The U.S. women’s national team said goodbye to two greats this month in Julie Ertz and Megan Rapinoe. And the private retirement meetings between the teams’ players turn into a “sob fest,” Sam Mewis shared on the latest episode of “Snacks.”

Those pregame meetings take place before every USWNT retirement, with U.S. Soccer playing a video of that player’s highlights and important moments from their career. Similar meetings after a player’s 100th appearance, too.

“Players who are really close to them get up and say a few words about the player,” Mewis said the Just Women’s Sports podcast. “And it’s always, like, a sob fest, because obviously you’re there to talk about somebody who means so much to you.

“Whether they’re leaving or they’ve reached this milestone, it’s always just a really emotional day.”

Her “Snacks” co-host and USWNT teammate Lynn Williams also noted that it’s “weird” that the team holds the meetings before the games, as players are left full of emotions. So with Rapinoe, who played in her final national team match Sunday, the team switched it up after the emotional wringer of Ertz’s retirement.

“With Pinoe’s, we did it the night before just because with Julie’s, we were like, ‘Alright, we can’t be doing this before the game,’” Williams said. “But it was so good. … Julie stepped onto the national team, was such a force and took her opportunity. … I felt like that was just like her career summed up in one moment, she just made the most of every single opportunity she got on the field.”

Sam Mewis and Lynn Williams expressed their confusion over the NWSL’s reported decision to cancel its Challenge Cup tournament on the latest episode of their “Snacks” podcast.

The Challenge Cup started in 2020 as a replacement for the regular season during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. It continued in 2021 and 2022 as a preseason tournament, then in 2023 it ran concurrently with the regular season. But the NWSL plans to abandon the tournament, The Equalizer reported in August.

While NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman denied that any final decision had been made ahead of the 2023 Challenge Cup final, the future of the tournament remains a question mark. According to The Equalizer’s report, the league plans to host a match between the NWSL Shield and the NWSL Championship winners instead.

Yet for Mewis, the Challenge Cup finally had found its rhythm in 2023, with matches taking place midweek and during the month-long World Cup break. Mewis is a midfielder for the U.S. women’s national team and the Kansas City Current, but she has been sidelined with a knee injury for the last two seasons.

“I think players were really on board with the Challenge Cup this year, not only because of the prize money, but also because that concentration of games came during the World Cup when there were a lot of players missing from the league,” Mewis said. “So I feel like it kind of lent itself perfectly to the season’s ebbs and flows. And next year would have been another great opportunity to do that during the Olympics. So I am curious about why it’s leaving, just as I think people were really starting to come around to it.”

Challenge Cup partner UKG committed record prize money this year: $1 million total. Williams also pointed out the sudden rise of the tournament, which would make its absence all the more obvious.

“It just felt like it went so high so quickly, and then all of a sudden, it’s over,” she said. “Because even this year, there was so much talk around it because the prize money was a million dollars.”

While there were still challenges with the tournament, which had to work around regular season games in the first three months of the season, it helped players stay sharp during the long World Cup break, Williams pointed out.

“I think it also allowed players that wouldn’t necessarily get time in the regular season to show what they could do in this Challenge Cup,” she said. “And I think that on some teams, those players are now starting even though the World Cup players are back. So, I would also love to know the reasoning behind that. Is something else going to replace it or, like, what’s the deal there?”

Alyssa Naeher still believes she saved Sweden’s game-winning penalty for the U.S. women’s national team at the 2023 World Cup. And she probably always will.

As the USWNT goalkeeper shared with Sam Mewis and Lynn Williams on the latest episode of “Snacks,” she spent the entire day with “this feeling in the pit of my stomach” that the Round of 16 match would end in a scoreless draw followed by a penalty shootout.

“I’m not really a visualization person,” she said. But leading up to the match, she even got the feeling that she would take a penalty kick herself, and that she would have to make a double save of one of Sweden’s shots.

“And it literally played out,” she said. “I’m like, I don’t know if I overly manifested this. But obviously in my head, in the visualization, we moved on and we won.”

That part of her vision did not come to fruition. While Naeher spent the shootout diving “as far as (she) possibly could,” and she even got a hand on Lina Hurtig’s shot in the seventh round, the ball tipped up into the air and crossed the goal line by millimeters before Naeher grabbed it.

“It felt like it was in slow motion,” she said. “I felt like I ended up diving past it, and I was just trying to get anything on it. Truthfully, I will go to my grave claiming that I saved it. You cannot convince me otherwise.”

