In the aftermath of the U.S. women’s national team’s exit from the 2023 World Cup, players are sharing their reflections on their journeys.

And the same message comes through, over and over again, though captain Lindsey Horan spelled it out in the simplest terms: “We will grow. We will be back.”

From veterans Megan Rapinoe to Alex Morgan to newcomers Sophia Smith and Trinity Rodman to every player in between, this is what the stars of the USWNT have to say in the aftermath of their World Cup elimination.

Megan Rapinoe

The 38-year-old forward leaves her fourth and final World Cup without a title, but she still expressed immense pride in her team in her first Instagram captain after the USWNT’s loss to Sweden in the Round of 16.

“This team is in special hands as I walk away, just like it always was, and always will be,” she wrote. “Because that is what this team is all about. We lay it all out on the line every single time.”

Alex Morgan

“This wound will not only heal but will serve as a defining moment in the history of USWNT — one we will grow and be stronger for,” the 34-year-old striker wrote.

While Morgan did not commit to her future with the national team in the immediate aftermath of the World Cup loss, she later told ESPN that she plans to stick around — at least for the near future.

Sophia Smith

A heartbroken Sophia Smith missed a would-be winning penalty kick in the fifth round of the shootout loss to Sweden.

“It wouldn’t be life without moments like this, and I know without a doubt we will be back and hungrier than ever,” the 23-year-old forward wrote.

Trinity Rodman

While the 21-year-old forward said she had “no words” to describe her World Cup experience, she did give her thanks “to everyone who helped me grow as a person, soccer player, and teammate during this journey of the unknown.”

Lynn Williams

The 30-year-old forward took the time to praise her team — and also to push back against bad-faith critics who questioned their dedication to their sport and their country.

“For our dedication and reasoning for wearing the crest to be questioned is unfathomable,” she wrote.

Alyssa Thompson

The 18-year-old forward did not play many minutes in her first World Cup, but the experience will stick with her forever.

“While the result was not what we had wanted, I learned so much about myself, this game, and life,” she wrote.

Lindsey Horan

Horan, along with Morgan, took on the mantle of the USWNT captaincy during the tournament. And despite the pressure and the disappointment of the 2023 tournament, the 29-year-old midfielder still expressed her unwavering love for the game.

“This is why we play right? To live in the biggest pressure moments. To play on the greatest stage. Playing for something you’ve dreamt of your entire life. Playing to inspire. Playing to bring joy. Playing in front of all of you,” she wrote. “This is why I love this game so much.”

Andi Sullivan

The 27-year-old midfielder shared a poem from Oriah Mountain Dreamer, which celebrates “the adventure of being alive.”

Savannah DeMelo

“It’s hard to put into words all the emotions that have been felt within the past few months, but I’m grateful for them all, the highs and even the lows,” the 25-year-old midfielder wrote.

Crystal Dunn

Although the game can be “so cruel,” the 31-year-old defender said, she remains “so proud of this group” for its fight and its unbreakable bond.

Kelley O’Hara

The 35-year-old defender, who won the 2015 and 2019 World Cup titles with the USWNT and also competed in the 2011 tournament, apologized for her role in the shootout loss to Sweden in her first Instagram post after the 2023 tournament. O’Hara missed her kick in the seventh round of the shootout, and then Lina Hurtig buried hers to seal the win for Sweden.

“I was asked to do one job at the final critical moment and I did not execute,” O’Hara wrote. “For that, I am beyond sorry.”

Sofia Huerta

To have the dream of a lifetime end “just like that” hurts, Huerta wrote. But 30-year-old defender plans “to stay focused on the good and to turn the losses into lessons.”

“What no one sees from the outside is how each player had to dig deep,” she wrote. “And while the end result was not what we had hoped for, what happened on the field in our last game was nothing short of inspiring.”

Alyssa Naeher

“I think a piece of my heart is still on that field in Melbourne,” Naeher wrote. The 35-year-old goalkeeper had the closest possible view of Sweden’s game-winning penalty kick, which Naeher batted and then grabbed from the air but not before it crossed the goal line by millimeters.

