Netflix has set the premiere date for its docuseries on the U.S. women’s national team.

The four-episode series, titled “Under Pressure: The U.S. Women’s World Cup Team,” will come to the streaming service on Dec. 12. It will chronicle the path of the USWNT and its players, from veteran star Alex Morgan to teenage phenom Alyssa Thompson.

The USWNT entered the tournament in Australia and New Zealand as the two-time reigning champions, but the journey ended in disappointment. A shootout loss to Sweden in the Round of 16 marked the earliest exit ever for the USWNT, which had never finished worse than third place at a World Cup.

“From enduring injury to upholding legacy, the series follows the athletes behind the most decorated team in international soccer history on the road to the 2023 FIFA World Cup,” Netflix wrote in its announcement.

Netflix bills the docuseries, which was co-produced with Time Studios, Words + Pictures and Togethxr, as an “all-access” look at the team. “Issues ranging from injury, criticism and doubt, equal pay, and upholding legacies are all brought to light as the narrative unfolds,” according to Netflix.

In addition to Morgan and Thompson, World Cup debutantes Savannah DeMelo, Lynn Williams and Kristie Mewis will be featured, among others.

Jaedyn Shaw is not intimidated ahead of the San Diego Wave’s NWSL semifinal contest against OL Reign at 9:30 p.m. ET Sunday.

“Obviously, this is a super important game,” the 18-year-old forward said Friday. “It’s win or go home. So yeah, we’ve prepared for a while for this. And honestly, we’re just ready to get out there and play.

“I feel like, this is a big game and it’s a great opponent. And we’re just ready to go and kick some butt.”

That unflappable attitude will help Shaw as she and the No. 1 seed Wave host No. 4 seed OL Reign at Snapdragon Stadium with a spot in the NWSL Championship on the line. While she would not describe herself as the team’s “class clown,” she does help keep the atmosphere light in training.

“That’s just me. Like, I’m so unserious. I know when it’s time to take care of business, but I can be laughing while I do it, too.”

The relationship she has developed with veteran forward Alex Morgan also has helped Shaw in her first full NWSL season. Shaw joined San Diego in July 2022, and while she played in both of the team’s NWSL playoff games last season, the chemistry between herself and Morgan is even stronger heading into their opening game of the 2023 postseason.

“I feel like a lot of it is just chemistry starting in training. And I feel like now we kind of know each other’s tendencies and we know how to work off each other a little bit better,” Shaw said. “And honestly, I feel like I can find her from anywhere and she can find me the same way. So I think that’s really transferred onto the games and into the national team as well. So I’m really excited to see where it goes.”

The U.S. women’s national team will move on from October with their heads held high. A 3-0 victory over Colombia on Sunday gave them more breathing room after a scoreless draw earlier in the week. The match was a tale of two halves, as the U.S. made slight adjustments at halftime to pepper Colombia’s penalty area in a chippy, physical match.

The shots on goal didn’t start landing until the second half, as key substitutes took advantage of a worn-down defense. Mia Fishel and Jaedyn Shaw tallied their first USWNT goals, and Lindsey Horan also scored a breakthrough goal in her attacking midfield role.

What was likely interim manager Twila Kilgore’s final game in charge of a team in a holding pattern didn’t answer every question fans have for the former world champions. But it did serve as a reminder that solutions are necessary, and that the players in the team’s future might actually be the ones who can perform the best in the present.

Here are a few main takeaways from Sunday’s win.

It’s time to start rotating the center forwards

The next USWNT coach could find themselves in a conundrum as they decide what to do about the established center forward role. It’s a spot that Alex Morgan has held in good stead for most of her career, but as the striker concludes another international break without a goal, questions about form continue to follow the 34-year-old.

Morgan brings more to the team than just a goal-scoring presence, as both a key leader and an increasingly effective playmaker. But in both October matches against Colombia, she struggled with her primary objective, missing a penalty kick and other high-quality chances in front of goal. It’s not Morgan’s fault that the USWNT has played slim-margin, counter-attacking soccer in 2023 — that responsibility primarily rests with former manager Vlatko Andonovski. But the last four games have followed a similar blueprint, and form being a fickle thing supports the idea of letting hotter hands get experience in the No. 9 role.