Williams agreed with Naeher, saying she also thought the goalkeeper had made the save as she watched from the pitch with their USWNT teammates. And Naeher, for her part, still has a picture of the moment saved on her phone.

“I have looked at it an unhealthy amount of times since the game has ended,” she said. “I’ve watched it over and over.”

“There’s no space between the ball and the line,” Williams said.

“Like, I don’t think that you could convince me that [there was a goal],” Naeher continued. “I genuinely thought that I saved it.”

Even as the referee signaled that the shot had crossed the line, even as Sweden started to celebrate, Naeher could not believe it.

“When she blew the whistle and I watched them run, I don’t think I can describe the sinking feeling,” she said. “But it was the most bizarre way to end the game.”

When Williams watched the video of the penalty for the first time on the stadium screen, then saw Naeher “visible angry” with the result, the loss finally sunk in. Naeher rarely shows such anger, Williams said, so her emotion hammered home the reality of the defeat.

“It hits you all in one moment,” Naeher said. “But then it also then spreads out. And I think that anger, that emotion, that stuff… you know better than anybody how much time and energy gets put into the preparation for a tournament. What you sacrifice – time with family, time with friends – and it’s all worth it. You do it for those experiences. You do it for the honor to represent your country at a World Cup. That’s why you put in all that time.

“And obviously, no one game, no one tournament comes down to one play. But in that moment, it felt like we lost the World Cup by a millimeter.”

The U.S. women’s national team bowed out early at the 2023 World Cup. But the 2024 Olympics are just around the corner, and Sam Mewis expects the USWNT to contend for the gold medal.

The 30-year-old midfielder starred at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 but has not appeared for the USWNT since then due to a lingering knee injury. After a second surgery on her knee in January, she is taking her recovery “one day at a time,” and she still wants to return to the pitch, she told GOAL in July.

The USWNT would benefit from a healthy Sam Mewis at the Paris Games, with the women’s tournament set to kick off on July 25, 2024, in France. And while Mewis did not address her own recovery, she expressed optimism in the USWNT’s chances on Just Women’s Sports‘ World Cup podcast “The 91st.”

“We have a lot of young players. Some players that have been injured who could be back,” she said. “So I am really excited to see the U.S. have this quick turnaround. What we can do to come back and be a contender in just a year?”

Mewis identified several other teams — in addition to World Cup champion Spain — that could make a run at the gold medal. Take Sweden, who finished in third place at the World Cup but has been knocking at the door of a championship for years.

“Sweden has been at the top for a bunch of tournaments in a row,” she said. “My gosh, they had such an incredible tournament and to just see it slip away from them was really disappointing.”

England and Japan also impressed her with their play, as did up-and-comers Nigeria and Colombia, “who pushed further than people maybe expected,” she noted.

While her USWNT teammate Midge Purce poked fun at Mewis for choosing too many teams as possible contenders, Mewis said she remains content to be “a diplomat” as she evaluates the field for next year’s tournament.

A number of U.S. women’s national team stars missed out on the 2023 World Cup due to injury, and the team felt their absence on the pitch.

What is the status for these injured players? And when could they return to the USWNT?

Becky Sauerbrunn

The 38-year-old defender missed what would have been her fourth World Cup due to a foot injury she suffered in April. After being left off the USWNT roster, she was upfront about the injury, noting that while a World Cup return would have been “possible,” doctors warned that it would be “aggressive” for her to get back in time.

Sauerbrunn has continued to rehab the injury and intends to return this season for the NWSL’s Portland Thorns. She also could rejoin the USWNT for its September friendlies against South Africa, although no updates have been given on her status.

Mallory Swanson

Swanson tore the patellar tendon in her left knee during an April friendly against Ireland, ruling her out for the World Cup. Her surgery went well, and Swanson even said that she felt as though she might defy the odds to make the summer tournament.

Ultimately, the 25-year-old forward wasn’t fit for the trip to Australia and New Zealand. But Swanson has been seen doing rehab recently, and even getting in a couple of touches in July. “Recovery has been good,” she told Just Women’s Sports.

Still, there is no update as to when Swanson could return, although the typical timeline for recovery from such an injury is six months.

Abby Dahlkemper

Dahlkemper underwent back surgery in December, and earlier this month the 30-year-old defender made her return to the pitch for the NWSL’s San Diego Wave.

“It felt great,” Dahlkemper said of her return. “I am just so happy to be back. I feel like it’s been a really long journey. I, throughout my career have fortunately been healthy up until last year. So I’ve never really experienced a long time out like I did. Just proud of myself, I’m happy. Excited to be back with the team.

