the USWNT — to 18-year-old Alyssa Thompson, the players vary in age and international soccer experience.

They also hail from different regions of the country. A team-leading eight players are natives of California, while two players each come from New Jersey, Virginia, Ohio, Georgia and Colorado.

Find out which state every U.S. player calls home with our interactive map below.

The U.S. women’s national team has three very different opponents in their group stage at the 2023 World Cup. After cruising to a good — but not great — 3-0 win over Vietnam in their tournament opener, the USWNT faces a new challenge against 2019 World Cup runners-up the Netherlands on Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET.

The Dutch didn’t look their sharpest in their first match either, escaping with a 1-0 victory over Portugal. They packed the midfield and narrowed their defense to a three-back formation in order to send numbers forward.

U.S. head coach Vlatko Andonovski likely has a number of possible game plans for defending and countering the Dutch approach. Here are some adjustments the USWNT can make to their starting XI to come out with the win and take control of Group E.

The Ertz dichotomy

Andonovski stacked the spine of his team against Vietnam. He started Julie Ertz in place of Alana Cook at center-back, allowing the World Cup veteran to combine laterally with Naomi Girma and with Andi Sullivan as the No. 6 in front of her. The approach worked well, with Ertz looking comfortable on defense and threatening during USWNT set-piece opportunities.

The Netherlands will provide a different challenge, and one of the biggest questions going into the match is whether the Ertz defensive experiment is indicative of a true approach change from Andonovski or a way to manage minutes at a thin position. It doesn’t make sense to leave Ertz on the bench if she’s able to compete at an elite level, but a return to center-back seems like too much of a last-minute pivot without enough evidence.

Where Ertz lines up on Wednesday might actually have as much to do with where Andonovski wants Lindsey Horan to focus her attention. When Sullivan lines up at the No. 6, Horan tends to sit slightly further back in a 4-2-3-1 formation, to assist both in defensive transition and in moving the ball. That approach has become increasingly effective in 2023, most notably in the USWNT’s SheBelieves Cup tournament win earlier this year.

But if Rose Lavelle isn’t available to start on Wednesday, as she continues to work her way back from a knee injury, Andonvoski might feel Horan is best used pushing into the Netherlands’ penalty area and assisting the attack. That approach might require Ertz’s sweeper presence in the defensive midfield, making it logical to slot Cook back into the central defense and place the two-time World Champion back at the point of an inverted midfield triangle.

Defending from the front

Lynn Williams surprisingly didn’t make an appearance in the USWNT’s opening match, but it’s possible that decision was based on saving her legs for a lengthy appearance against the Netherlands. Williams is the USWNT’s resident expert at defending from the frontline, forcing turnovers and capitalizing on quick transition opportunities, as she’s shown with Gotham FC this NWSL season.

Williams also provides positional flexibility, something Andonovski appears to be prioritizing from at the start of the USWNT’s World Cup campaign. Trinity Rodman started on the right wing in the team’s opener, shifting Sophia Smith over to the left and closer to where she plays for the Portland Thorns. The decision paid immediate dividends, with Smith notching a brace at the position while combining with Alex Morgan centrally.

Therein lies Andonovski’s biggest decision of the tournament thus far: Morgan has done nothing to lose her starting position, playing hold-up soccer with a precision that opened up space for the players around her. She could resume her back-to-goal position against the Netherlands, and the Dutch’s defensive shape as seen against Portugal might actually favor that approach.

But Williams brings speed and a front-to-goal defensive tenacity that could create attacking opportunities and shut down avenues toward counterattacks against the Netherlands. Her presence relieves the defensive pressure on the players behind her, which might just tip the scales in favor of a Williams-Smith-Rodman frontline to begin the USWNT’s second game.

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The USWNT could use Lynn Williams' presence on the frontline against the Netherlands. (Robin Alam/USSF/Getty Images)

Exploiting wide spaces

The Netherlands played in a three-back formation at times in their opening matchup against Portugal, and while they might take a different approach against the USWNT’s speedy wingers, the U.S. has to feel like there is space to exploit on the flanks. The U.S. typically takes two approaches after getting to the endline, either lofting the ball in the air or cutting back to runners entering the box late.

The team also has an arsenal of wide attackers who can cut inside after dribbling into the box from a wide position. If the midfield can draw defenders in and make adjustments to get the ball out to the wingers, the U.S. should have a number of chances to take the lead. The U.S. didn’t get as much out of their outside-backs as they could have against Vietnam, with Crystal Dunn and Emily Fox both focusing on progressing the ball in the middle third.

The U.S. will be preoccupied with the Netherlands’ own quality on the wings, but a strategic, lopsided back-four would allow Fox or Dunn to combine in the attack and give the U.S. the numbers they need to overwhelm the defense. The outside-backs will also be key to progressing the ball quickly and not giving the Dutch time to settle into their out-of-possession defensive shape.

For the USWNT, the difference between a draw and a win might come down to forcing the game open and using their scorching talent on the wings, an advantage the U.S. holds over almost every other team.