Aubrey Kingsbury

“Our World Cup ended just as we were getting started,” the 31-year-old backup goalkeeper wrote. The USWNT played its best game of the tournament in the shootout loss to Sweden in the Round of 16.

Casey Murphy

“I’m optimistic we will come back stronger,” the 27-year-old backup goalkeeper wrote. “But also defeated, sorry, and sad it’s over.”

The U.S. women’s national team ends its quest for a third consecutive World Cup in the Round of 16, falling 5-4 on penalties against Sweden.

While the USWNT outshot Sweden 22-9 overall, and 11-1 in shots on target, the teams remained knotted 0-0 after regulation plus 30 minutes of extra time. The USWNT scored just four goals across four World Cup matches.

Missed penalty kicks from Megan Rapinoe, Sophia Smith and Kelley O’Hara doomed the U.S. to the earliest World Cup exit it its history. In all eight previous tournaments, the USWNT had reached at least the semifinals — and had won four titles.

FINAL: Sweden 0, USWNT 0 (Sweden advances 5-4 on penalties)

The USWNT took a 3-2 lead in the penalty kick shootout, but back-to-back misses from Megan Rapinoe and Sophia Smith prevented the defending champions from shutting the door on Sweden.

In the final round, Kelley O’Hara’s shot hit the post, and then Lina Hurtig had the winning tally for Sweden. USWNT goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher got a hand on Hurtig’s shot, then snatched it out of the net, but not before the ball spun up and across the goal line (as confirmed in a brief video review).

  • Round One
    • USWNT: Andi Sullivan — SCORE
    • Sweden: Fridolina Rolfö — SCORE
  • Round Two
    • USWNT: Lindsey Horan — SCORE
    • Sweden: Elin Rubensson — SCORE
  • Round Three
    • USWNT: Kristie Mewis — SCORE
    • Sweden: Nathalie Björn — MISS
  • Round Four
    • USWNT: Megan Rapinoe — MISS
    • Sweden: Rebecka Blomqvist — MISS
  • Round Five
    • USWNT: Sophia Smith — MISS
    • Sweden: Hanna Bennison — SCORE
  • Round Six
    • USWNT: Alyssa Naeher — SCORE
    • Sweden: Magdalena Eriksson — SCORE
  • Round Seven
    • USWNT: Kelley O’Hara — MISS
    • Sweden: Lina Hurtig — SCORE

END EXTRA TIME: USWNT 0, Sweden 0

To penalty kicks! Just Women’s Sports‘ Claire Watkins provided this analysis: “If the U.S. don’t advance, the conversation won’t change much from the last week, and rightly so. But also like, this game was just a soccer game between two good teams.”

120′: Kelley O’Hara, Kristie Mewis enter for USWNT

O’Hara and Mewis replace Emily Fox and Emily Sonnett, just in time for the penalty kick shootout.

107′: Sophia Smith shot stopped by Zecira Musovic

The Swedish goalkeeper is having “the game of her life,” as Just Women’s Sports writer Claire Watkins put it — which makes the prospect of facing her in a penalty shootout that much scarier.

99′: Megan Rapinoe replaces Alex Morgan for USWNT

USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski made his second change of the match, swapping the veteran forwards. Just Women’s Sports writer Claire Watkins was “afraid he wouldn’t do this with pens in mind, but its the right way to get Pinoe on the field.”

97′: Sweden goalkeeper stops another Alex Morgan shot

Morgan moved into the box, then got a shot off at a tough angle, but Sweden’s Zecira Musovic made the save.

END REGULATION: USWNT 0, Sweden 0

The USWNT outshot Sweden 14-7 overall (6-1 on target) through 90 minutes, but with no goals for either side, the match heads to extra time.

Get ready for 30 more minutes of action. If the score remains tied after extra time, the match will head to penalty kicks.

89′: Alex Morgan gets her best chance yet

Alex Morgan nearly scored on a header set up by a perfect cross into the box from Lynn Williams up the right side. But Sweden goalkeeper Zecira Musovic managed another highlight-reel save.

Sweden’s Sofia Jakobsson and Lina Hurtig entered for Johanna Kaneryd and Kosovare Asllani in the 82nd minute.

