Sofia Huerta knows her selection to the USWNT roster for the 2023 World Cup tells a story of dedication and persistence.

“I’ve faced a lot of adversity in my career and there were definitely times where I wasn’t sure if it was going to be possible for me to be named to a World Cup roster or Olympic roster,” the defender said after OL Reign’s 2-1 win over the San Diego Wave on Saturday.

“Going to my first big tournament at (age) 30, it feels crazy, but it just shows that I have a lot of perseverance and resilience.”

Huerta made her international debut at the 2012 U-20 Women’s World Cup as a member of Mexico’s roster, a decision she made after she wasn’t named to the U.S. team for the tournament. She went on to record five caps for Mexico’s senior national team, but in 2017, she officially switched her national affiliation with the goal of representing the United States.

She recorded her first cap for the U.S. on March 7, 2018, but then found herself left off of national team rosters for more than three years. While Huerta aimed to compete for the U.S. as an outside back, she instead found herself playing as an attacker in the NWSL, first for the Chicago Red Stars and then for the Houston Dash.

Huerta credits her trade to the Reign in 2020 and Laura Harvey’s return in 2021 with changing her trajectory.

“When I got to the Reign, it was just easier to have more freedom and play the way that I knew how, especially when Laura took over and put me at outside back,” Huerta explained.

“I’m proud of myself, for sure, but it’s not a coincidence that I’ve been selected (for the World Cup) now that I play on the Reign.”

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.

The USWNT is back, playing their last two friendlies before final roster decisions are made for the 2023 World Cup this summer. Head coach Vlatko Andonovski has preferred a certain amount of roster consistency since the beginning of 2022, but long-awaited returns from injury are forcing the issue at a number of key positions.

Let’s take a look at the most hotly contested roles, and who might get one last opportunity to audition for one of the highest honors in American soccer.

Tierna Davidson and the third center-back spot

The April roster is heavy on defenders, with a limited number of games left to make decisions about the final form of the USWNT backline. Center backs Becky Sauerbrunn and Naomi Girma appear to be near-locks for the World Cup roster, but who will join them remains up in the air.

The key player at the center-back position returning from injury in April is Tierna Davidson, who featured on both the 2019 World Cup and 2020 Olympic rosters as a center back with the ability to play outside back.

Davidson tore her ACL during the 2022 Challenge Cup and recently made her return to the NWSL, playing significant minutes in the Chicago Red Stars’ first two games of the season. Davidson brings a calm presence to her main role as a center back, and provides versatility if the team needs options on the outside.

But the position on the USWNT is increasingly crowded. In Davidson’s absence, OL Reign center back Alana Cook played the most minutes of any USWNT player in 2022 and appeared to have an inside track to making her first World Cup roster. The other player with the ability to play both centrally and on the flank is Emily Sonnett, who similarly featured on the 2019 and 2020 rosters as a utility defender. On a 23-player roster, the U.S. is unlikely to take all three of Cook, Davidson and Sonnett, and minutes in April could be the key differentiator after months of competition.

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Kelley O'Hara will try to earn her roster spot back after returning from injury. (Erin Chang/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

O’Hara, Krueger, Huerta and the right-back strategy

The USWNT has been criticized in the past for using converted attackers as outside-back depth, but the April friendlies could provide a look at other options. Andonovski’s favored outside pair is Crystal Dunn on the left and Emily Fox on the right, but two known defenders rejoin the U.S. to take aim at the right-back spot in particular.

USWNT veteran Kelley O’Hara’s experience dates all the way back to the 2011 World Cup. She’s long-been the preferred starter for the USWNT at right back, but she missed much of last year with a lingering hip injury. O’Hara is back with the team in April camp after playing her first game minutes with Gotham FC in the first two weeks of the NWSL season. She is joined by outside back Casey Krueger, who made the 22-player Olympic roster in 2021. Krueger returns after the birth of her son and is coming off playing a full 90 minutes for the Red Stars this past weekend.