Projected Starting XI

GK: Alyssa Naeher

D: Crystal Dunn, Naomi Girma, Alana Cook, Emily Fox

M: Julie Ertz, Lindsey Horan, Ashley Sanchez

F: Lynn Williams, Sophia Smith, Trinity Rodman

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

When Alana Cook makes her World Cup debut for the USWNT, she will do so as one of just a few players who has played for two different national teams.

Because her father holds British citizenship, Cook also is eligible to represent England. And it was for England that she received her first senior international call-up in September 2019, when she served as a training player for the Lionesses’ friendlies against Portugal and Brazil.

But the USWNT came calling soon after that, with Cook receiving her first senior call-up for the United States in October 2019.

Still, while Cook spent a lot of time in the USWNT’s youth ranks, playing for the U-17, U-20 and U-23 squads, the England call-up provided “an eye-opening moment” for her.

“I said, ‘For the sake of my career, I should go look,’” Cook said of her mindset at the time. “I was like, I deserve to give myself the opportunity, and went into camp. I think it dawned for me that playing with the U.S., win, lose or draw, for the rest of my career I would always be proud to be with the U.S. and to put on the jersey and fight for this team.

“So I think it was an eye-opening moment, it kind of reaffirmed everything that I knew. Playing for the USA, this is home, this is who I want to play for, this who I want to fight for. And you know, I would always be proud to do that.”

Now she’s proud to carry on the USWNT legacy as the team fights for its third straight World Cup this summer.

“I think it definitely carries a lot of weight,” she told fellow USWNT defender Kelley O’Hara. “To pick up where you guys are bringing us in and then to kind of carry it forward. … Like, you guys have fought that battle for us. And I think we talk a lot about: What will be our battle moving forward?

“So I think it’s definitely something we acknowledge, that it’s amazing to come in to inherit the program where you guys have brought it to, but that’s not enough, right? Our legacy is also to carry that forward. And to know that the fight isn’t over. We just have to make sure that we’re making something else better for people below us too.”

Just Women’s Sports is keeping tabs on all of the NWSL players who are competing at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. Of the 23-member USWNT squad, 22 players compete domestically in the NWSL (all save Lindsey Horan).

As of July 9, 2023, 57 current NWSL players — representing 15 nations — are slated to compete at the World Cup.

NWSL players competing at the World Cup were released from their teams on June 26. The NWSL doesn’t take a break for the World Cup, but teams will have a lighter workload during the tournament, with no games scheduled from July 10-20 and from Aug. 7-17. The World Cup window will also feature more Challenge Cup games in order to have less of an impact on the regular season NWSL standings.

See below for a team-by-team NWSL breakdown. Please note that list only includes players who are currently on NWSL rosters.

Angel City FC

  • Jun Endo (Japan)
  • Julie Ertz (USWNT)
  • Alyssa Thompson (USWNT)
  • Ali Riley (New Zealand)
  • Note: Amandine Henry was initially expected to compete for France, but she is missing the World Cup due to injury

Chicago Red Stars

  • Alyssa Naeher (USWNT)
  • Cheyna Matthews (Jamaica)

Houston Dash 

  • Michelle Alozie (Nigeria)
  • Sophie Schmidt (Canada)
  • Nichelle Prince (Canada)
  • Allysha Chapman (Canada)
  • Havana Solaun (Jamaica)

Kansas City Current

  • Debinha (Brazil)
  • Note: Desiree Scott was on Canada’s provisional roster, but wasn’t selected to the final World Cup team due to injury

NJ/NY Gotham FC 

  • Sinead Farrelly (Ireland)
  • Ifeoma Onumonu (Nigeria)
  • Kelley O’Hara (USWNT)
  • Lynn Williams (USWNT)
  • Kristie Mewis (USWNT)
  • Bruninha (Brazil)

North Carolina Courage

  • Denise O’Sullivan (Ireland)
  • Casey Murphy (USWNT)
  • Emily Fox (USWNT)
  • Kerolin (Brazil)
  • Mille Gejl (Denmark)
  • Rikki Madsen (Denmark)

OL Reign 

  • Quinn (Canada)
  • Jordyn Huitema (Canada)
  • Sofia Huerta (USWNT)
  • Alana Cook (USWNT)
  • Emily Sonnett (USWNT)
  • Megan Rapinoe (USWNT)
  • Rose Lavelle (USWNT)

Orlando Pride

  • Marta (Brazil)
  • Adriana (Brazil)

Portland Thorns FC 

  • Adriana Leon (Canada)
  • Christine Sinclair (Canada)
  • Hina Sugita (Japan)
  • Raquel Rodriquez (Costa Rica)
  • Sophia Smith (USWNT)
  • Crystal Dunn (USWNT)

Racing Louisville FC 

  • Thembi Kgatlana (South Africa)
  • Uchenna Kanu (Nigeria)
  • Alex Chidiac (Australia)
  • Savannah DeMelo (USWNT)
  • Ary (Brazil)
  • Wang Shuang (China)

San Diego Wave FC 

  • Kailen Sheridan (Canada)
  • Sofia Jakobsson (Sweden)
  • Naomi Girma (USWNT)
  • Alex Morgan (USWNT)
  • Emily van Egmond (Australia)

Washington Spirit FC 

  • Marissa Sheva (Ireland)
  • Ashley Sanchez (USWNT)
  • Andi Sullivan (USWNT)
  • Trinity Rodman (USWNT)
  • Aubrey Kingsbury (USWNT)
  • Riley Tanner (Panama)
  • Gabrielle Carle (Canada)

For the U.S. women’s national team, the 2023 NWSL season provided a perfect runway to the World Cup.