Mia Fishel made an obvious case on Sunday, scoring her first senior international goal on a header off a short corner kick. The USWNT has long been dominant on set pieces, and Fishel’s aerial ability combined with her comfort as a back-to-goal striker opened things up for the U.S. in the second half on Sunday.

Sophia Smith is also re-entering the fold after an MCL sprain and still lining up with the U.S. as a winger. She has had a two-year run of dominance in the NWSL in a more central position, something Andonovski leaned on but never committed to as USWNT coach. Other players who can do damage in front of goal include (but are not limited to) Ashley Hatch, Lynn Williams and Catarina Macario, considering she can return to her old form after recovery from an ACL injury.

It doesn’t do Morgan any favors to keep inserting her into a system that doesn’t play to her strengths, nor does it make sense for a team that has this much attacking talent to become rigid in the face of a shooting slump. The process of building cohesion and chemistry only works if the pieces in the system fit, and the U.S. appears to be a couple of personnel moves away from striking the right balance.

The future is now

Some of the turnover in the USWNT player pool happened so fast this summer that it’s difficult to contextualize a team that’s constantly changing. Trinity Rodman abruptly took on much greater responsibility during the World Cup due to Mallory Swanson’s knee injury and now looks like a confident, seasoned pro on the wings. Savannah DeMelo, after a surprising World Cup debut, was similarly called upon to infuse life into the U.S. attack in both of their October matches in the absence of Rose Lavelle.

The success of players like Rodman and DeMelo, who were pushed into the deep end and swam instead of sinking, should bolster the idea that the next USWNT coach need not be precious about giving minutes to younger, less experienced talent. In fact, Kilgore’s reluctance to move away from the hyper-conservative playing style of the team’s Round of 16 formation arguably wasted precious time when the team has never had less to lose.

Shaw and Fishel played like stars on Sunday, with a fearlessness and tenacity that the USWNT has been missing from its veterans. Shaw can slot into a number of positions with ease, her superpower being an understanding of how she can exploit space wherever it presents itself. With her chip of the goalkeeper to put the U.S. up 3-0, the 19-year-old showed a poise that belied her age. The assist came from the capable 18-year-old Alyssa Thompson, who is still being eased into playing time with the U.S. senior team after making the World Cup roster.

Given the excitement on Sunday, there’s an argument that the U.S. coaching staff isn’t moving fast enough. Olivia Moultrie could be the type of player to allow Horan to rest at times, but she did not see the field in October. The team’s avoidance of defensive midfielder Sam Coffey, an NWSL MVP finalist this season with the Portland Thorns, also continued this week (though the ascendance of Emily Sonnett in the same role has possibly muddied the waters). Ashley Sanchez received late minutes on Sunday, still finding herself struggling to rise on the midfield depth chart after not playing at all during the World Cup.

One of the blessings and the curses of managing the USWNT is that you have to find ways to balance leadership, mentality, form and positional roles while overseeing an intensely competitive environment where many players have a case for consideration. Former coaches have frequently pushed for changes in increments, with a steadfast faith in the team’s cohesion across player generations.

The 2024 Olympics looming in the background could push the next U.S. manager into inactivity, trusting the process that Andonovski began. But the game tape from Sunday might support a bolder approach, and one that needs to happen quickly lest the USWNT continue to lose ground on the international stage.

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

Mia Fishel scored her first international goal Sunday for the U.S. women’s national team — with some help from veteran forward Alex Morgan.

While Morgan wasn’t in the game at the time of Fishel’s header in the 56th minute, she did give Fishel “a few pointers” that helped her score the goal, Fishel said after the USWNT’s 3-0 win against Colombia.

Morgan, 34, played the first half of the match at San Diego’s Snapdragon Stadium. Fishel, 22, replaced her at halftime as a substitute, and opened the scoring for the USWNT just over 10 minutes later.

“I was watching Alex Morgan, her movement, the space that was in front of her, the spaces behind,” Fishel said. “At halftime, she came up to me and gave me a few pointers and it made a difference. It made me score a goal, just sitting in the right spot.”

As for the goal itself, which came in Fishel’s hometown of San Diego, she said it was “a dream.”

“Oh my god. It was a dream,” she said. “I mean, every little girl dreams of being on this team to be here and to be able to score with my family and friends in the stands, it’s just amazing.”