“It was probably the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do in my life, physically and mentally. Having to have back surgery at my age is kind of uncommon, so to go in there and have it be not known how it’s going to do, how I’m going to heal, how I’m going to feel coming back was really scary. But I leaned in and trusted my gut. … Everyone helped me along the way and I really wouldn’t be back here today playing if it wasn’t for everyone helping me and the support.

“I tried to take it one day at a time. Definitely a lot of lows, but I celebrated the highs as well. Just happy and really proud of myself. I feel like when you go through adversity that’s when you learn the most about yourself.”

Dahlkemper has not played a full 90 since her return, but she played 45 minutes in the team’s Challenge Cup match on Aug. 6.

Sam Mewis

Mewis underwent arthroscopic surgery on her right knee in August 2021. While she initially was slated for an eight-week absence from the pitch, she just had a follow-up surgery in January, and she has not played for the USWNT in two years.

It is unknown when the 30-year-old midfielder could make her return, though she shared a video of her recovery process in July. In a video captioned “6 months today!” Mewis is seen doing weight-lifting exercises, including lower body exercises such as deadlifts and lunges. The midfielder appears to be regaining range of motion and strength in her right knee.

Still, there remains no timetable for Mewis’ return.

“Obviously, I haven’t played in a while,” she told Goal in July. “I’m just doing my rehab and taking it one day at a time, but I think my message is just in moments like that, in moments of difficulty, just try to find that new purpose, if you can, and apply yourself to that.”

Catarina Macario

Catarina Macario tore her ACL last June and had some setbacks in her recovery journey, which resulted in her missing out on the World Cup. She signed a three-year deal with Chelsea in June, though, and recently was seen at training with the Women’s Super League club as its preseason gets underway.

The WSL season is set to kick off in October, with Chelsea playing Tottenham on Oct. 1. The 23-year-old midfielder could make her return before that, however, if she gets a call-up from the USWNT for the September friendlies.

Tobin Heath

One of the more senior members of the USWNT, Heath has not suited up for the red, white and blue since October 2021. Throughout 2022, she struggled with injuries, including a hamstring injury that ended her season with Arsenal. She later joined OL Reign, appearing in five matches, before once again being sidelined with an injury.

She underwent season-ending knee surgery in September 2022 and has been seen doing limited training. In February, Andonovski said that Heath was “absolutely” still under consideration for World Cup selection. While the 35-year-old forward did not return for the World Cup, her playing days are “definitely not” over yet, she told UPROXX in August.

Christen Press

Press’ recovery journey has not been linear. In June, the 34-year-old forward returned to the practice field in cleats, but she remained on the season-ending injury list for Angel City FC. And then in July she announced she would have to undergo a fourth surgery to repair her knee.

Following the fourth surgery, Press has not shared a recovery timeline, although she has said she wants to return to professional soccer. It’s unlikely that will come during the 2023 NWSL season, so the soonest fans could see Press back in action may be 2024.

The U.S. women’s national team is competing in the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. As you can imagine, players and coaches — past and present — have plenty to say about it, and Just Women’s Sports is keeping track.

Aug. 3: ‘Trust and support each other,’ Brandi Chastain tells USWNT

The 1999 World Cup hero criticized the USWNT’s play after its scoreless draw with Portugal to close out the group stage, saying on the “After the Whistle” podcast that the U.S. needs “to be better in every phase of the game.” Ahead of the Round of 16 match against Sweden, though, she offered encouragement to the two-time defending champions.

“If you have any concern, look around and know someone has your back,” she wrote. “No one said it would be easy so dance in the glory of the difficult. Be brave, communicate, trust and support each other.”

Aug. 2: Heather O’Reilly: USWNT needs to make ‘big changes’

“We would all be naive if we thought we could win this World Cup with the way that we look right now,” the USWNT great said on Fox Sports after the Portugal match. “So there needs to be changes. And there needs to be big changes. Whether or not Vlatko Andonovski is going to make the changes, well, that’s another story.”

Read more on the lineup changes she suggests for the match against Sweden.

Aug. 1: Carli Lloyd: USWNT ‘lucky to not be going home’

Following the third group-stage match against Portugal, the two-time World Cup champion turned Fox Sports analyst called out the USWNT players and head coach Vlatko Andonovski after the “uninspiring” result.

“There’s been a shift within this team, within the federation, within the culture, the mentality,” Lloyd said on the postgame broadcast. “The importance and meaning of winning has changed. What has come from winning has become more important.”

In particular, Lloyd took issue with the players’ seemingly relaxed conduct both before and after the scoreless draw. She pointed out players dancing before the match and then smiling and laughing after the final whistle.