Most members of the team played for their NWSL clubs right up to the national team training camp, which kicked off this week in California.

How have the USWNT stars been performing for their club teams? Just Women’s Sports tracked their playing time ahead of this summer’s tournament.

Matchday #13: June 23-25

  • Megan Rapinoe (calf) missed OL Reign’s last two games heading into USWNT training camp, but she called her injury “minor” despite the bad timing. She is not worried about the injury affecting her at the World Cup.
  • Sophia Smith scored a hat trick in the Portland Thorns’ 4-2 win over the Washington Spirit. Those three goals pushed her into the lead in the Golden Boot race with 10 on the season. Yet while USWNT coach Vlatko Andonovski is glad to see her in form, scoring at the club level “is totally different from doing it at an international level at a World Cup,” he noted.
  • Only Rapinoe, Rose Lavelle (leg) and Lindsey Horan (Olympique Lyonnais) did not take the pitch in the final match weekend before World Cup training began. Of the 20 who did, most played a full 90 minutes or close to it; only Kelley O’Hara played less than 80 minutes. The 34-year-old defender started for Gotham FC but subbed out after 63 minutes in the 2-1 win against the Chicago Red Stars.

Matchday #12: June 17-18

  • Racing Louisville midfielder Savannah DeMelo scored a goal, continuing her scorching start to the season just after a report emerged that she will have a spot on the World Cup roster. Portland Thorns forward Sophia Smith and Washington Spirit midfielder Ashley Sanchez also scored goals for their teams this weekend.
  • Neither Rose Lavelle (leg) nor Megan Rapinoe (calf) appeared for OL Reign as they continue to deal with injuries. Lavelle has been out since April but has been training with the team, while Rapinoe’s recovery is only expected to take “a couple of weeks,” OL Reign coach Laura Harvey said.
  • Alex Morgan returned for the San Diego Wave, while Kelley O’Hara played 45 minutes for Gotham FC as she works her way back from injury. Julie Ertz played a full 90 minutes for the second straight week for Angel City FC.
  • Becky Sauerbrunn (foot) missed her second consecutive game for the Portland Thorns just after confirming that she will miss the World Cup due to the injury.

Matchday #11: June 9-11

  • Alex Morgan missed the San Diego Wave’s 0-0 draw with Racing Louisville on Friday, but her absence was merely precautionary, head coach Casey Stoney said. “She came off the pitch with a tight calf… It was a long trip here. She’s got a World Cup ahead,” Stoney said. “So it wasn’t a matter of she wasn’t fit to play. It was precautionary. We just didn’t want to push her.” She also called out Louisville’s pitch quality, calling it “notoriously” poor. (Morgan did venture out Saturday to catch Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour stop in Detroit.)
  • Becky Sauerbrunn returned from a foot injury last week for the Portland Thorns, playing 24 minutes as a substitute in her first action since April 22, but she missed Sunday’s 3-1 loss to the Orlando Pride.
  • Megan Rapinoe played just six minutes in OL Reign’s 2-1 win against the Kansas City Current before exiting with her own apparent calf injury. While head coach Laura Harvey described Rapinoe as “OK,” she also said she did not know “the severity of it.”
  • Rose Lavelle (leg) has missed OL Reign’s last 12 matches across all competitions, and Harvey has said the 28-year-old midfielder likely will not return to NWSL action before the World Cup.
  • Kelley O’Hara (ankle) returned for the first time since May 14, coming on as a substitute in the 73rd minute of Gotham FC’s 1-1 draw with the Houston Dash. In true O’Hara fashion, she received a yellow card for a tackle 11 minutes later. Our soccer analyst Claire Watkins has O’Hara on the bubble for a World Cup spot in her latest mock roster.
  • In a matchup of the USWNT’s top two goalkeepers, Casey Murphy came out on top, as her North Carolina Courage beat Alyssa Naeher and the Chicago Red Stars 5-0. Yet the score doesn’t tell the whole story. Murphy did not face a single shot on target, while Naeher faced eight shots on target (and made three saves), though she allowed five goals.

Matchday #10: June 3-5

  • Christen Press is inching toward a return, as she teased in a photo posted to her Instagram, which showed her in cleats giving two thumbs up. The 34-year-old forward has not played since tearing her ACL last June, but she still wants to join the USWNT at the World Cup, as she told ESPN. “I think that her running form is looking superb and again, we are just making sure that we track the return to play and are able to tick the boxes in a very controlled and methodical manner,” Angel City FC coach Freya Coombe said.
  • Becky Sauerbrunn returned from a foot injury for the Portland Thorns, playing 24 minutes as a substitute in Saturday’s 2-0 win against OL Reign. She had not played since April 22.
  • Kelley O’Hara (ankle) has not played since May 14, while Midge Purce (hip) has not played since April 19. Both are close to returning, Gotham FC coach Juan Carlos Amorós said after Sunday’s game, though he did not provide a timeline.