Both Fishel and Jaedyn Shaw got on the board with their first international goals, and interim USWNT head coach Twila Kilgore said the coaching staff is “really pleased” with how the two young players have stepped up.

“We’ve introduced them to the environment with little pressure,” she said. “They’ve been dressed, had an opportunity to learn specific things and then got their first caps and then got extended point in time and made the most of it. We’re really, really pleased with how they’ve seized those opportunities.”

As for Fishel, Kilgore praised her for doing “a really good job” of settling the ball back to goal.

“Obviously, scoring a goal is a big thing and something that we talked about across the whole team,” she said.

Sophia Smith, Becky Sauerbrunn and Alex Morgan are among the 13 players at the U.S. women’s national team’s October training camp still competing in the NWSL playoffs.

All those players are seeking to strike a balance between focusing on their national team duties and staying sharp for the NWSL semifinals on Nov. 5. Smith, Sauerbrunn and the Portland Thorns will take on Lynn Williams and Gotham FC, while Morgan and the San Diego Wave will face Emily Sonnett and OL Reign.

Other players competing in the postseason include: Sam Coffey, Crystal Dunn and Olivia Moultrie with Portland; Naomi Girma and Jaedyn Shaw with San Diego; Midge Purce with Gotham FC; and Alana Cook and Sofia Huerta with OL Reign.

“You come into camp and it’s so busy because you have so many different meetings — a set piece meeting, a defenders meeting,” Sauerbrunn said after Thursday’s scoreless draw with Colombia. “And so you’re just trying to remember, OK, these are the national team tactics. And then you get back to Portland and it’s like you’ve got to relearn everything that Portland was doing. And so it is really tough.

“You have to be wherever you are and give it everything that you’ve got with the team that you’re with. But it can be really tough because, I’m so excited to be back with Portland as well, but also I really want to beat Colombia in a few days.”

The USWNT will face Colombia again at 5:30 p.m. ET Sunday to finish out the two-match friendly series.

The U.S. coaching staff is aware of its players’ dual priorities, and they are “managing minutes with players in different parts of the NWSL season,” interim head coach Twila Kilgore said Thursday.

“The key is just that when they do go in, that they make a difference that they’re asked to make,” Kilgore said.

The U.S. women’s national team kicked off their October friendly series on Thursday with a choppy 0-0 draw with 2023 World Cup quarterfinalists Colombia. The two-game series will likely serve as the final international break before U.S. Soccer names a permanent coach after the departure of Vlatko Andonovski in August.

If the USWNT’s September games against South Africa were the closing of one chapter in the team’s history, Thursday’s game suggested a reluctance to begin writing a new era. The balance between steady cohesion and progress from a disappointing 2023 World Cup could be tipping too far in one direction, which is both understandable and worrying with limited time to regroup for the 2024 Olympics.

Fans looking for greater freedom of movement from the team’s veterans were disappointed this week. And while the U.S. ably contained Colombia superstar Linda Caicedo, their emphasis on defense over exciting attacking interplay made them look like a team that’s treading water before their real boss arrives in December.

The U.S. walked away with a result on Thursday night in Utah, but they still don’t look like the world-beaters they’d like to become once again. So, where do the biggest issues lie?

Keeping the band together

The USWNT’s starting XI against Colombia was completely made up of players from the 2023 World Cup roster, with only two changes from the team’s Round of 16 match to replace the departed Julie Ertz and the recovering Sophia Smith. Despite bringing in new faces in September and October, interim manager Twila Kilgore seemed more interested in continuing to build chemistry with the veterans than taking the risk of implementing new personnel.

Eighteen-year-old midfielder Olivia Moultrie did not dress for the match, and teenage compatriot Jaedyn Shaw was only given three minutes in regulation in her USWNT debut. The team’s first substitute was 38-year-old Becky Sauerbrunn at halftime, followed by longtime bubble defender Casey Krueger.

Savannah DeMelo replaced Andi Sullivan in the second half, which gave the U.S. more of an attacking outlook for the rest of the match, but once again they took a pragmatic approach to player development. Defensive midfielder Sam Coffey again sat out the entirety of the match, and Ashley Sanchez has struggled to see the field after Andonovski dropped her down the depth chart at the World Cup.

