Becky Sauerbrunn is back with the U.S. women’s national team, and back to wearing her traditional No. 4, which had been on loan to rising star Naomi Girma in her absence.
Girma wore the No. 4 jersey during the World Cup. But on Monday, the 23-year-old center-back said there “wasn’t a fight” when it came to returning the jersey number to Sauerbrunn.
“Becky just takes it back,” she said. “It was no fight. I asked to wear it during the World Cup.”
Sauerbrunn, though, was happy to loan the jersey to her fellow center-back for the tournament. The 38-year-old USWNT veteran missed the World Cup with a foot injury and is making her return to the team at the October training camp.
“She was actually really sweet. I got this wonderful text message from her,” Sauerbrunn said before turning to Girma. “And really, you didn’t need to ask because you needed to wear a number that was between 1 and 23.”
Girma “realized that after” she reached out to Sauerbrunn, she said. Every member of the 23-player world Cup roster must wear a number in that range. Nonetheless, the gesture from Girma, who lived up to the No. 4 jersey while at the World Cup, left Sauebrunn touched.
“It was just like a really sweet gesture and I was like, of course,” she said. “We rent the jersey number. It’s not mine. It’s not Nay’s. This is how it’s supposed to be. You just have it for as long as you can and then it goes to the next person and that’s the cycle of life.”
Even still, Girma wants to make one thing clear: The number is Sauerbrunn’s for now.
“Becky is No. 4,” she said, “to be clear.”
The U.S. women’s national team is close to having its next head coach.
Veteran defender Becky Sauerbrunn spoke with reporters Monday about the hiring process for the new coach, noting that she’s been kept up to date on the search. Per sporting director Matt Crocker, U.S. Soccer has targeted a December deadline for the hire.
“I have been involved a little bit, but just kind of updated periodically about where they are in the process,” Sauerbrunn said. “I don’t know names of candidates or anything like that, but I was aware of when candidates were being flown in for interviews and that sort of thing.”
Fellow defender Naomi Girma hasn’t been involved with the process at all, she said Monday. Rather, her focus for the September and October camps has been on “coming together as a group and getting a result against two top opponents.”
The USWNT won’t play friendlies in November but will finish the year with two games against China in December. It’s likely that the October camp will be the last camp under interim head coach Twila Kilgore, with the hope that the new coach is available for the December camp.
“We’re getting close and I think that they’ve got a few candidates that they’re very excited about,” Sauerbrunn said. “But for the most part, it’s just been process and knowing where we are in the process.”
Previously, Crocker has been vocal about speaking with “every single player” about what they want to see in the next head coach before making the hire.
“It’s important to listen to the players. There’s a hell of a lot of experience and a hell of a lot of great knowledge within that team, both youth coming through but also from the players who are multiple world champions,” he said in September. “And for me to get the context from them is really, really important.”
Becky Sauerbrunn will not be joining her fellow U.S. women’s national team veterans in retirement any time soon.
Sauerbrunn is back with the USWNT after missing out on what would have been her fourth career World Cup this summer due to a foot injury. And she doesn’t have plans to step away in the near future, she told reporters Monday.
“I would say that my role on the team is the same that it’s been for the last 13 years,” she said. “I’m competing for a spot on the roster, and then I’m competing for minutes on the field. And that has not changed and it won’t change and even with a new coach coming in, who I hope you know, will give me a chance.”
It was inevitable that Sauerbrunn would be asked about her future. After all, the longtime defender is 38 years old and starting a new World Cup cycle, with a new head coach set to join the USWNT in the coming months.
Canada captain Christine Sinclair recently announced her international retirement, while Marta has said she won’t play for Brazil in the Olympics next year.
Several USWNT retirements have come this year as well, with both Julie Ertz and Megan Rapinoe stepping away from the game. Ali Krieger, whose playing career with the USWNT ended in 2019, is set to retire from soccer upon the conclusion of the NWSL season.
But Sauerbrunn plans to stay, regardless of where she falls on the depth chart.
“If I am not a starter, then I’m going to push the starters to be the best that they can be,” she said. “And if I’m just not on the team, then there it is, but I’m definitely gonna keep competing and hope that things go the right way for me.”
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
Becky Sauerbrunn missed the 2023 World Cup with a foot injury, but she is back to being “one of the best center-backs in the world” — and to being a key leader for the U.S. women’s national team.
The 38-year-old defender was named to the USWNT roster for October, setting her up for her first international appearance since April.
There is no doubt that Sauerbrunn’s presence was missed at the World Cup. While other players did step up in her absence — for example, Julie Ertz at center-back — there is no one answer when it comes to replacing Sauerbrunn, both defensively and from a leadership standpoint.
“I think it’s really important to just kind of remind everybody that Becky would have been on the World Cup roster had she been fully fit for international minutes at that time,” USWNT interim head coach Twila Kilgore said Wednesday.