O’Hara and Krueger are defensive-minded players with 1v1 defending abilities in transition that Andonovski might prefer to see in action before making a decision on his outside-back pool. They provide a sharp contrast to OL Reign’s Sofia Huerta, another converted attacker. Huerta is one of the best in the world at crossing the ball, providing the U.S. an unmatched skill when in possession, but sometimes the defensive seams show when opponents target her on the outside.

Lingering injury concerns might make it difficult for O’Hara or Krueger to unseat Huerta and the obvious value she brings as an attacking specialist. This will be one of the most competitive position battles before Andonovski names his World Cup roster.

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Julie Ertz is back in USWNT camp for the first time since 2021. (Atsushi Tomura/Getty Images)

Julie Ertz and the midfield pool

Julie Ertz’s surprising return to USWNT camp reopened competition in a midfield that seemed well on its way to becoming a settled proposition. In the free agent’s absence, the Washington Spirit’s Andi Sullivan became the de-facto defensive midfield starter, working in tandem with Lindsey Horan to cover gaps off the ball and help with distribution.

Ertz’s return is unlikely to push Sullivan to the fringes of the roster, but her presence might mean something different for the other players who have gotten tryouts at the same position. While the defensive midfield has remained unsettled, two players have stuck with the team due to their versatility.

Taylor Kornieck is on the roster not just as a midfielder, but also as a utility substitute who can slot into any central field position. Kristie Mewis shares that distinction in the midfield, having played as a No. 6, No. 8 and No. 10 in her time with the team. Ashley Sanchez is more of an attacking midfield specialist, who pushes forward into the attack as often as she connects with the defensive midfield.

It’s possible Andonovski’s intention is simply to add Ertz to the established midfield group and shut the door on any other new faces. But in that case, he would have to take a roster spot from either the USWNT’s incredibly deep forward pool or a defense that might need extra coverage against top opponents.

Ashley Hatch and the center-forward ticking clock

Catarina Macario is finally making her return to training with Olympique Lyon this month, after enduring a long recovery from an ACL injury suffered in June 2022. Following a scintillating run with the U.S. at the 2022 SheBelieves Cup, Macario will not have a chance to play in a USWNT jersey before Andonovski has to make a decision on his rising star.

Macario has talent worthy of a trip to New Zealand if she’s healthy enough by June, but her impending return complicates things for Washington Spirit forward Ashley Hatch. Since joining the team long-term in 2022, Hatch has done everything asked of her off the bench as Alex Morgan took over the starting role at center forward. She has continued to perform at the club level, most recently scoring a brace this weekend in the NWSL, and she has a knack for scoring in her limited international minutes. Despite those strengths, Hatch has yet to entrench herself in the starting conversation.

Hatch is in a race against time and sheer numbers. The U.S. isn’t likely to sacrifice a winger spot to carry three central forwards, Morgan is a clear lock for the roster, and Macario has the versatility to sink back into the midfield — something Hatch hasn’t been asked to emulate. The April friendlies could be the final push in one direction and, at the very least, a final audition for Hatch should Macario not be fit enough for the trip.

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

The debate is raging once again about Crystal Dunn’s ideal role for the U.S. women’s national team after the midfielder for club and defender for country told GQ Sports that her dual roles take a toll on her mentally.

“I step into camp, and I feel like I lose a part of myself. I no longer get to be Crystal who scores goals, assists, is this attacking player,” she said in a wide-ranging intervies last week, highlighting the friction between her endless versatility and desire to hone one particular role.

Dunn also made a salient soccer point, which is that the U.S. is nearing the 2023 World Cup while likely relying once again on converted attackers and center-backs to fill the outside-back player pool. The reigning World Champions head into their final SheBelieves Cup game against Brazil undefeated, but issues with the approach have been visible in their first two games.

The risk and reward of Sofia Huerta

The USWNT doesn’t score their lone goal against Japan on Sunday without Sofia Huerta. In a two-pass, long-ball sequence, Huerta spotted Alex Morgan at midfield as the USWNT regained possession off a Japan corner kick. She lofted the ball toward Morgan, who passed it quickly to a streaking Mallory Swanson. Swanson brought the ball down beautifully, shot across her body and scored what would end up being the deciding goal.

