Kelley O’Hara will be playing in her fourth World Cup with the U.S. women’s national team, she revealed Wednesday morning on the Today show. But this tournament feels just as special as the first for the 34-year-old defender.

O’Hara and her Gotham FC teammates Lynn Williams and Kristie Mewis became the first players officially named to the USWNT squad for the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand via the announcement on the morning show in New York City.

O’Hara, who has struggled in the last year with nagging injuries, cried when she got the call about the roster spot, she said during the televised segment.

“Honestly, it felt like I was getting called for the first time to go to a World Cup,” O’Hara said. “I’m so excited. This is my fourth one, but when I got the news I honestly broke out in tears I was so excited.”

For Mewis and Williams, this World Cup will be their first with the USWNT.

“It feels really good, I’m so excited,” Mewis said. “I’m honestly so excited to have these two (Williams and O’Hara) with me. They’ve been my rock through this whole journey.”

Williams shared her teammates’ sentiments.

“I cried as well,” she said. “We train so long and we fight so hard to do this, so it means everything to me.”

Washington D.C. is gearing up for a round-the-clock party for the 2023 Women’s World Cup.

Bars and restaurants in the nation’s capital will be open 24 hours a day for the tournament once Mayor Muriel Bowser signs the new legislation into effect.

The D.C. Council passed the 2023 Women’s World Cup Emergency Amendment Act last week. The city approved a similar measure for the 2022 men’s World Cup.

While the time difference for the men’s tournament in Qatar meant most of the matches took place during the day on the East Coast, the women’s tournament in Australia and New Zealand will feature many matches in the middle of the night in U.S. time zones.

Kickoff times range from 9 p.m. ET through 8 a.m. ET, with the bulk of the matches taking place from 3 a.m. ET onward.

The U.S. women’s national team will play just one of its three group stage matches in the early hours of the morning. The team’s first two group stage matches kick off at 9 p.m. ET, but its final group stage match kicks off at 3 a.m. ET.

Should the USWNT advance through the knockout rounds to the semifinals, though, that match would take place at 4 a.m. ET. And the World Cup final is scheduled for 6 a.m. ET Sunday, Aug. 20.

Bars and restaurants that want to be included in the World Cup festivities in Washington will have to pay a $100 registration fee and notify local officials by July 17. The tournament starts on Thursday, July 20, and the USWNT plays its first match at 9 p.m. ET Friday, July 21.

Savannah DeMelo will feature on the U.S. women’s national team roster for the 2023 World Cup, The Athletic reported Friday.

Who is the 25-year-old midfielder? And what can USWNT fans expect from the national team newbie? Just Women’s Sports introduces the world to the rising star.

Who does Savannah DeMelo play for?

Racing Louisville selected DeMelo with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2022 NWSL Draft. The midfielder is in the midst of her second season with the club.

Has she played for the USWNT before?

DeMelo received call-ups from the national team in September and October of last year. She joined the USWNT ahead of the September friendlies against Nigeria as a replacement for forward Trinity Rodman, who missed the camp due to a family commitment, and then she made the trip to the October friendlies in England and Spain.

While she has two training camps under her belt, though, she has yet to feature in a game for the USWNT.

What is DeMelo’s style of play?

DeMelo provides depth at the midfielder position as a player who can work both sides of the ball. In her second professional season, she also has shown her scoring touch. Since the beginning of May, she has been involved in eight goals (6 goals, 2 assists) across all NWSL competitions, which is two better than any other player in the league in that span, per OptaJack.

While she started the year outside of the national team pool, she kept herself on USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski’s radar with a ferocious start to the NWSL season. As Andonovski has stated, NWSL play is a big factor in his roster decisions. And there are few playing better in the league right now than DeMelo.

She has scored in three of her last four matches, including in Sunday’s 2-0 win against Gotham FC, and she has eight goals across all competitions this season. She finished the 2022 season with four goals total.