Matchday #9: May 26-28

  • Julie Ertz returned to the Angel City FC lineup for the first time since May 13, playing 12 minutes in Wednesday’s Challenge Cup match against the Portland Thorns. Becky Sauerbrunn (foot) missed the same match but participated fully in the Thorns’ training the next day.
  • Cassie Miller got another start in net over AD Franch for the Kansas City Current. Franch has played in just five matches across the regular season and the Challenge Cup in 2023.
  • Olympique Lyonnais midfielder Catarina Macario “won’t be physically ready for selection” to the USWNT as she continues to recover from an ACL tear.

Matchday #8: May 20-21

  • Rose Lavelle (leg), Becky Sauerbrunn (foot) and Midge Purce (hip) remain on the injured list. Lavelle has missed OL Reign’s last eight matches across all competitions, while Sauerbrunn has missed the Portland Thorns’ last four matches and Purce has missed Gotham’s last six.
  • Kelley O’Hara and Julie Ertz were available as substitutes for Gotham FC and Angel City FC, respectively, but did not play. Taylor Kornieck made her first appearance since April 19 for the San Diego Wave, playing four minutes off the bench.
  • Olympique Lyonnais midfielder Catarina Macario has not played yet this season as she recovers from an ACL tear, and just one match remains in the Division 1 Féminine season.
  • Alyssa Naeher again struggled in goal for the Chicago Red Stars in a 4-0 loss against the Thorns, while Cassie Miller got the start over AD Franch for the Kansas City Current.
  • Alex Morgan, Ashley Hatch, Lynn Williams and Crystal Dunn are tied for the lead in the NWSL Golden Boot race with five each. Dunn plays as an attacking midfielder for the Thorns but as a defender for the USWNT.

Matchday #7: May 12-14

  • Rose Lavelle has missed OL Reign’s last five regular-season matches and their last seven in a row across all competitions with a knee injury. While she is training with the team and she is “on the mend,” she is still working her way back to game form, head coach Laura Harvey said.
  • Becky Sauerbrunn (foot), Taylor Kornieck (abdomen) and Midge Purce (hip) all remain sidelined with their own injuries, as they have for the last several weeks.
  • The USWNT goalkeeping corps did not have a stellar week, with Alyssa Naeher and AD Franch each responsible for own goals. Naeher allowed three goals total in a loss to Racing Louisville, which leaves the Chicago Red Stars alone at the bottom of the league table, while Franch allowed two goals in her first appearance for the Kansas City Current in a month.

Matchday #6: May 6-7

  • Rose Lavelle has missed OL Reign’s last four regular-season matches and their last six in a row across all competitions with a knee injury, one which head coach Laura Harvey admitted has turned out to be more serious than initially thought. The injury will keep Lavelle out for “a couple more weeks,” Harvey said last Wednesday.
  • AD Franch sat out her fourth match in a row across all competitions for the Kansas City Current. But while fellow goalkeeper Cassie Miller had the hot hand entering Sunday, she allowed three goals in a loss to Angel City, which could open the door for Franch to reclaim the starting spot.
  • Becky Sauerbrunn (foot) has missed two weeks in a row. Still, the USWNT captain and Portland Thorns defender should have her name inked on the World Cup roster.
  • Taylor Kornieck (abdomen) and Midge Purce (hip) each have been sidelined for the last three weeks. While neither should remain out for long, they’re losing out on opportunities to prove themselves to Andonovski.
  • Julie Ertz missed Angel’s City’s Challenge Cup match Wednesday and its regular-season match Sunday with excused absences related to a charity project in Philadelphia, but she will return to training this week, head coach Freya Coombe said.

Matchday #5: April 28-30

  • AD Franch has not played in the Current’s last three matches across all competitions, sitting in favor of Cassie Miller, who has not allowed a goal in that span. While Franch has been supportive of Miller, the time on the bench could hurt her standing in the USWNT goalkeeper pool.
  • Rose Lavelle (leg) missed her third game in a row with a lingering injury, but head coach Laura Harvey was unconcerned after her team’s 2-2 draw with Racing Louisville. “A couple more weeks and then she’ll be OK,” Harvey said.
  • Taylor Kornieck (abdomen) and Midge Purce (hip) each have missed the last two weeks of competition, and Becky Sauerbrunn was sidelined with a foot injury for the Thorns’ 3-3 draw with Angel City FC.
  • San Diego Wave striker Alex Morgan missed her team’s 3-1 loss against the Orlando Pride with a thigh injury. When asked if Morgan would be available for the upcoming week, head coach Casey Stoney said: “We’ll have to take our time this week and see how she recovers, but I hope so.”
  • Lindsey Horan and Catarina Macario play for Lyon in France’s Division 1 Féminine, which has not taken the pitch since April 16. The only two players on this list not in the NWSL, Horan is a regular starter for Lyon, but Macario has missed the entire season with an ACL tear.