That sequence showcased exactly what valuable skills Huerta brings to the U.S., and in a close game, she could be the difference between the team advancing and being eliminated in a knockout situation. The U.S. registered only five shots on Sunday. Japan swarmed defensively and made it very difficult for the USWNT to generate shots from their build-up play.

Japan’s success in creating overloads to pin the U.S. back also exposed the vulnerabilities Huerta has to overcome on the right side in a winner-take-all situation. Huerta grew into the game, but Japan’s four-player midfield caused problems for both the USWNT’s midfield and backline.

Thorns and Japanese midfielder Hina Sugita presented a particularly stiff challenge for Huerta on both ends of the ball, requiring forward Lynn Williams to take on defensive duties from an attacking position rather than focusing on combining to create chances on the other end.

After the game, head coach Vlatko Andonovski discussed the way the team adjusted their shape in the second half to give greater support to the wings. Still, Japan outlined the blueprint to make the USWNT sweat when they don’t have the ball. Huerta’s side of the pitch has been targeted before, a dynamic that can swallow up the defender’s best qualities and force her teammates into reactive roles. The 30-year-old has successfully figured out reactive defense that doesn’t concede goals, as in Sunday’s victory, so it’s a balance worth monitoring.

Dunn and Fox’s versatility locks them in

When Emily Fox began to rise through the USWNT ranks at left back in Crystal Dunn’s absence due to her pregnancy, it appeared Dunn might have the opportunity to move away from the position.

Fox plays the outside-back position similarly to Dunn, with an ability to defend 1v1 and combine with the midfield to progress the ball. She’s been an essential addition to the roster, with a versatility and calmness that have allowed the team to focus on other vulnerable areas of the pitch.

But in 2023, Fox’s presence hasn’t actually created a pathway for Dunn to move up the pitch because of a lack of depth not on the left side but the right. Against New Zealand and Canada, Fox took over the right-back position and Dunn slotted back in on the left, giving the defense a sense of stability on the wings that Andonovski will likely rely on during the World Cup.

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Emily Fox has become an asset to the USWNT at the right-back position. (Brad Smith/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

Kelley O’Hara’s return from a hip injury that has kept her sidelined for much of the last six months will offer some respite on the right side. But currently, Dunn and Fox might be the only two players Andonovski trusts to provide defensive cover, know when it’s appropriate to push forward and when to hold, and support the wingers on the attack. The U.S. likes to push outside backs forward to bring width to the attack, and Dunn’s ability on the ball is as much an asset as her mental fortitude to hold when necessary.

As it stands, Andonovski’s favored starting pair places Fox on the side opposite to her natural position and requires another year of immense mental focus from Dunn. This self-made situation dates back years, with the U.S. preferring to convert attackers than develop outside backs at the youth levels. But Dunn also seems to make Lindsey Horan most comfortable on the left side of the midfield, and Fox requires less help defense from the right-side wingers in front of her.

The U.S. could absolutely use Dunn’s skills in the midfield, which still does not look settled. But it’s also to Dunn’s credit that she’s still one of the team’s best options in a position she only hones in national team camp.

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

If you’re wondering which players to watch in Saturday’s NWSL Championship match between the Portland Thorns and Kansas City Current, look no further than the NWSL Best XI for the 2022 season.

The league on Tuesday released its list of the top 11 players this year, including Thorns forward Sophia Smith and midfielder Sam Coffey as well as Current forward Lo’eau LaBonta. The results are based on a voting scale involving players (50%), owners, GMs and coaches (20%), media (20%) and fans (10%).

Smith is among the five NWSL MVP candidates after finishing second in the Golden Boot race with 14 goals, a career best and a single-season record for Portland. Coffey, a Rookie of the Year nominee, boasted an 83 percent pass rating.