66′: Lynn Williams replaces Trinity Rodman for USWNT

While Rodman had been one of the strongest players to this point, she also was playing through an illness, so the USWNT had her on a minutes limit. Williams came off the bench to replace her on the right side.

54′: Lindsey Horan forces impressive save from Sweden keeper

A stinging shot from the USWNT captain is blocked by Sweden goalkeeper Zecira Musovic. Horan’s chance came between two opportunities for fellow midfielder Andi Sullivan as the USWNT continues to threaten.

HALF: USWNT 0, Sweden 0

Despite several late chances, Rodman’s two shots on goal stood as the only ones of the half for either team. The USWNT outshot Sweden 6-2 (2-0 on target), and maintained possession for 62% of the first half.

“U.S. fans should feel much better about the shape, consistency, and stability of the USWNT,” Just Women’s Sports soccer writer Claire Watkins said. “They should not feel great that the sport being played is knockout soccer and it is tied.”

The inability to finish chances plagued the USWNT throughout the group stage, as Watkins noted. The new midfield formation showed the biggest problem to this point was the system, not the players, but the change will come to nought if the U.S. cannot get on the scoreboard.

34′: Lindsey Horan header almost finds the net

The USWNT captain got her head on the corner kick from Andi Sullivan, but the ball bounced up off the crossbar and out of play, resulting in a Sweden goal kick.

27′: Trinity Rodman gets another shot on goal

Rodman has looked strong on the right wing for the USWNT. She beat Andersson from the outside, but her shot zipped directly toward Sweden goalkeeper Zecira Musovic.

She managed another shot soon afterward, but she sailed it over the crossbar. And then the USWNT almost found Lindsey Horan in the box for another chance in a strong stretch of play for the defending champions.

22′: Alyssa Naeher gets hand on Sweden corner kick

Sweden received another opportunity for one of its dangerous set pieces. Jonna Andersson’s corner kick sailed into the box, but Naeher slapped it away.

A free kick for Sweden followed minutes later. Andersson sent it into the box, but the USWNT managed to clear.

18′: Trinity Rodman challenges Sweden goalkeeper

The 21-year-old got the first shot on goal of the match, but Sweden goalkeeper Zecira Musovic made the save.

Up to this point, both teams had traded opportunities, with neither dominating the run of play. With the new midfield formation, the USWNT looked more comfortable — defensive midfielder Andi Sullivan in particular.

Starting XI: USWNT deploys two defensive midfielders

  • United States
    • Goalkeeper: Alyssa Naeher
    • Defenders: Emily Fox, Julie Ertz, Naomi Girma, Crystal Dunn
    • Midfielders: Emily Sonnett, Lindsey Horan, Andi Sullivan, Sophia Smith, Trinity Rodman
    • Forwards: Alex Morgan
  • Sweden
    • Goalkeeper: Zecira Musovic
    • Defenders: Nathalie Björn, Amanda Ilestedt, Magdalena Eriksson, Jonna Andersson
    • Midfielders: Filippa Angeldal, Elin Rubensson, Johanna Kaneryd, Kosovare Asllani, Fridolina Rolfö
    • Forwards: Stina Blackstenius

Both teams are using a midfield-heavy 4-2-3-1. The surprise for the USWNT: Sonnett is the replacement for suspended Rose Lavelle in the midfield, while Ertz remains at center-back, putting each outside her typical position — though Ertz has started on the backline in every game so far.

Just Women’s Sports soccer writer Claire Watkins predicted the use of two defensive midfielders for this match, though she expected to see Ertz in the role.

What to know about Sweden

  • Sweden has played in every World Cup since 1999, reaching the semifinals three times (in 2011 and 2019) and the championship match once (in 2003).
  • Head coach Peter Gerhardsson has helmed Sweden since 2017. Under his leadership, Sweden placed third at the 2019 World Cup and won silver at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
  • Nathalie Björn came close to guaranteeing a win for her team. “We will do everything we can as a team, as individuals, and then we’ll make sure that we will knock out the U.S.,” the 26-year-old defender said.