Matchday #4: April 22-23

  • Alyssa Naeher has started all four matches for the Chicago Red Stars so far this season, but the 35-year-old goalkeeper gave up five goals in Saturday’s 5-2 loss to OL Reign.
  • AD Franch did not appear for the Kansas City Current in Sunday’s 2-0 win against the Orlando Pride; instead, Cassie Miller got the start (and the shutout). Franch had started the first three matches of the season for the Current, all losses.
  • Kelley O’Hara played a full 90 minutes for Gotham FC for the first time this season. O’Hara joined Gotham in free agency in the offseason but has been recovering from a nagging hip injury.
  • Julie Ertz returned to the NWSL for the first time since 2021, playing 71 minutes for Angel City FC.
  • Rose Lavelle (leg), Taylor Kornieck (illness) and Midge Purce (hip) missed their team’s matches with short-term ailments.

U.S. women’s national team coach Vlatko Andonovski on Wednesday named his 23-player roster for the 2023 World Cup beginning next month in Australia and New Zealand.

The team features three players competing in their fourth World Cups (Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe and Kelley O’Hara) and 14 World Cup debutantes. The players will be released from their club teams for World Cup duty on June 26 and will play a send-off match against Wales on July 9 before traveling to New Zealand for their group-stage opener against Vietnam on July 21.

Get to know the 23 players representing the USWNT in their World Cup title defense.

It’s certainly no secret that this U.S. women’s national team World Cup roster looks much different from the last.

With many veterans having retired or out due to injury, the USWNT is bringing a number of newcomers down under. In total 14 of the 23 players on the provisional roster have never played in a World Cup.

Among them are players who have solidified their spots since 2019, like Sophia Smith and Naomi Girma, who are still young but bring a dominating presence to the squad. Others, like Alyssa Thompson, are just a few caps in and still attempting to find their way.

Alana Cook, 26, defender

Defender Alana Cook has factored heavily for the USWNT the last couple matches, including getting her first goal against Ireland in April. With club experience both internationally and domestically, Cook is no stranger to the world’s biggest stages from a club standpoint. Now, she’ll do it for the USWNT.

Also eligible to play for England, Cook’s first senior international call-up actually came for the Lionesses, before being called up to the USWNT in October 2019. Since joining OL Reign in 2021, Cook helped the squad to the NWSL Shield in 2022 and was named to the NWSL’s Best XI in 2021 and 2022.

Savannah DeMelo, 25, midfielder

Savannah DeMelo’s stellar start to the NWSL season has been rewarded with a provisional World Cup roster spot. Despite call-ups to the USWNT in September and October of 2022, DeMelo hasn’t made an international appearance, meaning that her debut will likely either come at the World Cup or in the send-off game against Wales. Her lack of experience could factor in, or it could not – and if it doesn’t, look out: DeMelo scored in four of five appearances to start the season and forced an own goal against Chicago.

Emily Fox, 24, defender

After earning her first call-up to the USWNT in 2018, Emily Fox finally earned significant time in camp in 2022, making 14 appearances and notching one assist. She’s had six appearances to start the year, and even scored her first NWSL goal against Ireland in April.

Fox is one that can go anywhere on the back line, be it right or left. USWNT captain Becky Sauerbrunn has called the defender “versatile” before, which could prove helpful down under if Andonovski decides he wants to play around with his lineup. With Sauerbrunn out, it’s even more likely that Fox could end up a starter in the first slate of games as Crystal Dunn continues to regain fitness and stamina after returning from childbirth.

Naomi Girma, 23, defender

Naomi Girma may have once been the future of the USWNT’s defense, but with the absence of Becky Sauerbrunn that future is now here. Girma might just be two years into her professional career, and 15 appearances into her international career, but you wouldn’t know it.

In her rookie NWSL season, Girma was named not only Rookie of the Year, but Defender of the Year as well. She’ll take on a lot of responsibility in her first World Cup, but there might not be another player better suited for it.

Sofia Huerta, 30, defender

While Huerta has become a mainstay over the last few years, the 2023 World Cup will be her first major tournament with the squad. While she missed out on the 2021 Olympics, she helped the team to the 2022 Concacaf Women’s Championship title, and she’ll look to replicate that success in Australia and New Zealand.

Aubrey Kingsbury, 31, goalkeeper

After receiving her first national team call-up in 2019, goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury has now been named to the World Cup roster. Slotting in at the third-string goalkeeper slot, Kingsbury has just one international appearance, but it was a clean sheet in a 9-0 win over Uzbekistan in April 2022. She’s also had a solid start to the NWSL season, and statistically has always been one of the NWSL’s best keepers.

Kristie Mewis, 32, midfielder

Kristie Mewis has been in the USWNT ranks for a long time, having earned 15 caps between 2013 and 2014 before falling off the radar. Suffering two serious knee injuries during that time, Mewis fought her way back and was rewarded. Under Vlatko Anodnovski, the midfielder has seen a resurgence in her national team career. Mewis is now one of the more experienced players that is going to New Zealand, despite never having played in a World Cup, with 51 international appearances under her belt.