“Players are smiling. They’re laughing. It’s not good enough,” she said.

More on USWNT vs. Netherlands:

July 27: Midge Purce: ‘I don’t understand why we have no subs’

Following the second group-stage match against the Netherlands, the injured USWNT forward questioned the lack of substitutions deployed in the 1-1 draw.

“I don’t understand why we have no subs. No subs! Just Rose,” Purce told Katie Nolan. The pair are hosting  Just Women’s Sports’ World Cup show “The 91st” throughout the tournament.

Each team can use up to five substitutions per match at the World Cup. In Wednesday’s draw, the USWNT used just one, as Purce noted: Rose Lavelle. Lavelle, who entered to start the second half, is recovering from a knee injury, which has limited her minutes so far in the tournament.

“Rose is great. We love Rose. Happy to see Rose,” Purce said. “But no subs? That’s very confusing. Where’s Lynn?”

USWNT forward (and Purce’s Gotham FC teammate) Lynn Williams has not seen the pitch through two World Cup matches.

More on USWNT vs. Netherlands:

July 24: Carli Lloyd points out ‘worrying trend’ for USWNT

The two-time World Cup champion turned Fox Sports analyst is concerned about the team’s struggle to finish its chances under head coach Vlatko Andonovski, she said ahead of the second group-stage match against the Netherlands.

“To be perfectly blunt, this has been a general theme with Vlatko ever since he became the coach in 2019,” Lloyd said. “Two years ago at the Olympics, we had chances that we weren’t putting away. That’s worrying. Because when you go deeper in a tournament, those opportunities are going to be few and far between.”

July 23: OL Reign coach believes Megan Rapinoe could take over World Cup

“In the biggest moment, when it really matters, you truly believe she is going to turn up,” OL Reign coach Laura Harvey said on “The Re-Cap Show” with Tobin Heath and Christen Press. “So it just wouldn’t shock me if she sets this thing alight.

“She might set it alight by playing 30 minutes every game, coming on and scoring the penalty that matters. Or taking the corner that matters. Or whipping three crosses in that matter. She just has an ability of doing the craziest things in the craziest moments in the only way that she can.”

July 22: Alex Morgan laments missed penalty kick in opening win

The 34-year-old striker missed a penalty kick in the USWNT’s 3-0 win against Vietnam to open the tournament. Morgan’s shot became the first U.S. penalty to be saved at a World Cup since 2003, when Mia Hamm’s attempt was stuffed against Norway.

“It wasn’t a good penalty for me and I know that,” Morgan said. She also lamented more missed opportunities throughout the match, in which the USWNT had 28 shots but just seven on target.

July 21: Tobin Heath: USWNT ‘has a massive question mark’

“It’s the Wild West of women’s football, and I really think that this team has a massive question mark over it,” the two-time World Cup champion told USA Today. “And I think that’s because there’s so many new and exciting players that could, at any point, just go off and have a tournament of their life. But whether that will happen or not is for us to kind of watch and enjoy.”

The 35-year-old forward is sitting out the World Cup for both physical and mental reasons, she told The Athletic.

July 19: Lindsey Horan navigates honor and burden of captaincy

While Horan and Alex Morgan are co-captains for the tournament, Horan will wear the armband when both are on the pitch at the same time. And she will aim to live up to the example set by longtime Sauerbrunn, whom she called her “role model and inspiration.”

“So much changes, but (it’s) also a very cool thing to be able to take on that responsibility and get to experience this. And I will have a lot of great people that get to help me along the way,” she told Just Women’s Sports.

July 13: Alex Morgan already is looking toward Paris 2024

The 34-year-old striker is preparing for her fourth World Cup with the USWNT. Yet her soccer goals don’t stop there. She already is looking toward an NWSL playoff run with the San Diego Wave and toward the Paris Olympics in 2024.

“I do want to win another World Cup. I do want to win other Olympics. I do want to win an NWSL championship,” she told the Los Angeles Times.

July 13: Lindsey Horan compares USWNT coaches Andonovski and Ellis

The 29-year-old midfielder experienced the 2019 World Cup title run with coach Jill Ellis. Now she is part of the 2023 run with Vlatko Andonovski, who took over for Ellis after the 2019 tournament.

“You have two coaches that maybe see the game in a little bit different way,” she told ESPN. “The way Jill managed us through the last World Cup was, you know, we’re going obviously out to win every single game and in the best way possible and we’re gonna play what the game brings us, what we can expose from different teams.”

Read more to see what she had to say about the current USWNT coach.