What to know about the USWNT

  • Rose Lavelle will miss the match after picking up her second yellow card of the tournament against Portugal, earning her a one-game suspension.
  • Head coach Vlatko Andonovski offered his harshest evaluation yet of his squad’s performance. “The performance was crap,” he said Thursday. “We all know that. We have to own it. We have to take accountability.”
  • Two-time World Cup winner turned Fox Sports analyst Carli Lloyd made waves with her criticism of the 2023 squad, but captain Lindsey Horan pushed back. “It’s noise and, again, it’s an opinion and everyone is entitled to their own opinion — we know that’s how it goes,” Horan said. “But for me, I always want to defend my team and say: You have no idea what’s going on behind the scenes.”

When and how to watch

  • Sunday, Aug. 6 @ 5 a.m. ET (Fox, Peacock, Telemundo, Universo)
    • United States vs. Sweden (Melbourne Rectangular Stadium)

The USWNT’s Round of 16 match is available to watch on Fox, Telemundo and Universo. It also can be streamed on the Fox Sports app and on Peacock. The winner of this match will face the winner of Japan-Norway (4 a.m. ET Saturday) in the quarterfinals.

If the old adage goes that defense wins championships, U.S. women’s national team head coach Vlatko Andonovski might be taking his faith in the statement a little too far.

The U.S. has given up only one goal so far in the 2023 World Cup, on a single shot on goal. But they’ve also looked disjointed in possession and frantic in the attack en route to a second-place finish in their group.

Despite the legacy of the USWNT’s “Department of Defense,” fans weren’t expecting a defensive lockdown of this magnitude going into the World Cup. As different players with varying strengths rotated in and out of the backline in the lead-up to the tournament, the odd mistake in the defense became a regular occurrence and, to Andonovski, a risk worth taking.

There was a feeling that the team was willing to live or die by their defensive mistakes in the pursuit of strengthening the attack. But what Andonovski has actually prioritized under the glare of the spotlight is shoring up the team’s backline issues at the steep cost of freedom in front of the defense.

A hyper-conservative game plan to limit shots on goal is both a problem the U.S. is having trouble solving and their current lifeline. It doesn’t appear to be a mistake as much as an intentional gamble. But it’s a gamble the USWNT players are not accustomed to executing, even under Andonovski’s management.

The loss of reliable contributors

Injuries to USWNT forwards have rightly gotten a fair amount of attention, but the team’s group stage suggests that Andonovski’s current approach is a way to offset absences in the defense.

What the U.S. defense is missing, as compared to 2019 or even 2021, is the result of incremental loss. While Abby Dahlkemper wasn’t available for selection due to her ongoing recovery from back surgery, other players have been in and out of match fitness. Tierna Davidson returned from her ACL injury in 2023, but was unable to claim her spot as the heir apparent to a USWNT center-back role. Captain Becky Sauerbrunn played sporadically to begin the 2023 NWSL season, and the variable nature of her recovery kept her off the roster entirely.

Other members of the defense are clearly important to team chemistry but cannot get on the field consistently. Kelley O’Hara’s influence on the USWNT is clear, with her leading the huddle after the team’s disappointing draw with Portugal to close out the group stage. But her return to soccer fitness has not been linear in 2023 — before departing for the World Cup, she even played in an attacking role for Gotham FC because she was not getting minutes on their backline.

So Dahlkemper, Davidson and Sauerbrunn are not in camp, and O’Hara’s role is tied more to off-field contributions. O’Hara and Sauerbrunn’s limitations are a consequence of the passing of time and the USWNT’s inability to develop heirs to match their skill sets. Dahlkemper and Davidson’s absences are the result of the twists of fate that saw other notable teammates miss out on a World Cup opportunity.

A lack of confidence in new faces

Two players who rounded out the top five in minutes played for the USWNT in 2022 were center-back Alana Cook and outside-back Sofia Huerta. Both made the 2023 World Cup roster but have yet to make an impact on the field: Huerta played seven minutes against Vietnam, and Cook hasn’t seen the field at all.

Based on their 2022 contributions, their very limited roles at the World Cup might surprise, but the writing has quietly been on the wall in recent months. At the end of 2022, Andonovski began pairing Naomi Girma and Sauerbrunn together consistently, after previously rotating them at left center-back and giving Cook heavy minutes on the right.