On top of her goal-scoring abilities, DeMelo also brings a solid defensive presence. A good shot blocker, she also helps her team to win the ball back, averaging 4.38 interceptions per game in 2022. And as good as DeMelo looked in 2022, she’s even better in 2023, which has earned her a spot on her first World Cup roster.

The news that U.S. women’s national team captain Becky Sauerbrunn will miss the World Cup due to injury brought fresh concerns about a couple of other USWNT stalwarts: Megan Rapinoe and Rose Lavelle.

Lavelle has not played since an April friendly against Ireland, in which she picked up what USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski referred to at the time as “a little knock.” Rapinoe, meanwhile, suffered a calf injury during OL Reign’s match on June 10.

The USWNT is expected to release its 23-player World Cup roster this week, and Lavelle has made progress ahead of the reveal. The 28-year-old midfielder has been a partial participant in training for OL Reign and has been making good progress, Equalizer’s Bella Munson reported on June 9.

In May, Lavelle had been on track for a comeback before suffering a setback in her recovery, OL Reign coach Laura Harvey told Munson.

Rapinoe, meanwhile, is set to miss a couple of weeks, Harvey said ahead of OL Reign’s 0-0 draw with the Houston Dash on Saturday. She declined to provide further details on the 37-year-old forward’s recovery.

“She’s doing OK. It’s probably something that will last a couple of weeks,” Harvey said. “But it’s not going to be a lengthy injury.”

Which one player is the most essential to the success of the U.S. women’s national team at the 2023 World Cup?

Each month since September 2022, Just Women’s Sports has made the argument for a different member of the USWNT. Heading into the upcoming roster drop, that gives us 10 players who could make or break the team’s chances in Australia and New Zealand.

With one month to go until the World Cup, which players will have the biggest impact for the USWNT?

World Cup newcomers

Naomi Girma, 23, defender

After nearly sweeping the NWSL’s end-of-season awards as a rookie in 2022 – which included winning rookie and defender of the year and finishing as an MVP finalist – Girma has picked up right where she left off to begin 2023. And this summer at the World Cup, she’ll have the chance to prove herself on the world stage.

Sophia Smith, 22, forward

The reigning NWSL MVP scored 14 goals in the 2022 season, and she scored almost that many for the USWNT. Smith’s 11 goals in 2022 made her the youngest player to lead the team in scoring in a calendar year since Mia Hamm did it as a 21-year-old in 1993.

Lynn Williams, 30, forward

If Williams seems more like a World Cup veteran than a newcomer, that speaks to how indispensable she has become for the USWNT since the 2021 Olympics — even after missing most 0f 2022 with a hamstring injury. Her first goal of 2023 came just seven minutes into her first game back with the USWNT in January, and she has nine goals this year across all competitions.

Invaluable veterans

Crystal Dunn, 30, defender

With versatility as her self-proclaimed “superpower,”  Dunn can do it all for the USWNT. She starts for the team as an outside back, but her natural position is midfield, and you can tell in her creative ball movement.

Alex Morgan, 33, forward

A staple for the U.S. women’s national team for more than a decade, Morgan ranks fifth in USWNT history in goals and 1oth in assists. She was left off the roster for five camps from October 2021 through April 2022, but she used the absence as a challenge. Morgan enters the World Cup as the favorite to start at center forward.

Fitness questions

Julie Ertz, 31, midfielder

Several players could be key not just for their play but also for exactly how much they can play. Take Ertz, who made a surprise return in April for her first USWNT camp since August 2021. She played a full 90 minutes for Angel City FC on June 10, but she has been in and out of the lineup since April while working her way back to fitness after the birth of her son last August.

Rose Lavelle, 28, midfielder

Since injuring her knee in an April friendly against Ireland, Lavelle has not played a single minute. She has missed OL Reign’s last 12 across all competitions. The 2019 World Cup served as a breakout moment for the midfielder, and if she can recapture even a piece of that glory in 2023, the USWNT will be better for it.