For the Current, LaBonta broke out this season with seven goals — and standout celebrations, even compared to those from the rest of the self-proclaimed Celly Team.

Kansas City goalkeeper AD Franch and defender Hailie Mace feature on the Best XI Second Team, as do Thorns defenders Kelli Hubly and Becky Sauerbrunn.

The San Diego Wave lead all teams with three players on the Best XI First Team, including: forward Alex Morgan, Golden Boot winner and MVP candidate; Kailen Sheridan, Goalkeeper of the Year candidate; and Naomi Girma, nominee for MVP, Rookie of the Year and Defender of the Year.

OL Reign, who claimed the NWSL Shield but lost in the semifinals to the Current, boast the most players across the First and Second Teams with five. Defenders Alana Cook and Sofia Huerta made the First Team, while midfielders Jess Fishlock and Rose Lavelle and forward Megan Rapinoe made the Second Team.

Five NWSL clubs — Gotham FC, the Washington Spirit, the Orlando Pride, Racing Louisville and Angel City FC — do not have any representatives on the Best XI squads.

NWSL Best XI First Team

  • Kailen Sheridan, goalkeeper (San Diego Wave)
  • Alana Cook, defender (OL Reign)
  • Naomi Girma, defender (San Diego Wave)
  • Sofia Huerta, defender (OL Reign)
  • Carson Pickett, defender (North Carolina Courage)
  • Sam Coffey, midfielder (Portland Thorns)
  • Lo’eau LaBonta, midfielder (Kansas City Current)
  • Alex Morgan, forward (San Diego Wave)
  • Debinha, forward (North Carolina Courage)
  • Mallory Pugh, forward (Chicago Red Stars)
  • Sophia Smith, forward (Portland Thorns)

NWSL Best XI Second Team

  • Adrianna Franch, goalkeeper (Kansas City Current)
  • Kelli Hubly, defender (Portland Thorns)
  • Hailie Mace, defender (Kansas City Current)
  • Tatumn Milazzo, defender (Chicago Red Stars)
  • Becky Sauerbrunn, defender (Portland Thorns)
  • Jess Fishlock, midfielder (OL Reign)
  • Kerolin, forward (North Carolina Courage)
  • Rose Lavelle, midfielder (OL Reign)
  • Diana Ordóñez, forward (North Carolina Courage)
  • Megan Rapinoe, forward (OL Reign)
  • Ebony Salmon, forward (Houston Dash)

The U.S. women’s national team exited the Concacaf W Championship group stage with a clean sheet through three victories but plenty of questions.

USWNT coach Vlatko Andonovski used the team’s three group-stage matches in the World Cup qualifying tournament to maximize rotation and player looks. With the knockout stages ahead, roster speculation is running rampant, with certain players making their case while others still have more to prove.

The USWNT will take the pitch again at 7 p.m. ET Thursday for a semifinal match against Costa Rica.

Goalkeeper

The starting goalkeeper role appears to be up for grabs, with the race down to veteran Alyssa Naeher and up-and-comer Casey Murphy.

Murphy got the starting nod against Mexico after Naeher played in the USWNT’s Jamaica matchup, adding to speculation about who holds the USWNT’s starting goalkeeper position. Andonovski has said he wants to give Murphy experience — she also started the opener against Haiti — as the coaching staff is well aware of what Naeher can do.

The race for starting goalie will likely come down to Naeher’s experience and proven success at big tournaments versus Murphy’s upside and potential.

Defense

Andonovski has yet to settle on a core defensive unit, but certain players have made their cases for places in the starting lineup.

Emily Fox looks to have locked up her place as the starting left back. Though the Racing Louisville defender missed the team’s last group-stage matchup against Mexico due to COVID-19 protocol, Fox’s starting spot doesn’t appear to be in jeopardy. Andonovski has spoken about Fox’s impressive one-on-one defensive capabilities and ability to spark the USWNT’s attack from the flanks.