Casey Murphy, 27, goalkeeper

Murphy made her first appearance for the senior national team on a trip to Australia in 2021. She recorded a shutout in that match against the Matildas, and she’ll look for similar success on her return trip.

Trinity Rodman, 21, forward

After bursting onto the NWSL scene in 2021, Trinity Rodman received her first call-up in 2022, scoring in just her third national team appearance. She made 10 appearances in 2022, scoring two goals.

A Ballon d’Or nominee in 2022, Rodman also became the highest paid player in NWSL history in February 2022. While she’s intermittently started since her first call-up, the injury to Mallory Swanson provides Rodman with the ability to solidify herself as a starter. Nobody can replace Swanson, but Rodman has the ability to balance out the USWNT starting attack, both with her scoring and as one of the team’s best passers.

Ashley Sanchez, 24, midfielder

Ashley Sanchez is no stranger to the national team program, having spent a lot of time on the youth national teams. In 2016, she featured at the U-20 Women’s World Cup and the U-17 WWC, becoming the first player in U.S. history to play in multiple World Cups in the same year. She also received her first national team call-up that year (although her first cap came in 2021), meaning that she’s been in the system a long time. Sanchez is a player that’s good at creating chances and taking them, and has had a good start to the NWSL season.

Sophia Smith, 22, forward

The 2022 NWSL Player of the Year also featured as one of the best players internationally and was named U.S. Soccer Player of the Year. But she’ll be making her first World Cup appearance this summer. And while some have tabbed her as “the future” of the USWNT, Smith has made it known that she’s intent on being that player right now.

Through 29 international appearances, Smith has 12 goals, with her most recent coming against Germany last November. She’s made just two appearances to start 2023, having dealt with some injury issues that kept her sidelined earlier in the year. But she’s back healthy, and started the NWSL season with seven goals and five assists in seven appearances, which once again places her as one of the best players in the league.

Andi Sullivan, 27, midfielder

Sullivan helped lead the Washington Spirit to the 2021 NWSL title, and since then she has become a starter in the USWNT midfield while Julie Ertz missed time due to injury and then pregnancy. She could hold onto that starting spot even with Ertz’s return.

Alyssa Thompson, 18, forward

18-year-old Alyssa Thompson’s career has been on a fast path ever since she made her USWNT debut last October. Since then, she’s made three appearances on the USWNT, and was called up in April as a replacement for Mallory Swanson.

Drafted first-overall in the 2023 NWSL Draft, Thompson has made 11 appearances in her rookie pro season for Angel City FC and scored three goals – which is the second-most on the team and includes just 11 minutes into her NWSL regular season debut and just five minutes into her pro debut against Club América. While young, Thompson’s abilities cannot be understated and she brings a boost down under with the USWNT.

Lynn Williams, 30, forward

Although it may seem crazy, this will be Lynn Williams’ first World Cup appearance. The three-time NWSL champion, NWSL Golden Boot and MVP winner has been a regular on the USWNT since 2016, but did not crack the roster in 2019.

But since her return from a hamstring tear last season, Williams has left no doubts about her inclusion on the roster this go around. She might be the best player that the USWNT has to take down under at the forward position, having had a hot start to the NWSL season with Gotham FC in which she’s scored five times and taken sole possession of the second-most goals in NWSL history. What’s even more scary for the opposition? Williams told Snacks back in May that she still feels like she’s getting back to being herself on the pitch.

Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe once again will lead the U.S. women’s national team into a World Cup tournament, though the roster revealed Wednesday looks much different than the one from the 2019 title run.

Morgan, Rapinoe and Kelley O’Hara provide a solid veteran foundation, as each of them are set to play in their fourth consecutive World Cup tournament with the USWNT. Alyssa Naeher and Julie Ertz each will be playing in their third World Cup, while Crystal Dunn, Emily Sonnett, Lindsey Horan and Rose Lavelle all will be playing in their second.

The other 14 members of the 23-player roster will be making their World Cup debuts in Australia and New Zealand. The tournament kicks off on Thursday, July 20, and the USWNT will play its first match at 9 p.m. ET Friday, July 21.

So far in 2023, the USWNT has gone 7-0 in international friendlies. The squad kicked off the year with two resounding wins against World Cup co-host New Zealand, then swept its three games in the SheBelieves Cup and its next two friendlies against Ireland. The squad will play in one more friendly, against Wales on July 9, before departing for the World Cup.

While the USWNT features a number of familiar faces, they will travel to Australia and New Zealand without captain Becky Sauerbrunn, who is sidelined with a foot injury. Rising star Catarina Macario also is unavailable as she continues to recover from an ACL tear.

Still, the U.S. squad remains the favorite to take home its third consecutive World Cup title.