Major absences

Becky Sauerbrunn, 38, defender

Absent players can leave their own impact on the lineup, and Sauerbrunn’s reported absence represents a huge blow to the USWNT backline. The 38-year-old returned from a nagging foot injury on June 3 for the Portland Thorns, playing 24 minutes in her first action since April 22. But she missed their June 11 match, and then came the report that the USWNT captain would not make the trip to Australia and New Zealand.

Catarina Macario, 23, midfielder

The rising star “won’t be physically ready for selection” to the USWNT as she continues to recover from an ACL tear, she revealed in May. The midfield has lacked depth in the absence of a player Andonovski has called the “future of the team.”

Mallory Swanson, 25, forward

After a 2021 Olympic snub, Swanson started 2023 in the best form of her career, with five goals in seven USWNT matches through the first two months of the year. In April, though, she tore the patellar tendon in her left knee during a friendly against Ireland. Even with the USWNT’s depth at the forward position, Swanson’s absence is a significant blow.

The U.S. women’s national team will be without captain Becky Sauerbrunn at the 2023 Women’s World Cup, The Athletic’s Meg Linehan and Steph Yang reported Friday. Sauerbrunn later confirmed the news on Twitter.

USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski is set to release his roster for the tournament next week. When he does, Sauerbrunn will not be included, multiple sources told The Athletic.

The 38-year-old defender has been dealing with a foot injury for the Portland Thorns for the last two months. On June 3, she played 24 minutes as a substitute in her first action since April 22, but then she missed the following match.

Veteran defender Kelley O’Hara will make the 23-player roster, though she also has missed time with injury. The 34-year-old played Sunday 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.

Racing Louisville midfielder Savannah DeMelo and Washington Spirit goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury also will make the cut, The Athletic reported. Players were informed Thursday of their roster status.

DeMelo received her first USWNT call-up last September as an injury replacement for the team’s friendlies against Nigeria. She has not trained with the team in 2023, but she has excelled in NWSL play, with seven goals across all competitions.

The inclusion of Kingsbury also aligns with Andonovski’s emphasis on club form. The 31-year-old ranks second in the NWSL with 0.91 goals against per 90. Kansas City Current goalkeeper AD Franch, who has been considered her direct competitor for the final USWNT goalkeeper spot, ranks last with 2.75 goals against per 90 and has not played since May 17.

Whittling down a World Cup roster to 23 players can be difficult, particularly if you are head coach of the U.S. women’s national team and have a plethora of talent to choose from.

USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski will announce his choices next week, and while some players have solidified their spots, others remain on the bubble. Which players are fighting for a trip to Australia and New Zealand?

Goalkeepers: AD Franch, Aubrey Kingsbury

Kingsbury has been playing lights out to begin the season. Franch, on the other hand, has seen limited appearances on the field, and has struggled when she has appeared for the Kansas City Current.

And while Alyssa Naeher is a staple for the USWNT, she has given up nine goals in her last two outings for the Red Stars, so Andonovski may want to stick with the backup who has the better recent résumé.

Defenders: Sofia Huerta, Tierna Davidson, Kelley O’Hara, Casey Krueger

Sofia Huerta had a great game last weekend against Kansas City, burying a penalty kick to give OL Reign the win. She was named Player of the Match and earned a nomination for NWSL Player of the Week. A former attacker turned right-back, her 35 regular-season goals rank 17th in NWSL history, so she could bring an additional scoring presence to a USWNT squad that has had a defender score in each of its last two friendlies. But she’s going up against O’Hara and Krueger, with each bringing a different element to the table — and while O’Hara has been struggling to stay healthy, Krueger’s versatility could give her the nod.