Quietly, Sauerbrunn has been making her way back from the injury that kept her away from the USWNT – and from what would have been her fourth World Cup. She’s been a steady presence for Portland since mid-September. And while she’s not back to a full 90, her return has been promising.
“Anytime a player, you know, suffers an injury and has to work their way back, that’s always gonna be really difficult,” Kilgore said. “But the quality of play that Becky has shown in her return has been very, very high. There’s a reason why she’s one of and has been one of the best center-backs in the world.”
Kilgore then called Sauerbrunn “one of the best center-backs that we have” before speaking on Sauerbrunn’s leadership, which will be instrumental as the team continues to bring in young talent such as Jaedyn Shaw and Olivia Moultrie.
“She is a leader, she helps us program in every single way,” Kilgore said. “And my expectations for Becky are simply to come back into the environment and be herself and like every player continue to prove that she belongs in the environment and compete for spots moving forward.”
The interim head coach also pointed to players stepping up in Sauerbrunn’s absence as another “mark of some of Becky’s leadership.” And when Sauerbrunn did rejoin camp in September for roughly 48 hours, “nothing really changed.”
“Becky was herself and she encourages other leaders in the group to be themselves,” Kilgore said. “Leadership is really about having an open dialogue, encouraging people to their true selves, bring their opinions and their special qualities to the table. So I just expect Becky to come back in the environment and be herself.
“Obviously holding high standards is part of everybody’s responsibility and having some self accountability is important to that as well. But I expect Becky to partner with myself and other leaders on the team to make sure that the standards are high for all of us as individuals but also as a group.”
The U.S. women’s national team announced its roster for October friendlies against Colombia, with star forward Sophia Smith making her return from an MCL sprain.
Also back is defender Becky Sauerbrunn, who missed the 2023 World Cup with a foot injury. And 18-year-old midfielder Olivia Moultrie received her first call-up to the senior national team.
Yet as the international break falls in the middle of the NWSL playoffs, several stars — including Smith, Sauerbrunn and Moultrie — likely will see limited minutes against 2023 World Cup darling Colombia. Of the 27 players on the roster, 17 are on playoff teams.
The Portland Thorns and San Diego Wave already are into the NWSL semifinals on Nov. 5. And USWNT stars from other teams, including Gotham FC’s Lynn Williams and Angel City FC’s Alyssa Thompson, could have their minutes determined by the quarterfinal results ahead of the friendlies.
The USWNT will host Colombia for two matches, on Thursday, Oct. 26, in Sandy, Utah, and on Sunday, Oct. 29, in San Diego.
These will be the first matches since the retirements of Megan Rapinoe and Julie Ertz. This also is likely the last training camp with interim head coach Twila Kilgore at the helm, with a target deadline of December for the new hire.
Both Jaedyn Shaw and Mia Fishel are back on the roster. In September, Shaw received her first call-up but did not see game action, while Fishel earned her first cap in her second career camp. Angel City FC defender M.A. Vignola also is back on the squad after receiving her first call-up in September as an injury replacement.
Several big names remain sidelined with injuries, including midfielders Catarina Macario and Rose Lavelle.
USWNT schedule: October 2023
- Thursday, Oct. 26 — 9 p.m. ET (TBS, Universo, Peacock)
- United States vs. Colombia (America First Field, Sandy, Utah)
- Sunday, Oct. 29 — 5:30 p.m. ET (TNT, Telemundo, Universo, Peacock)
- United States vs. Colombia (Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego)
USWNT roster: September 2023
Goalkeepers (3)
- Aubrey Kingsbury (Washington Spirit)
- Casey Murphy (North Carolina Courage)
- Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars)
Defenders (9)
- Alana Cook (OL Reign)
- Crystal Dunn (Portland Thorns)
- Emily Fox (North Carolina Courage)
- Naomi Girma (San Diego Wave)
- Sofia Huerta (OL Reign)
- Casey Krueger (Chicago Red Stars)
- Becky Sauerbrunn (Portland Thorns)
- Emily Sonnett (OL Reign)
- M.A. Vignola (Angel City FC)
Midfielders (6)
- Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns)
- Savannah DeMelo (Racing Louisville FC)
- Lindsey Horan (Olympique Lyonnais)
- Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns)
- Ashley Sanchez (Washington Spirit)
- Andi Sullivan (Washington Spirit)
Forwards (9)
- Mia Fishel (Chelsea)
- Ashley Hatch (Washington Spirit)
- Alex Morgan (San Diego Wave)
- Midge Purce (Gotham FC)
- Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit)
- Jaedyn Shaw (San Diego Wave)
- Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns)
- Alyssa Thompson (Angel City FC)
- Lynn Williams (Gotham FC)
27 strong. 💪
— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) October 18, 2023
Fall footy awaits. ⚽️
Full Roster Details » https://t.co/lFEFV20Lyq https://t.co/MYhDkCCvz7 pic.twitter.com/hKRMeSvkRf
Trinity Rodman is a rising star for the U.S. women’s national team, and she has had plenty of inspiration.