July 13: Crystal Dunn offers critique of USWNT’s World Cup kits

The 31-year-old defender discussed her mindset in the lead-up to the World Cup with Just Women’s Sports. She also gave her opinion of the Nike jerseys the USWNT will don Down Under.

“The white ones kind of look like my son took a paintbrush and just literally threw his paintbrush at me, so I think that’s kind of cool,” Dunn said. “I know that’s funny to say, but I think it’s a different look… I think I like our blue jerseys a little bit better. It just looks clean. I like the color blue, and I think it just looks more American.”

July 12: Carli Lloyd eyes next-generation USWNT stars

The former USWNT star, who is attending this World Cup as analyst with FOX Sports, has her eye on the next generation of USWNT standouts. Lloyd, who played on the 2015 and 2019 title-winning teams, pointed to a few up-and-comers in particular as players to watch: Naomi Girma, Sophia Smith, Trinity Rodman and Alyssa Thompson.

“They’re doing it at the club level, but this is the world’s biggest and best stage,” she told Boardroom. “It’s a whole different ballgame. So it’s going to be really interesting to see what players can rise to the challenge.”

Lloyd also identified several teams (other than the USWNT) that could make deep runs at the tournament, including Germany, England, Brazil, France and co-host Australia.

July 12: Alex Morgan: USWNT ‘never’ discusses three-peat

The USWNT is going for a third consecutive World Cup title in Australia and New Zealand, but the players do not discuss the potential feat, the USWNT co-captain said.

“It’s actually never thrown around it with the team,” Morgan said. “It’s thrown around with media. I think a lot of fans talk about it. But honestly, this team, we have 14 first timers for the World Cup and we see this as our own journey. Each four-year block is its own.”

Read more from Morgan and her co-captain Lindsey Horan on the team’s quest “to make history.”

July 10: Trinity Rodman: ‘We’re going to get the title’

Despite the tough road to a World Cup title, Rodman expects her team to take home the prize, she told ESPN’s “Fútbol Americas.”

“My expectations are that we’re the most ruthless team, we’re never going to give up and we’re going to get the title,” she said.

Read more highlights from her interview, which came after her two-goal performance against Wales in the USWNT’s World Cup send-off match.

July 9: Vlatko Andonovski: ‘The world is catching up’

The USWNT still holds the No. 1 spot in the FIFA ranking entering World Cup, but Andonovski knows the other 31 teams are hot on their heels.

“The top 10 teams have always been there,” he said after the USWNT’s pre-tournament tune-up against Wales. “We saw that. There was a different champion in 2003. It wasn’t the U.S. in 2007, 2011…

“The world that is catching up is Wales, is Vietnam, is Zambia, is Portugal. These are the countries that are catching up. The 7-0, 8-0 games are gone. And we can see that.”

July 9: Mallory Swanson believed she was ‘going to make’ World Cup roster despite injury

The 25-year-old forward tore the patellar tendon in her left knee during a USWNT friendly against Ireland in April. Despite the typical months-long recovery timeline for such an injury, she still held out hope for a World Cup appearance, at least for a little while.

“Honestly, there was a good time where I was like ‘I’m going to make it in time,'” Swanson told The Sporting News. “Realistically, anyone can go on Google and look up the recovery time for my injury, and it didn’t really correlate [with my expectations], but I was like ‘I’m gonna do it.'”

July 4: Sam Mewis breaks down World Cup bracket

The 30-year-old midfielder is missing the World Cup with a lingering knee injury, but she still took the time to break down the USWNT’s group-stage opponents and the top teams overall for Just Women’s Sports on the Snacks podcast.

“Can the U.S. win three? Yes. Will Europe get in there and have one of those teams who’ve been at the top get over the hump? Or is there another breakthrough team outside the U.S. and Europe?” she asked.

“I’m obviously rooting for the U.S. If I had to make a prediction, of course it would be them. [That] doesn’t mean that it’s going to be easy.”

Check out her full thoughts on the USWNT’s competitors, in the group stage and beyond.

Sam Mewis offered an inside look into her recovery process six months after her second surgery for a lingering knee issue.

The U.S. women’s national team and Kansas City Current midfielder has been sidelined since August 2021 with the injury, but she shared an update Tuesday on Instagram.

“6 months today!” Mewis wrote alongside a video showcasing her rehabilitation work and weight-lifting exercises. Most notable is the lower body work Mewis showed off in the video, which included deadlifts and lunges and points to Mewis regaining range of motion and strength in her right knee.

The 30-year-old starred at the 2021 Olympics for the USWNT, but then she underwent arthroscopic surgery after the tournament. At the time, she was expected to miss six to eight weeks.