There’s something to be said about letting this group of USWNT veterans find their way without Rapinoe and Ertz, and they have work to do before any prospective coach can even begin to blow up the current project. There were also positives: Lynn Williams and Trinity Rodman brought defensive tenacity and danger on the dribble from the wings, and the team’s defense-by-committee approach rendered Colombia’s attack largely inert in the second half.

But for a team that increasingly feels like it has nothing to lose by trying out a few new faces in the well-worn system, the U.S. played to get a result instead of allowing Colombia to force the next generation of players to sink or swim. The USWNT has acknowledged it will take bravery to keep up with the rest of the world, and the pragmatic approach left something to be desired.

Andonovski-esque tactics

For the fourth game in a row, the USWNT lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation with two defensive midfielders and Lindsey Horan in the most attacking midfield role. Sullivan and Emily Sonnett again sat in a double-pivot, maintaining the strategy that helped the team look their best in their World Cup exit.

The double-pivot started as an antidote to many of the team’s problems at the end of the Andonovski era, but there’s mounting evidence that it is now their poison. The U.S. didn’t have many creative playmakers on the field at any given time, sitting off the ball in the first half to contain Colombia’s explosive attack and move in quick transition after forcing turnovers.

The approach almost paid off in the first half, when a quick turnover forced by Williams turned into a scoring chance for Alex Morgan, who sent it right to the goalkeeper. But it also meant that the USWNT spent much of the first half chasing the game. Disconnected passing through the midfield yielded poor turnovers. And while the defense recovered well to snuff out the Colombia attack, the U.S. was not fully in control of the game, outside of a period of momentum in the second half after the attacking-minded DeMelo came on for Sullivan.

In short, the USWNT’s performance felt reminiscent of the way they played under Andonovski. Kilgore has espoused the importance of building off the team’s performance against Sweden in the World Cup Round of 16, but that performance similarly resulted in a 0-0 draw. A number of the team’s creative players have been relegated to the bench, with an overemphasis on progressing the ball up the wings to send it into the penalty area.

Not unlike during the World Cup, better finishing would have papered over other issues, but U.S. players have not shaken off their inconsistency in front of goal. Morgan’s scoreless stretch for the USWNT has now reached a 10th game, punctuated by a penalty miss in the first half. A number of other players settled for shots into traffic from distance late in the game rather than remaining patient in possession.

There are logical reasons for many of the USWNT’s struggles: They haven’t had much of a break since the World Cup, they don’t have a permanent coach, and many of them are in the middle of playoffs with their club teams. But with the Gold Cup and the Olympics looming, a match without new ideas against a quality opponent feels like a wasted opportunity.

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

Alex Morgan missed her second penalty kick of the year for the U.S. women’s national team in Thursday’s 0-0 draw with Colombia.

The 34-year-old striker is now 4-for-7 all time from the spot for the U.S. women’s national team. Only one player has more missed penalty kicks for the USWNT: Carli Lloyd, who missed four of her 16 career attempts.

Even still, interim head coach Twila Kilgore said Thursday that she still trusts Morgan to be the one to step up to the spot.

“I trust Alex Morgan to take penalties and she’s not going to be satisfied with that,” she said. “We’re not satisfied with that. But I trust quite a few of our players in these moments. And when they’re called upon, they will do their best. And sometimes you make them and sometimes you miss them. The expectation is that they do execute, but I trust Alex.”

Overall, Kilgore wasn’t satisfied with the number of shots the USWNT created. The penalty kick represented one of the USWNT’s few strong chances throughout the match, and the team finished with just two shots on target.

“The issue was more that we weren’t moving the ball with enough pace in order to find the free player fast enough for [Colombia] not to recover,” Kilgore said, noting that she didn’t think changing the midfield trio of Lindsey Horan, Andi Sullivan and Emily Sonnett would help.

“I think that has to do with the pace of the ball coming in, information around, those sort of things,” she continued. “I think we just need to trust some of the things that we’re trying to do and play a little bit quicker. This team is a team that’s being challenged to make quicker decisions. And when we don’t hesitate and we do those things and we execute a little bit faster, we find more success.”

The U.S. women’s national team remained stuck in its its 2023 World Cup rut in Thursday’s scoreless draw with Colombia.

In its final three World Cup matches, the USWNT scored just one goal, and the team finished the tournament on a 238-minute scoring drought. While two September friendlies against South Africa provided a reprieve, the struggles with finishing returned with a vengeance in the first of two October friendlies against Colombia.