Goalkeepers (3)

  • Aubrey Kingsbury (Washington Spirit)
  • Casey Murphy (North Carolina Courage)
  • Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars)

Defenders (7)

  • Alana Cook (OL Reign)
  • Crystal Dunn (Portland Thorns FC)
  • Emily Fox (North Carolina Courage)
  • Naomi Girma (San Diego Wave FC)
  • Sofia Huerta (OL Reign)
  • Kelley O’Hara (Gotham FC)
  • Emily Sonnett (OL Reign)

Midfielders (7)

  • Savannah DeMelo (Racing Louisville FC)
  • Julie Ertz (Angel City FC)
  • Lindsey Horan (Olympique Lyonnais)
  • Rose Lavelle (OL Reign)
  • Kristie Mewis (Gotham FC)
  • Ashley Sanchez (Washington Spirit)
  • Andi Sullivan (Washington Spirit)

Forwards (6)

  • Alex Morgan (San Diego Wave FC)
  • Megan Rapinoe (OL Reign)
  • Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit)
  • Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns FC)
  • Alyssa Thompson (Angel City FC)
  • Lynn Williams (Gotham FC)

The USWNT is back, playing their last two friendlies before final roster decisions are made for the 2023 World Cup this summer. Head coach Vlatko Andonovski has preferred a certain amount of roster consistency since the beginning of 2022, but long-awaited returns from injury are forcing the issue at a number of key positions.

Let’s take a look at the most hotly contested roles, and who might get one last opportunity to audition for one of the highest honors in American soccer.

Tierna Davidson and the third center-back spot

The April roster is heavy on defenders, with a limited number of games left to make decisions about the final form of the USWNT backline. Center backs Becky Sauerbrunn and Naomi Girma appear to be near-locks for the World Cup roster, but who will join them remains up in the air.

The key player at the center-back position returning from injury in April is Tierna Davidson, who featured on both the 2019 World Cup and 2020 Olympic rosters as a center back with the ability to play outside back.

Davidson tore her ACL during the 2022 Challenge Cup and recently made her return to the NWSL, playing significant minutes in the Chicago Red Stars’ first two games of the season. Davidson brings a calm presence to her main role as a center back, and provides versatility if the team needs options on the outside.

But the position on the USWNT is increasingly crowded. In Davidson’s absence, OL Reign center back Alana Cook played the most minutes of any USWNT player in 2022 and appeared to have an inside track to making her first World Cup roster. The other player with the ability to play both centrally and on the flank is Emily Sonnett, who similarly featured on the 2019 and 2020 rosters as a utility defender. On a 23-player roster, the U.S. is unlikely to take all three of Cook, Davidson and Sonnett, and minutes in April could be the key differentiator after months of competition.

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Kelley O'Hara will try to earn her roster spot back after returning from injury. (Erin Chang/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

O’Hara, Krueger, Huerta and the right-back strategy

The USWNT has been criticized in the past for using converted attackers as outside-back depth, but the April friendlies could provide a look at other options. Andonovski’s favored outside pair is Crystal Dunn on the left and Emily Fox on the right, but two known defenders rejoin the U.S. to take aim at the right-back spot in particular.

USWNT veteran Kelley O’Hara’s experience dates all the way back to the 2011 World Cup. She’s long-been the preferred starter for the USWNT at right back, but she missed much of last year with a lingering hip injury. O’Hara is back with the team in April camp after playing her first game minutes with Gotham FC in the first two weeks of the NWSL season. She is joined by outside back Casey Krueger, who made the 22-player Olympic roster in 2021. Krueger returns after the birth of her son and is coming off playing a full 90 minutes for the Red Stars this past weekend.

O’Hara and Krueger are defensive-minded players with 1v1 defending abilities in transition that Andonovski might prefer to see in action before making a decision on his outside-back pool. They provide a sharp contrast to OL Reign’s Sofia Huerta, another converted attacker. Huerta is one of the best in the world at crossing the ball, providing the U.S. an unmatched skill when in possession, but sometimes the defensive seams show when opponents target her on the outside.

Lingering injury concerns might make it difficult for O’Hara or Krueger to unseat Huerta and the obvious value she brings as an attacking specialist. This will be one of the most competitive position battles before Andonovski names his World Cup roster.

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Julie Ertz is back in USWNT camp for the first time since 2021. (Atsushi Tomura/Getty Images)

Julie Ertz and the midfield pool

Julie Ertz’s surprising return to USWNT camp reopened competition in a midfield that seemed well on its way to becoming a settled proposition. In the free agent’s absence, the Washington Spirit’s Andi Sullivan became the de-facto defensive midfield starter, working in tandem with Lindsey Horan to cover gaps off the ball and help with distribution.

Ertz’s return is unlikely to push Sullivan to the fringes of the roster, but her presence might mean something different for the other players who have gotten tryouts at the same position. While the defensive midfield has remained unsettled, two players have stuck with the team due to their versatility.

Taylor Kornieck is on the roster not just as a midfielder, but also as a utility substitute who can slot into any central field position. Kristie Mewis shares that distinction in the midfield, having played as a No. 6, No. 8 and No. 10 in her time with the team. Ashley Sanchez is more of an attacking midfield specialist, who pushes forward into the attack as often as she connects with the defensive midfield.