Mewis played two NWSL Challenge Cup games for the Current in March 2022 but has not taken the pitch since then due to what the club has described as a “progressive injury to her right leg.”

In January, USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski said he didn’t know what Mewis’ timeline would be. She had her second surgery in the same month. “At this point, I don’t want to guess what the time is or if she is going to be back at all,” he said.

Recently, she spoke with GOAL about the recovery process, noting that she wants to get back to playing soccer if she can. But right now, she’s taking rehab “one day at a time.”

“Obviously, I haven’t played in a while,” she said. “I’m just doing my rehab and taking it one day at a time, but I think my message is just in moments like that, in moments of difficulty, just try to find that new purpose, if you can, and apply yourself to that.”

The U.S. women’s national team is heading into the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand without a number of familiar faces.

Just Women’s Sports is taking a look at who those players are and why they’re absent. Next up: Sam Mewis.

Position: Midfielder
Total caps: 83
Most recent USWNT appearance: Aug. 5, 2021 vs. Australia (Tokyo Olympics)

Where is Mewis?

Mewis underwent arthroscopic surgery on her right knee in August 2021. At the time, she was expected to be out for up to eight weeks. But nearly two years since that surgery, one of the best midfielders in the world remains sidelined.

In January, Mewis announced that she’d had another surgery on the same knee and there was no timeline for her return to soccer. Calling it a “difficult time for me personally,” she said that being away from soccer left her “devastated.”

While the Kansas City Current included the 30-year-old on their 2023 preseason roster, the club also bought out her previous contract and signed her to a new deal that runs through the end of this season. The intent was to help Mewis stay “focused on her recovery and future” while she works her way back “from her progressive injury to her right leg,” according to the team’s press release.

Mewis has not played for the Current since two Challenge Cup matches in March 2022. While initially included on the USWNT roster last March for friendlies against Uzbekistan, she was later ruled out with “a knee issue.” The exact nature of the injury hasn’t been revealed.

When will she return?

In short, nobody knows, except for maybe Mewis and her doctors. In January, USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski indicated he was also unaware of Mewis’ timeline.

“At this point, I don’t want to guess what the time is or if she is going to be back at all,” he said.

Mewis recently spoke with GOAL about her recovery process and how she’s learned to manage adversity.

“I would give this advice to any of the athletes here: When you are facing an injury or some kind of adversity like this and you’re unable to participate the way you want to, find a new purpose in there somewhere,” she said. “Maybe you’re feeling isolated from the team or you have a setback with an injury or something goes wrong, I think being able to kind of reframe in that moment and say, ‘What can I do here that’s going to be productive?’

“It might not look exactly like what I want it to look like, but it will give me a new sense of purpose. I think I’ve had to do that a little bit. Obviously, I haven’t played in a while. I’m just doing my rehab and taking it one day at a time, but I think my message is just in moments like that, in moments of difficulty, just try to find that new purpose, if you can, and apply yourself to that.”

In the meantime, Mewis is staying connected to the game. She’ll be a part of Men in Blazers’ Women’s World Cup coverage , hosting a daily podcast and providing commentary on Twitch streams. She’ll also serve as a contributing writer with The Athletic throughout the tournament, and she continues to co-host the JWS podcast Snacks with Lynn Williams.

As Mewis keeps herself busy off the field, she hasn’t given up hope of a return as she continues her rehab.

“I want to get back to the fields if I can,” she told GOAL. “That’s like always my goal and I’m just taking my rehab one day at a time.”

Who else is absent from the World Cup roster?

The U.S. women’s national team won the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage at the 2023 ESPYs for players’ contributions to women’s sports and their fight for equal pay.

Briana Scurry, Sam Mewis, Christen Press, Tobin Heath and more stars from the past and present were there to accept the award. Scurry, who took part in the 1996 strike for equal pay during the Olympics, called what the team has done “truly amazing.”

“What we’ve been able to do is truly amazing,” the goalkeeper said during the acceptance speeches. “There have been 252 women who have worn the shirt of the U.S. national team since its inception. And we are accepting this award on behalf of every single one of them.”

In addition to Scurry, Press, Mewis and Heath, Carla Overbeck, Julie Foudy, Shannon Boxx, Lorrie Fair, Heather O’Reilly and Stephanie McCaffrey were also on hand at the ceremony.

Press is another player who played an instrumental role in the fight for equal pay, having joined a lawsuit against the U.S. Soccer Federation that helped lead to the team’s historic collective bargaining agreement signed last year.