While the USWNT and Colombia each finished with two shots on goal, the USWNT had nine total shot attempts to Colombia’s three. Yet the hosting team failed to deliver in a frustrating contest at America First Field in Sandy, Utah.

Just Women’s Sports staff writer Claire Watkins pointed to a need for “new ideas” for the USWNT — which is a problem that starts with U.S. Soccer. While former head coach Vlatko Andonovski has moved on, the national team is right where he left them, repeating the issues that marked his tenure.

Alex Morgan’s penalty kick chance, which the 34-year-old striker banged off the post in the 44th minute, provided the best scoring opportunity for the USWNT. She sent a follow-up chance sailing over the crossbar.

Sophia Smith returned from an MCL sprain for her first international minutes since the 2023 World Cup. The 23-year-old forward entered as a substitute in the 76th minute, and she had a look at the net late in extra time, but Colombia goalkeeper Natalia Giraldo got a foot on the ball.

Becky Sauerbrunn made her first USWNT appearance since April. The 38-year-old defender missed the World Cup with a foot injury, but she entered at halftime for Naomi Girma and played the entire second half.

Jaedyn Shaw earned her first cap, entering in the 87th minute. The 18-year-old is in her second camp with the USWNT, but while she received a call-up in September, she did not appear in either match against South Africa. Her fellow 18-year-old debutante Olivia Moultrie did not suit up for the match, but she could get her chance at 5:30 p.m. ET Sunday, when the U.S. will meet Colombia in a rematch at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego.

Of the 27 players called into the October training camp for the U.S. women’s national team, 17 are set to compete in the NWSL playoffs.

Every one of the six teams competing in the postseason will send players to the USWNT for its friendlies against Colombia on Oct. 26 and 29. The Portland Thorns lead the way, with five players heading to the national team — not counting captain Christine Sinclair, who will play for Canada as her career winds down.

The NWSL playoffs kick off at 10 p.m. ET Friday, as the OL Reign host Angel City FC in the first round. After the quarterfinal round, the postseason will take a one-week break to allow players to join their national teams for the October international window.

Among the playoff teams, Angel City FC features the least number of international players, per team announcements. Just three are set to join their national teams in October – and two (Alyssa Thompson and M.A. Vignola) will remain here in the United States.

2023 NWSL playoffs: USWNT players

(1) Portland Thorns

  • Sam Coffey
  • Crystal Dunn
  • Olivia Moultrie
  • Becky Sauerbrunn
  • Sophia Smith

(2) San Diego Wave

  • Alex Morgan
  • Jaedyn Shaw
  • Naomi Girma

(3) North Carolina Courage

  • Casey Murphy, USWNT
  • Emily Fox, USWNT

(4) OL Reign

  • Alana Cook, USWNT
  • Sofia Huerta, USWNT
  • Emily Sonnett, USWNT

(5) Angel City FC

  • Alyssa Thompson, USWNT
  • M.A. Vignola, USWNT

(6) Gotham FC

  • Lynn Williams, USWNT
  • Midge Purce, USWNT

2023 NWSL playoffs: International players

(1) Portland Thorns

  • Christine Sinclair, Canada

(2) San Diego Wave

  • Kyra Carusa, Ireland
  • Sofia Jakobsson, Sweden
  • Kailen Sheridan, Canada

(3) North Carolina Courage

  • Sydney Collins, Canada
  • Mille Gejl, Denmark
  • Rikke Marie Madsen, Denmark
  • Denise O’Sullivan, Ireland

(4) OL Reign

  • Angelina, Brazil
  • Quinn, Canada
  • Jordyn Huitema, Canada
  • Jess Fishlock, Wales

(5) Angel City FC

  • Claire Emslie, Scotland

(6) Gotham FC

  • Sinead Farrelly, Ireland
  • Esther González, Spain
  • Ify Onumonu, Nigeria

While the search for a permanent head coach remains ongoing, the U.S. women’s national team announced its roster on Wednesday for two October friendlies against Colombia. The group consists of both longtime veterans and exciting young talents, including the first senior team call-up for 18-year-old Olivia Moultrie.

If the 2023 World Cup squad looked like a team in transition, the USWNT we’ve seen this fall only leans deeper into the winds of change. Legends have said their goodbyes, and young players are getting their chance to prove their value on the international stage. In between, the U.S. has many holdovers to help maintain the team’s longtime standard before a new coach comes in to make their stamp on the team.