It’s possible Andonovski’s intention is simply to add Ertz to the established midfield group and shut the door on any other new faces. But in that case, he would have to take a roster spot from either the USWNT’s incredibly deep forward pool or a defense that might need extra coverage against top opponents.

Ashley Hatch and the center-forward ticking clock

Catarina Macario is finally making her return to training with Olympique Lyon this month, after enduring a long recovery from an ACL injury suffered in June 2022. Following a scintillating run with the U.S. at the 2022 SheBelieves Cup, Macario will not have a chance to play in a USWNT jersey before Andonovski has to make a decision on his rising star.

Macario has talent worthy of a trip to New Zealand if she’s healthy enough by June, but her impending return complicates things for Washington Spirit forward Ashley Hatch. Since joining the team long-term in 2022, Hatch has done everything asked of her off the bench as Alex Morgan took over the starting role at center forward. She has continued to perform at the club level, most recently scoring a brace this weekend in the NWSL, and she has a knack for scoring in her limited international minutes. Despite those strengths, Hatch has yet to entrench herself in the starting conversation.

Hatch is in a race against time and sheer numbers. The U.S. isn’t likely to sacrifice a winger spot to carry three central forwards, Morgan is a clear lock for the roster, and Macario has the versatility to sink back into the midfield — something Hatch hasn’t been asked to emulate. The April friendlies could be the final push in one direction and, at the very least, a final audition for Hatch should Macario not be fit enough for the trip.

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

The 2023 NWSL season kicked off this weekend.

The league itself offers plenty of storylines, from the Portland Thorns’ quest for a repeat championship to Gotham FC’s roster overhaul. But the season also serves as the runway to this summer’s World Cup, for U.S. soccer fans and U.S. women’s national team players alike.

Where do you catch your favorite USWNT stars in the domestic league? Just Women’s Sports offers the breakdown, by player and by NWSL team.

Note: While the USWNT will need to cut its roster to 23 players for the World Cup, more players than that remain in contention for roster spots. These lists include players who have featured on recent USWNT camp rosters and players who are working their way back from injuries.

Where do USWNT stars play in the NWSL?

Goalkeepers

  • Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars)
  • Casey Murphy (North Carolina Courage)
  • A.D. Franch (Kansas City Current)

Defenders

  • Alana Cook (OL Reign)
  • Tierna Davidson (Chicago Red Stars)
  • Crystal Dunn (Portland Thorns)
  • Emily Fox (North Carolina Courage)
  • Naomi Girma (San Diego Wave)
  • Sofia Huerta (OL Reign)
  • Hailie Mace (Kansas City Current)
  • Kelley O’Hara (Gotham FC)
  • Becky Sauerbrunn (Portland Thorns)
  • Emily Sonnett (OL Reign)

Midfielders

  • Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns)
  • Julie Ertz (Free agent)
  • Lindsey Horan (Olympique Lyonnais, Division 1 Féminine)
  • Taylor Kornieck (San Diego Wave)
  • Rose Lavelle (OL Reign)
  • Catarina Macario (Olympique Lyonnais, Division 1 Féminine)
  • Kristie Mewis (Gotham FC)
  • Ashley Sanchez (Washington Spirit)
  • Andi Sullivan (Washington Spirit)

Forwards

  • Ashley Hatch (Washington Spirit)
  • Tobin Heath (Free agent)
  • Alex Morgan (San Diego Wave)
  • Christen Press (Angel City FC)
  • Midge Purce (Gotham FC)
  • Megan Rapinoe (OL Reign)
  • Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit)
  • Mallory Pugh Swanson (Chicago Red Stars)
  • Alyssa Thompson (Angel City FC)
  • Lynn Williams (Gotham FC)

Which NWSL teams feature USWNT players?

Angel City FC

  • Christen Press
  • Alyssa Thompson

Chicago Red Stars

  • Tierna Davidson
  • Alyssa Naeher
  • Mallory Pugh Swanson

Gotham FC

  • Kristie Mewis
  • Kelley O’Hara
  • Midge Purce
  • Lynn Williams

Houston Dash

  • N/A

Kansas City Current

  • A.D. Franch
  • Hailie Mace

North Carolina Courage

  • Emily Fox
  • Casey Murphy

OL Reign

  • Alana Cook
  • Sofia Huerta
  • Rose Lavelle
  • Emily Sonnett
  • Megan Rapinoe

Orlando Pride

  • N/A

Portland Thorns

  • Sam Coffey
  • Crystal Dunn
  • Becky Sauerbrunn

Racing Louisville

  • N/A

San Diego Wave

  • Naomi Girma
  • Taylor Kornieck
  • Alex Morgan

Washington Spirit

  • Ashley Hatch
  • Trinity Rodman
  • Ashley Sanchez
  • Andi Sullivan

Not in NWSL

  • Julie Ertz (Free agent)
  • Tobin Heath (Free agent)
  • Lindsey Horan (Olympique Lyonnais, Division 1 Féminine)
  • Catarina Macario (Olympique Lyonnais, Division 1 Féminine)