“This is a tremendously exciting time of our team and sports as large. As anyone who has been there for us and our journey toward equality, knows our fight is not over,” she said. “We’ve been proud to carry (the torch of equality) forward and we are looking to create thousands of touches. Millions.

“This is a time where we must stand in support of civil and human rights in the name of a more just and anti-racist world,” she continued. “To find ways to support our trans siblings, to advocate for respect and kindness in ways that we engage with each other. We are proud to accept this award on behalf of every person who won’t give up fighting for a better world.”

The 34-year-old forward, who missed out on the 2023 World Cup due to injury, also offered a rally cry for the USWNT squad in New Zealand ahead of the tournament, which begins July 20: “To my teammates about to kick off the 2023 World Cup: LFG.”

Former USWNT star Lauren Holiday accepted another award Wednesday, taking home the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award alongside her husband, Jrue Holiday, for their humanitarian and social justice efforts.

U.S. women’s national team star midfielder Sam Mewis will not be with her teammates as she continues to recover from a lingering knee injury. But the 2019 World Cup champion is confident about the squad’s chances as they head to New Zealand and Australia for the 2023 Women’s World Cup.

On the latest episode of Snacks, Mewis broke down each of the USWNT’s group stage opponents and other teams they could face in the knockout rounds. The U.S. will have to get through Vietnam, the Netherlands and Portugal in Group E in order to earn a place in the Round of 16.

“I think that the World Cup is just such an elevated spectacle, like this is really just the highest level you can be playing it. And if you can do well here, you can do well anywhere,” she said. “Can the U.S. win three? Yes. Will Europe get in there and have one of those teams who’ve been at the top get over the hump? Or is there another breakthrough team outside the U.S. and Europe?

“I’m obviously rooting for the U.S. If I had to make a prediction, of course it would be them. [That] doesn’t mean that it’s going to be easy. I don’t think winning a World Cup should be easy, but I 100 percent think that they can do it. I’m rooting for them. I’ll be cheering for them in the middle of the night.”

So, what about the USWNT’s opponents? Mewis analyzes the contenders in her own words.

USWNT group stage

Vietnam

This is their first World Cup. They did just win the Southeast Asian Games, where they triumphed over Myanmar, their longtime rivals. And they do have a leading goal scorer, a key to their squad, 32-year-old Huỳnh Như. I think for the U.S., as any commentator would say it’s a great opportunity to come out on your front foot, set a tone for the tournament.

I would love to see a lot of goals. I would love to see just like the World Cup last time — the U.S. playing with a ton of confidence, putting some goals in the back of the net, celebrating. I’m really excited for them to come out and set the tone for the tournament and earn some confidence as they go on to play some teams that will really test them. I’m really excited for Vietnam to have the chance to play at the World Cup. And this is going to be an awesome showcase for both teams to see what happens to start us off.

Netherlands

We’ve played them a lot recently. We played them obviously in the 2019 final, which was a crazy game we won 2-0. We scored on a PK by [Megan Rapinoe], and then Rose [Lavelle] scored that legendary, epic goal that I think everybody can picture. And then we also drew the Netherlands at the Olympics, but we weren’t on PKs so that game was a little bit closer.

It seems like this game is going to be the biggest test, but the Netherlands do have one of their best players, Vivianne Miedema, out with an injury. She’s been on that list of players we keep seeing who unfortunately are injured and will be missing this World Cup. But they have some other big-time players like Lineth Beerensteyn who plays for Juventus; she’s scored in four of her last five international matches. And then Lieke Martens, whose name has been at the top of the lists of great players for years. She’s at PSG, and she’ll definitely be instrumental for them as well.

I’m really excited to watch this game … this is one that everybody’s gonna be tuning into. I think when you play a team that is a great matchup for you, it sets you up to have your best game because you know that you have to. So I feel like we’ll actually see great soccer from both teams here. And the U.S. performance in this game will be super telling of how they’re doing in the tournament. I’m really confident that they’re gonna pull it out and come out at the top of the group.

Portugal

This is also Portugal’s first trip to the World Cup. A name people might recognize, Jéssica Silva, who played for Kansas City for a year, she’s their key striker. I think having two teams in your group who are at their first World Cup is a positive thing. But I wouldn’t count anybody out. I think this could be a tricky group.

I think the U.S. knows exactly what to do. They’ve been here before. Coming out on the top of the group is obviously a goal going into it. But you just take it one game at a time, you keep everybody healthy, you try to get some goals on the scoresheet. Super confident in the U.S. But I think this will be a really fun group to watch the other contenders.