The sample size was small enough to register as experimentation, but it could now be read as a coach sensing that Cook’s reaction times in key moments weren’t going to be reliable enough against top competition. In Sauerbrunn’s absence, Andonovski has now seemingly replaced Cook with Julie Ertz, making a conscious decision to prioritize the defense over the midfield and trusting the two-time World Cup champion in partnership with Girma.

Huerta is on the team as a crossing specialist, a player who makes up in attacking generation what she gives up in 1v1 defending. Signs in the early stages of the tournament are that Andonovski feels more comfortable with Emily Fox out of position on the right side of the field than getting Huerta settled in games that make sense for her abilities. Emily Sonnett also appears to be a player Andonovski brought to see games out in their final stages, and not as a reliable starter.

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Alana Cook has not seen the field at the World Cup after leading the team in minutes in 2022. (Buda Mendes/Getty Images)

The benefit of a conservative approach

There have been clear positives to the way the U.S. has locked down its defensive roles. The USWNT has given up just the one goal, their xG against ranks fourth among the entire World Cup field, and goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher has not had to register a single save so far in the tournament.

That last point is probably a statistic Andonovski has taken very seriously, based on Naeher’s struggles with the Chicago Red Stars this season. The USWNT goalkeeper player pool is more wide open than ever, but the best-performing American keepers statistically (outside of third keeper Aubrey Kingsbury) are not with the team right now. Again, experience and leadership have taken priority over clearing the way for a brand-new goalkeeping core based on current shot-stopping ability.

Naeher is the player Andonovski wants organizing his defense, and she has progressed year after year with distribution with the ball at her feet. But the USWNT’s hopes for clean sheets seem to rely on her seeing as few shots on goal as possible, which the team so far has been achieving (the one shot on target they did face, against the Netherlands, went in for a goal).

Ertz actually recorded the most impressive save of the group stage, putting in a crucial block against the Netherlands that saved a point for the team and a place in the knockout rounds.

The overwhelming cost of limited freedom

The cost of Andonovski’s approach appears to be everything else that’s recognizable about the USWNT right now. They’ve ceded control of the midfield almost by design, with a resignation that Ertz will control tempo from a deep-lying position. It’s taken further control away from Andi Sullivan, who has lacked reliable passing outlets when she has the ball and struggled to execute a defensive press without it.

With the understanding that the midfield is not intended to hold the ball, Andonovski’s creative players have been tasked with melting into the attack. At times against Portugal, the U.S. lined up with four or five players on their opponent’s backline, waiting for deep-lying players to provide long-ball service without the creative runs necessary to create space.

Andonovski has also settled on playing both of his outside-backs out of position, which has appeared to limit Crystal Dunn and Emily Fox in their movement. Dunn, of course, is a creative midfielder for the Portland Thorns, and Fox plays most freely on the left for the North Carolina Courage. Both players have been mindful of their defensive assignments to a fault in the group stage, sitting back against Vietnam and staying wide rather than filling empty midfield spaces against the Netherlands and Portugal.

Tactics have also taken a toll on the USWNT’s vaunted mentality. As players process their positional assignments in real time, those split-second moments of doubt have disrupted the team’s defensive press and ball progression. Rather than being empowered to play to the team’s strengths, players seem preoccupied with the weaknesses. Those weaknesses are also on display in the team’s substitution patterns, with Andonovski lacking trust in those he brought with him and leaving the team’s depth unused.

Andonovski’s transformation of the U.S. into a team that grinds out results based on conservative tactics is both an indictment of his management of the team over the last four years, and an objective assessment of the team he has constructed. If the U.S. bows out in the Round of 16, he’ll have to answer for both his preparation and his approach.

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

The U.S. women’s national team roster is here, and preparations will soon begin for the team’s World Cup title defense later this summer.

Before the 23 players named to the U.S. roster board the plane for New Zealand and kick off the group stage against Vietnam on July 21, test your knowledge on the USWNT with our interactive quiz!

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.

Kristie Mewis wants to see Megan Rapinoe go for another World Cup after this one.

While the veteran forward announced last week her intention to retire at the end of the NWSL season, her teammates aren’t so quick to accept her decision to step away from the game.