Speaking on Sunday, the 21-year-old pointed to a trio of forwards from the 2015 and 2019 World Cup-winning teams as role models for her own career journey: Megan Rapinoe, Christen Press and Tobin Heath.
“Megan Rapinoe has been a big one for me,” Rodman said. “Christen Press and Tobin Heath have been big ones for me.
“Obviously, playing with Pinoe, who’s amazing, to be there for her retirement was amazing. But she just works so hard, she’s changed the game of soccer and she brings her own personality and swag to the game. And I hope to do the same.”
While Rodman has played alongside Rapinoe in 2022 and 2023, her first and Rapinoe’s last years with the USWNT, she has not played with Press or Heath. Her first call-up came in January 2022, and neither Press nor Heath have played for the national team since 2021 as both have dealt with various injuries. Still, Rodman looks up to them, pointing in a different interview to Heath’s “creativity” as a particular inspiration.
Since the 2023 World Cup, Rodman has started to come into her own, both on the USWNT and in the NWSL with the Washington Spirit. At the World Cup, USWNT interim head coach Twila Kilgore saw a switch flick in Rodman, and since then the young forward has been on a tear.
Rodman scored in each of the team’s September friendlies against South Africa, and in her next NWSL match, a sign of what is to come for the forward as she continues to embrace her role.
Her Spirit teammate, 24-year-old defender Tara McKeown, also spoke about her role models, citing longtime USWNT captain Becky Sauerbrunn as a defensive paragon.
“Growing up I always looked up to Mia Hamm, and I used to be a nine so that kinda made more sense,” she said. “But now, switching to center-back, watching Becky Sauerbrunn has been a good role model for me and trying to learn from her game.”
The NWSL Players’ Association released the official list of prospective 2024 free agents last week, naming the restricted and unrestricted free agents now allowed to take conversations with teams across the league.
This year’s free agency period is complicated by two expansion clubs in Utah and the Bay Area joining the NWSL in 2024. With the expansion process on the horizon, teams will have to both pursue players out of contract and look to strike deals with those on their roster who are still under contract.
A number of stars grace the free agency shortlist, and it’s clear that some NWSL clubs have a tougher negotiation period ahead of them than others. Here are a few clubs in danger of letting some of the biggest names in the sport walk elsewhere this winter.
Chicago Red Stars
Unrestricted: Tierna Davidson, D; Casey Krueger, D; Mallory Swanson, F; Yuki Nagasato, M
When the old U.S. national allocation status went away in 2021, the Red Stars made sure to lock down their four players who fell under that status to two-year contracts: Tierna Davidson, Casey Krueger, Mallory Swanson and Alyssa Naeher.
Entering the 2024 free agency period, the only player of that four who has signed onto an additional year with the club is Naeher. The Red Stars have a significant amount of rebuilding to do both on and off the field under new ownership, and retaining the other three players of their long-standing USWNT foursome will likely be at the top of the priority list. Standout midfielder Yuki Nagasato has also not yet signed her mutual team option, leaving Chicago facing the possible loss of veteran leadership and available talent.
Swanson has indicated that she’d like to stay in Chicago (where her husband Dansby plays for the Cubs of the MLB), and Krueger is similarly settled in the Midwest. Davidson, however, might be a difficult player for the Red Stars to retain. With expansion approaching, the center-back is looking to get back into the USWNT roster conversation and might seek out a change of scenery in the process.
Portland Thorns
Unrestricted: Crystal Dunn, M; Meghan Klingenberg, D; Becky Sauerbrunn, D; Christine Sinclair, F
The Thorns similarly have major talent to retain if they want to avoid a major overhaul in 2024. Crystal Dunn, Meghan Klingenberg, Becky Sauerbrunn and Christine Sinclair have all played consistently for the club this year, excluding Sauerbrunn’s foot injury that left the two-time world champion off the USWNT roster for this year’s World Cup.
Of the four star players entering unrestricted free agency this year, Sinclair and Sauerbrunn might consider hanging up their boots entirely, but they are still a big part of Portland’s race to the NWSL Shield in 2023. Dunn has been a revelation while playing in a more advanced position following the injury to Golden Boot leader Sophia Smith, showcasing the versatility that makes her one of the most valuable NWSL players of all time.
Klingenberg has also quietly been one of the most consistent performers in the league in the years since her USWNT career ended. A key locker room presence for Portland, she has adjusted her game to retain her effectiveness into her mid-30s. While the Thorns do a good job bringing in young talent to shore up positions, it’s hard to imagine what the team would look like without any of these free agents.