Davidson is another bubble player who faces stiff competition to make the final 23. At center-back, she is likely competing with OL Reign’s Emily Sonnett. In Chicago, Davidson has struggled – as has the rest of the Red Star defense – and was out before that with an ACL tear. She was the youngest player on the roster at the 2019 World Cup, but she could find herself on the outside looking in this time around.

Midfielders: Taylor Kornieck, Savannah DeMelo

Julie Ertz’s return to the USWNT lineup has meant one less spot on the USWNT roster because, let’s face it, there’s no way Ertz is being left at home. Kornieck has had solid USWNT minutes, and at 6-1 she is the tallest player the USWNT has to go up against opposition. Before sustaining an abdominal injury, Kornieck was leading the NWSL in aerials won. She’s already scored once this year for the USWNT, one of just a few players to do so, and would be a solid bench option for Andonovski.

DeMelo, meanwhile, has had an outstanding start to her NWSL season and week after week continues to make her case for the USWNT roster. She scored in four of five appearances to start the season and forced an own goal against Chicago. In May, she was named the NWSL’s Player of the Month. If NWSL play really does matter that much to Andonovski, then he’ll take DeMelo down under.

Forwards: Jaedyn Shaw, Midge Purce

If Andonovski is considering young star Alyssa Thompson for a roster spot, he should also be considering Shaw. Shaw has been a force for San Diego this season, not just as the team’s second-leading scorer but also as a passer. While her consistency needs some work, she has two seasons of professional experience under her belt that could be helpful on the world’s biggest stage.

Purce, meanwhile, has had a bumpy road with the USWNT, and a recent hip injury has kept her from NWSL play. While Purce has the talent to help the USWNT, her lack of recent playing time means she could get left at home.

FIFA reached a deal to broadcast the 2023 World Cup in England, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Ukraine, ending a stalemate with major European broadcasters over media rights fees.

The world soccer governing body announced the deal Wednesday, five weeks before the tournament kicks off in Australia and New Zealand on July 20. FIFA president Gianni Infantino had threatened TV blackouts in European markets if no deal was reached.

The European Broadcasting Union, an alliance of public media organizations, and FIFA agreed to extend their existing media rights partnership to include the “Big 5” European markets, all of which have teams in the World Cup. The expanded deal ensures “maximum exposure for the tournament,” Infantino said in a news release.

Infantino had criticized European broadcasters for not offering a “fair” price for the tournament in early May, calling it FIFA’s “moral and legal obligation not to undersell” the women’s World Cup. The announcement of the broadcast deal did not include any monetary details.

The U.S. broadcast rights are held by Fox as part of an existing agreement with FIFA, which also covers the men’s tournament.

In the United Kingdom, all 64 World Cup matches will be broadcast on either the BBC or ITV — except for the final on Aug. 20, which will be shown simultaneously flagship channels BBC One and ITV1.

“The growth of the women’s game is extraordinary, demonstrated by the 28 million who watched BBC coverage of the 2019 Women’s World Cup and the huge audience of 17.4 million who watched our coverage of the Euro 2022 final last summer on TV,” BBC Sport director Barbara Slater said, also noting the BBC’s excitement to bring the 2023 World Cup to “the widest possible audience.”

Each month in the leadup to the World Cup, Just Women’s Sports will make the case for one player as most essential to the success of the U.S. women’s national team in 2023. Our final selection: Crystal Dunn.

Crystal Dunn will play defense for the U.S. women’s national team at the 2023 World Cup, staking her claim as one of the best at the position across the globe. Yet her natural position is midfield, and she could stake her claim there as well.

Much to the chagrin of USWNT fans, Dunn cannot play in two positions at once. But she has the skills to excel at both, and that versatility will make her invaluable to the USWNT in its quest for a three-peat.

With little more than a month until the World Cup kicks off, Dunn is peaking at the right time. The 30-year-old is a frontrunner in the NWSL’s Golden Boot race and has been excelling in midfield for the Portland Thorns, working well with USWNT teammate Sophia Smith.