“I keep telling P, I’m like, ‘Go another cycle, P. Come on, like we need you another cycle,'” Mewis joked during USWNT media availability on Monday, adding that it’s “really sad” this will be Rapinoe’s final World Cup.

Rapinoe has said that she is “feeling all the feels” ahead of her final World Cup, and she announced it early so that the team could focus on the task ahead: winning a third straight World Cup title. That hasn’t stopped players from speaking about what Rapinoe means to the team and the sport.

“She’s a special person, a special player on this team, and her impact is felt, I think, far deeper than just on this team,” said U.S. goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher. “She’s willing to do a lot of the extra. She’ll do a lot more of the interviews, a lot more of the media, she’ll take on the hard questions — the difficult things that then allow other people to not have to have that be a stressful thing or not have to be a factor, and she lets them be them.”

During her 18-year career, Rapinoe has become a polarizing figure to some for being “unapologetically herself,” as Naeher described her on Monday. While winning two World Cups and an Olympic gold medal, Rapinoe has been a staunch advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, the USWNT’s equal pay fight, abortion access and racial justice initiatives. In 2022, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom – the highest civilian honor in the United States – from President Joe Biden.

Athletically, Rapinoe’s accomplishments are undeniable. Entering her fourth World Cup, the 38-year-old is 10th on the USWNT’s all-time leading scorers list with 63 goals. The winner of the 2019 Ballon d’Or Féminin, she also won the Golden Ball as the best player of the 2019 World Cup.

“She has led us on and off the field for decades,” Christen Press said at the ESPYs alongside Tobin Heath. “She is someone that we have both played really closely with, that we both looked up to, that we’ve both learned from, and we will continue to do so, because the beauty of Megan Rapinoe is what she does on the field is only a fraction of who she is and what she stood for, and what she stood against.

“She just embodies the team. Honestly, she’s just like, she’s such a presence,” Mewis said Monday. “That’s the way I would describe her. She brings so much on the field, she brings so much off the field. You feel weird when she’s not around.

“I think that it’s really sad that this will be her last [World Cup], but I think she has impacted this team immensely. She’s such a special person and a special player. And I think that her legacy will live on for a long time.”

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)

The U.S. women’s national team faces “one of the hardest” groups at the 2023 World Cup, head coach Vlatko Andonovski said Tuesday.

Andonovski and USWNT players addressed reporters Tuesday in California ahead of the training camp for the upcoming tournament, which kicks off on July 20 in Australia and New Zealand. And they have their work cut out for them, at least in the view of the head coach.

The USWNT faces a tough test in Group E, which includes 2019 runner-up Netherlands, Portugal and Vietnam, “three different types of teams” with varied philosophies and styles, Andonovski said. Yet the two-time defending World Cup champions enter with sky-high expectations.

“Would I be happy with anything short of a third straight win? No! Absolutely not,” he said. “Our goal is to win the World Cup, there’s no question about it.”

Andonovski also addressed a number of questions, from which player will serve as captain to the possibility of Crystal Dunn in the midfield. Just Women’s Sports has a roundup of the news and notes as training begins.

Who is the next USWNT captain?

Longtime captain Becky Sauerbrunn is missing the World Cup due to a lingering foot injury, which leaves a big hole for the team to fill.

Yet while the next captain has been selected, Andonovski did not reveal the choice Tuesday. While he had intended to inform players of the selection upon their arrival in California, flight delays postponed the announcement.

One likely choice is Lindsey Horan, who has served as the co-captain to Sauerbrunn in recent years, often taking on the captain’s armband in Sauerbrunn’s absence.

“She gets to lead this team out at a World Cup and to really appreciate what that means, in the course of your career,” Sauerbrunn said of Horan on a recent episode of Snacks. “Like, that’s such a crazy, cool accomplishment.”

Will the USWNT use one starting goalkeeper or a rotation?

Andonovski plans to choose a No. 1 goalkeeper to make most of the starts at the World Cup, though a second goalkeeper might take the reins for one group-stage game, he said Tuesday.