The post-Pinoe era

The USWNT’s October friendlies will be the first international break since the retirements of Julie Ertz and Megan Rapinoe, which are already being felt on the depth chart. Ertz’s absence should make way for more consistent opportunities for Portland Thorns defensive midfielder Sam Coffey, who is likely competing with Emily Sonnett for time despite Sonnett being listed on the roster as a defender.

The U.S. is also left searching for center-back depth after Ertz took over a starting role during the 2023 World Cup. Tierna Davidson misses out on this roster after suffering a face injury in the NWSL, and Abby Dahlkemper has yet to be called back into U.S. camp since returning from back surgery in August. Becky Sauerbrunn makes her welcome return to the roster after missing the World Cup with a foot injury, providing a vital infusion of veteran leadership. But looking beyond 2024, the central defense will need more players with experience to join the depth chart with Alana Cook and Naomi Girma.

Sauerbrunn’s return speaks to the larger cycle refresh now that Rapinoe has hung up her boots. Lindsey Horan, named a captain by Vlatko Andonovski for the 2023 World Cup, suddenly has the third-most caps on the team behind Sauerbrunn and Alex Morgan. Morgan has shown how she can galvanize a team around her in San Diego this NWSL season. As the spirit of the team reshapes around younger stars, Morgan will be tasked with connecting with the next generation.

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Alyssa Thompson is the most experienced of the USWNT's youngsters after making the World Cup roster. (Hannah Peters - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

Teenage dream

The October roster features three teenagers: 18-year-old Alyssa Thompson, 18-year-old Jaedyn Shaw and 18-year-old Olivia Moultrie. Thompson is already a mainstay with the team after making the roster for the 2023 World Cup, and fans will be eager to see how Shaw and Moultrie adapt to the international level after impressive seasons with their respective NWSL clubs.

Shaw has the ability to slot in as a winger, a position where the U.S. doesn’t lack for talent, but she can also drift further back into the midfield to facilitate playmaking in the absence of Rose Lavelle. In September, interim manager Twila Kilgore opted for a defensive midfield shape with Andi Sullivan, Sonnett, and Lindsey Horan. If the USWNT feels comfortable with a more attacking style in October, Shaw will be a huge asset.

Moultrie’s addition is particularly notable based on the position she plays. The Thorns player is a sharp passer and a connecting midfielder who can break lines and set up the attack. In recent years, the USWNT coaching staff has been more comfortable integrating young players into attacking roles and letting midfielders develop through league play. If Moultrie gets time against Colombia, she’ll have significant responsibility as the team’s engine, and the earlier she can get comfortable with the speed of play, the better.

There’s also something to be said about rewarding teenagers who made the leap to professional clubs with serious USWNT consideration. After their World Cup disappointment, USWNT players and U.S. Soccer officials alike have said they want to build a cohesive style of play that prioritizes holding the ball and begins at the youth levels. For Thompson, Shaw and Moultrie, there’s no time like the present, with the hope that more players feel encouraged to follow in their footsteps.

Play the kids

Kilgore was somewhat cautious with the young players she brought in last month, letting Shaw get acclimated to the U.S. camp environment and waiting to play Chelsea striker Mia Fishel until the second game of their series against South Africa. As the U.S. gets further away from the World Cup, Kilgore may feel more emboldened to let players test their mettle against Colombia, a major tournament quarterfinalist.

In September, the USWNT was balancing heavy emotions as they said goodbye to close friends and icons and looked to rebound from a confidence-shaking summer. But preparation for the 2024 Olympics needs to begin sooner rather than later, and reverting to a conservative midfield of experienced players and only late substitute minutes for incoming attackers would be a disappointment in October.

Kilgore could pair Sam Coffey with Andi Sullivan or let the young No. 6 stand alone in a more attacking structure. She could also start Fishel to give Morgan rest in one of the two matches, work Moultrie into the midfield alongside Horan or as her replacement, and have Shaw make slashing runs in tandem with Sophia Smith or relieve her as she builds minutes from a knee injury.

There is a healthy amount of connective tissue for every player new to the U.S. environment this month. But one of the team’s tasks going forward is to worry less about the safety net, and more about the future.

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