“Her special awareness puts ourselves in a good position,” first-year Thorns head coach Mike Norris said. “She reads the game well and obviously is attacking minded.”

“The running joke is I’m scoring the same exact goal,” Dunn said after scoring her fifth goal of the season. “Teams clearly think I’m not good enough to be marked in the box. They keep leaving me open and that’s just fine.”

As Just Women’s Sports writer Claire Watkins has pointed out, the U.S. could use such skills in the midfield, which has yet to look settled. Exacerbating the midfield situation is the fact that star Catarina Macario will be out of this summer’s World Cup due to extended recovery from an ACL tear. And while Julie Ertz has made her return, she is still working her way back to full speed.

Yet while Dunn would provide a boost in the midfield, she provides stability at the defensive position.

With Kelley O’Hara a question mark, Dunn is one of just two players – alongside Emily Fox – that can slot into the right- and left-back positions, providing defensive cover that could be needed as the USWNT faces increasingly tougher opponents as the tournament goes on.

“Crystal Dunn is a versatile player, and that’s what makes her special,” USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski said in October 2019. “Not just Crystal Dunn, but anybody on the roster will be put in a position where we feel that they can strive, get better and develop, but at the same time help the team be successful.”

That versatility should be the envy of national teams everywhere. But it can put a lot of pressure on Dunn, who can be tasked with doing just about anything and everything.

“I think my versatility has come with perspective, but it also comes with a lot of pain,” Dunn recently told the “Diaspora United” podcast. “A lot of feeling of, you don’t belong any place on the field, you just belong where the coach puts you. And that doesn’t always feel great. I think I’ve always tried to hide away from saying that and being honest about that.”

Still, she admits that she’s a “competitor” and will play just about anywhere. That mentality has made her crucial for the USWNT.

“When I was younger, I used to be a little bothered by it, but I think now I’ve stepped into this space where I’m like, no, this is me,” Dunn told the “Diaspora United” podcast. “This is a space not a lot of people get to walk in, and that’s OK. It doesn’t make me feel uncomfortable anymore. It makes me feel like this is actually my superpower.”

And perhaps there is room for creativity at the left back position to make the best use of that superpower. After all, soccer is an ever-evolving game, and if the USWNT wants to remain a step above, it may need to think outside of the box.

As the World Cup approaches, a player of Dunn’s abilities could change the game at any given moment. She can create chances for teammates and also provide a boost in the backfield, a multi-faceted star any team would covet. And that’s what makes her one of the most essential players on the USWNT.

Who is the most essential USWNT player?

The 2023 World Cup kicks off in just five weeks, the U.S. women’s national team is holding steady as the favorite to win a third consecutive title.

DraftKings Sportsbook has the USWNT at +275 to win, same as it had in April, while Fanduel Sportsbook gives them slightly better odds at +250.

In DraftKings’ odds, England comes next at +350, followed by Spain and Germany tied at +650. France follows at +750, and then comes tournament co-host Australia at +1200.

FanDuel offers a slight variation, with England at +360, followed by Spain (+650) with slightly better odds than Germany (+700). France (+1100) and Australia (+1200) round out the top six contenders.

The USWNT maintains its status as the betting favorite after holding onto its spot as world No. 1 in the latest FIFA world rankings. The United States hasn’t lost that place since 2017, despite a trio of losses at the end of last year.

Germany, Sweden, England and France round out the top five in the rankings. But No. 3 Sweden faces long odds to win the tournament, sitting at +1400 on DraftKings and +1800 on FanDuel.

A number of teams, including England, Germany and Spain, have released at least their provisional rosters for the tournament. The USWNT is expected to release its roster the week of June 19.

The USWNT next takes the pitch at 4 p.m. ET Sunday, July 9, in San Jose, California, for a World Cup send-off match against Wales. The World Cup is set to kick off in Australia and New Zealand on July 20 and will run through Aug. 20.