The teams worth a 3 a.m. wake-up call

This is not an exhaustive list, but these are some teams that I think will give everybody a little helpful guide as you’re picking out games to watch and which games to set your alarm for.

Australia

This team starts and ends with Sam Kerr. Sam Kerr, just my favorite. I love her so much. She’s someone who can score on anyone in the world. She’s dominated every domestic league she’s ever played in. She is also super experienced.

She’s played in a bunch of World Cups, a bunch of Olympics. She’s played in the Champions League, she’s played for Chelsea. She’s played in the NWSL. She went to her first World Cup at age 17. So she’s a part of this group of Australians who have a ton of veteran experience, even though they’re still in the middle of their careers.

Another thing to note about Australia is their coach, Tony Gustavsson, who worked with the U.S. team during the last two World Cups. I think Tony is like a tactical wizard. And so much of these tactical, technical things that I’ve learned about soccer actually came from doing film with Tony. So much respect for him, so much respect for Australia, always a really hard team to play against.

Canada

The reigning Olympic champions, they are another team to watch. They’re still led by Christine Sinclair … Their group has Australia, Nigeria and the Republic of Ireland. You would think Australia and Canada are favorites coming out of this group, but this is kind of a crazy group. So we might get some results that people don’t expect. And these are definitely games that people are going to want to watch.

Germany

They were runners-up at the Euros in 2022. They lost in extra time to England in that crazy game that Chloe Kelly scored the game-winning goal right at the end. They don’t have as many players with household names that we probably all know. But I feel like this team has experience, they all have great club experience. Alexandra Popp is the captain and the leader. She’ll be the most-capped player on the field for Germany. And Lena Oberdorf is a rising star. She’s 21, she was named the Young Player of the Tournament at the 2022 Euros. So definitely don’t sleep on Germany.

I think they’re a very clinical team. They’re disciplined, super athletic. Definitely a great history there, too. So, they will know what they’re doing.

Spain

Spain is another team that would have been a favorite. They’ve been dealing with this roster turmoil situation. They’ve had 15 players step away from the team and protest over conditions and coaching. Some of those players have come back, but a lot of them have not. Super disappointing because Spain was considered a young and rising team and could have had an awesome performance at this World Cup. They still could — we had a super close game with them in the Round of 16 in 2019. And they’ll still be competitive.

I think with teams like this, who either have a ton of injuries or have had a lot of roster changes, it’s hard to expect what we would have expected. But I feel also sometimes that lends itself to a new freedom or a new creativity or something that the world didn’t expect. So, I definitely wouldn’t count them out.

France

France is another team that’s been dealing with player protests, but they did change coaches. … Their new coach is Hervé Renard — he led the Saudi Arabian men’s team to the biggest upset of the Men’s World Cup last year over Argentina. Everybody probably remembers that game. That was wild. This team won’t have a ton of time together before the tournament, but they have talent, they have experience. I’d say they have a good coach. So France, another great side that historically is at the top of the list of top teams.

England

We’ve talked so much about England, they’re also a little bit injury-plagued. They’ll be missing Fran Kirby, Beth Mead and Leah Williamson, unfortunately. They just won the Euros. They have all this momentum coming into the tournament. They have players playing all over the world in different leagues, really improving a young squad that just feels like it has such an energy about it.

I think they’ve been a little bit of a favorite along with the U.S. A really good team, really great manager, really exciting to watch. Some of my favorite players on that team are Keira Walsh and Georgia Stanway, who I played with at Man City. Lauren Hemp is so good, [and] Chloe Kelly. These girls are so fun to watch, so I’ll be trying to watch all of England’s games.

Sweden

Always a threat. They beat us at the last Olympics. They fell just short in the gold-medal game after really being the top team all tournament. They’re No. 3 in the world right now. A small country, but they must have a great program. They’re always really good. They have top, top players, and I expect them to do well this summer. They’ll have five players with at least 100 caps and 10 players who have all scored 10 or more international goals.

Brazil

People are going to recognize a ton of names from the NWSL. Leading scorer currently is Kerolin; obviously, Debinha; everybody loves Marta; Brunhina has been scoring for Gotham. So, Brazil is another team to look out for. They’ve had up-and-down performances in world tournaments over the years. But if they really get together and perform the way that they can, they’re for sure a team to look out for.

New Zealand

I just want to say don’t sleep on New Zealand. We’re so excited that they’re hosting. Their group definitely has a pathway to advance. Our girl Ali Riley is ready to lead them to greatness. So we’re super excited for New Zealand, one of the host teams at this tournament.