OL Reign
Unrestricted: Emily Sonnett, M/D; Rose Lavelle, M
Restricted: Tziarra King, F; Angelina, M
Portland’s longtime rivals also have some work to do to maintain a through-line between their longtime stars and up-and-coming talent. Megan Rapinoe, who has played for the Reign since their inception in 2013, will be retiring at the end of the season. Jess Fishlock, another member of the Reign’s original three alongside defender Lauren Barnes, has signed an extension through next season.
Beyond the true veterans, the Reign have a number of starters with the opportunity to turn elsewhere after this season. Rose Lavelle has had her moments of being unstoppable for Seattle since her unexpected trade from the Spirit in 2020, but she’s also been plagued by injury in recent years.
Emily Sonnett became one of the team’s starting defensive midfielders after another surprise trade from Washington earlier this year. If the Reign are in the process of parting with their longtime culture-setters in their locker room, they at least might want to focus on holding onto USWNT mainstays like Lavelle and Sonnett.
The Reign also have a few young contributors up for restricted free agency — meaning that if they do not receive a qualifying offer from their current team, they can negotiate with other teams. Tziarra King and Angelina have both been skillful additions to the Reign’s roster, and with head coach Laura Harvery likely having to reshape the concept of her starting XI, they provide depth the club might be reluctant to lose.
Claire Watkins is a Staff Writer at Just Women’s Sports. Follow her on Twitter @ScoutRipley.
Mallory Swanson and Becky Sauerbrunn have been out with injuries since before the 2023 World Cup, but both players showed up at the U.S. women’s national team’s September training camp ahead of Megan Rapinoe’s final match.
Rapinoe is making her last USWNT appearance at 5:30 p.m. ET Sunday at Chicago’s Soldier Field in an international friendly against South Africa. The 38-year-old forward is retiring from professional soccer at the end of the NWSL season.
Swanson, who tore the patellar tendon in her left knee in April, posted a video of herself running on grass for the first time since her injury in late August. Still, while the Chicago Red Stars forward is unlikely to make a return before the end of the NWSL season, she showed up for USWNT training in Chicago before Rapinoe’s finale.
So did Sauerbrunn, who has spent her entire USWNT career playing alongside Rapinoe. The 38-year-old defender made her debut in 2008, two years after Rapinoe, and they played together at the 2011, 2015 and 2019 World Cup tournaments. Sauerbrunn had to miss the 2023 tournament due to a foot injury.
While Swanson nor Sauerbrunn are still recovering, and neither made the roster for the September training camp, they came together to honor their retiring teammate.
💙❤️ @mPinoe ❤️💙 pic.twitter.com/DV4nWDCpQZ
— U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (@USWNT) September 23, 2023
Alex Morgan is the top player in the NWSL in the “EA Sports FC 24” ratings.
The top soccer video game released its player ratings ahead of its release on Sept. 29, and the 34-year-old star striker for the U.S. women’s national team and San Diego Wave leads all players in the U.S. league. She also ranks as the only USWNT player in the top 10 across all women’s leagues.
Among NWSL players, Morgan sits in first place with a score of 89, while Kansas City Current forward Debinha comes in a close second with a rating of 88. Sophia Smith is tied with Debinha at 88, while Rose Lavelle is in fourth at 87.
The Portland Thorns have the most players among the top 10 with three, while OL Reign and San Diego each have two players.
Across all players, Morgan sits tied for fifth and Debinha tied for ninth. Spain’s Alexia Putellas holds the top spot by herself with a score of 91. She is followed closely by her Spain teammate Aitana Bonmatí, Norway’s Caroline Graham Hansen and Australia’s Sam Kerr who all have scores of 90.
Morgan also had been the lone USWNT player in the top 10 of EA Sports’ 2023 Women’s World Cup player ratings.
EA Sports FC: International women’s player ratings
- Alexia Putellas, Spain – 91
- Aitana Bonmatí, Spain – 90
- Caroline Graham Hansen, Norway – 90
- Sam Kerr, Australia – 90
- Kadidiatou Diani, France – 89
- Ada Hegerberg, Norway – 89
- Mapi León, Spain – 89
- Alex Morgan, United States – 89
- Debinha, Brazil – 88
- Marie-Antoinette Katoto, France – 88
EA Sports FC: NWSL player ratings
- Alex Morgan, San Diego Wave FC – 89
- Debinha, Kansas City Current – 88
- Sophia Smith, Portland Thorns – 88
- Rose Lavelle, OL Reign – 87
- Mallory Swanson, Chicago Red Stars – 86
- Becky Sauerbrunn, Portland Thorns – 85
- Megan Rapinoe, OL Reign – 85
- Amandine Henry, Angel City – 85
- Kailen Sheridan, San Diego Wave FC – 85
- Crystal Dunn, Portland Thorns – 84