“We’re going to have to keep the rhythm of our No. 1,” he said. But one game for the No. 2 keeper in the group stage could help the team in case of injury. At the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, starter Alyssa Naeher went down with a knee injury in the semifinals, so backup AD Franch saw her first minutes of the tournament in the semifinals and the bronze-medal match.

Naeher is the presumptive No. 1 as training camp begins, with Casey Murphy and Aubrey Kingsbury also on the roster.

Will Crystal Dunn play in the midfield?

Dunn shines at midfield for the Portland Thorns, but the 30-year-old is a starting defender for the national team. And while she wasn’t holding out hope for a midfield appearance at the World Cup, as she told “Diaspora United” in May, she may yet get her shot, Andonovski said Tuesday.

The team does not “want to exclude the possibility of her playing in the midfield if that’s what the team needs,” he told reporters.

“Crystal is one of the best players overall in the world, and the fact that she can play midfielder on Sunday and left back on Wednesday, that just speaks to the quality player she is,” he said.

When Andonovski announced the roster last week, he also floated the possibility of playing midfielder Julie Ertz at center-back. Ertz is a midfield mainstay for the USWNT but also has played center-back on the international stage.

How much should USWNT players pack for the World Cup?

Alyssa Thompson called Horan to ask her advice on what to pack. Yet despite playing in the 2019 World Cup in France, Horan did not know what to tell her 18-year-old teammate.

“She wanted to know essentials for packing for the World Cup and I had no idea what to tell her,” Horan said.

Megan Rapinoe, who will be playing in her fourth World Cup for the USWNT, offered a solution: “Bring it all!”

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.

Alex Morgan is the lone U.S. women’s national team player in the top 10 of EA Sports’ 2023 Women’s World Cup player ratings.

EA Sports will release a World Cup update for its popular FIFA 23 game at the end of June in preparation for the tournament, which kicks off on July 20 in Australia and New Zealand. Australia’s Sam Kerr, Spain’s Alexia Putellas and Norway’s Caroline Graham Hansen take the top three spots ahead of Morgan.

While no other USWNT star ranks in the top 10, the reigning World Cup champions count 12 players in the top 100 — though only 10 of those players are included on the World Cup roster. USWNT captain Becky Sauerbrunn and star forward Mallory Swanson both will miss the tournament with injuries.

Among the players who will make the trip Down Under, 22-year-old forward Sophia Smith comes behind Morgan at No. 14 overall, followed by midfielders Rose Lavelle and Lindsey Horan. Then comes Megan Rapinoe, Alyssa Naeher, Aubrey Kingsbury, Trinity Rodman, Casey Murphy and Kelley O’Hara.

Germany features the most players in the top 100 with 17 overall, though the team’s highest ranked player Alexandra Popp sits at No. 16 overall. England has 14 players in the top 100, while France has 13.

Still, the USWNT came out on top in the FIFA 23 simulation of the World Cup tournament, which saw the United States best Germany 4-2 in the championship match to claim the virtual three-peat.

FIFA 23 World Cup player ratings

Top 10 overall:

  1. Sam Kerr, Australia – 91
  2. Alexia Putellas, Spain – 91
  3. Caroline Graham Hansen, Norway – 90
  4. Alex Morgan, United States – 90
  5. Ada Hegerberg, Norway – 90
  6. Wendie Renard, France – 90
  7. Lucy Bronze, England – 90
  8. *Marie-Antoinette Katoto – 89
  9. Irene Paredes, Spain – 88
  10. Guro Reiten, Norway – 88

USWNT players in top 100:

  • 4. Alex Morgan, forward – 90
  • 14. Sophia Smith, forward – 87
  • 23. Rose Lavelle, midfielder – 87
  • 24. *Mallory Swanson, forward – 87
  • 26. Lindsey Horan, midfielder – 86
  • 33. *Becky Sauerbrunn, defender – 86
  • 35. Megan Rapinoe, forward – 86
  • 52. Alyssa Naeher, goalkeeper – 84
  • 58. Aubrey Kingsbury, goalkeeper – 84
  • 68. Trinity Rodman, forward – 83
  • 86. Casey Murphy, goalkeeper – 83
  • 92. Kelley O’Hara, defender – 83