On the other side of the pitch, Kelley O’Hara and Sofia Huerta are the final two players in contention for the right-back role. Following the group stage’s trio of games, O’Hara seems to have upped her stock with a goal and a series of solid performances. Huerta, however, has shown her ability to make plays from the flanks, launching quality services into the box.

The center-back duo of Alana Cook and Becky Sauerbrunn looked to be Andonovski’s starting pick ahead of the Concacaf W Championship, but a breakout performance from Naomi Girma may have complicated that choice. The San Diego Wave defender hasn’t put a foot wrong this tournament, shutting down opponents’ attack while distributing quality balls up the pitch.

Midfield

The midfield is the area of the roster with the most questions. After Julie Ertz’s injury and maternity leave, the USWNT has struggled to fill the defensive midfield position. Andi Sullivan is the apparent heir to Ertz, but has yet to find her footing during Concacaf competition as she comes back after a season plagued by injury. Andonovski has toyed with playing Lindsey Horan and Kristie Mewis in the No. 6 position, but neither looks to be a natural fit, as both are attacking-minded players.

Sam Coffey, midfielder for the Portland Thorns, has been called into Concacaf after forward Ashley Hatch suffered a tournament-ending injury, perhaps acknowledging the lack of depth in the defensive midfield position.

Rose Lavelle and Ashley Sanchez have proved their ability to inject creativity into the USWNT’s attack, with the duo overloading and exposing opponents’ defenses when on the pitch together. Depending on the opponent, and their defensive lift, Sanchez may be able to sneak into the starting lineup in the future.

For now, however, Andonovski appears to be committed to a Sullivan, Lavelle and Horan midfield.

Attack

The USWNT’s attack is the deepest point on the team’s roster, but the starting lineup is essentially locked in. Andonovski has made it clear Sophia Smith and Mallory Pugh are his two starting wingers, while Alex Morgan has earned her No. 9 spot with a stellar season for club and country.

Hatch got quality minutes before exiting Concacaf early with an injury but failed to make her case as the starting No. 9, especially when put next to an in-form Morgan.

Margaret Purce has also dazzled in Mexico, perhaps solidifying her place as the second-in-line on the right flank. Trinity Rodman, the NWSL Rookie of the Year, hasn’t seen too many minutes in Mexico, making Megan Rapinoe the apparent relief winger on the left side of the pitch.

OL Reign and the Portland Thorns began their respective Challenge Cup campaigns on Friday night, playing to a 1-1 draw in front of a 7,343-person crowd at Lumen Field in Seattle.

The hosts started off on the front foot, applying steady pressure to Portland’s defense. OL Reign broke through in the 19th minute when defender Sofia Huerta delivered a strike from long range to put her side up 1-0.

Christine Sinclair responded for the Thorns just minutes later, finishing a deflected Sophia Smith shot for the equalizer.

Despite a flurry of chances for both sides in the second half, the scoreline remained at 1-1 until the final whistle.

Next up: Challenge Cup play continues on March 26, with OL Reign taking on Angel City FC and Portland meeting San Diego Wave FC.

The United States women’s national team’s January camp comes to a close Friday. Twenty-six players participated in Vlatko Andonvski’s first camp of 2022, with the USWNT coach calling in a youth-heavy roster to kick off the new year.

Next up for the national team is February’s SheBelieves Cup, making the training camp in Austin, Texas even more consequential. Here is what we learned from the final days of training camp.

Back in the mix

A handful of players who have competed for USNWT roster spots in prior years received call-ups for the January camp.

Notably, Sofia Huerta made the trip to Austin after earning her eighth and ninth caps in the USWNT’s 2021 year-end friendlies against Australia. The OL Reign star made her debut with the U.S. in 2017 against New Zealand and notched an assist.

After falling off the squad’s radar in 2018, Huerta earned her place back in the USWNT rotation after a stellar club season. In 2021, OL Reign coach Laura Harvey shifted Huerta down the pitch to outside back, a position she has thrived in for club and country.

“When I stopped being called in, it was like just being able to reflect on what I felt like I didn’t do and what caused me to get out of the pool, and I think the biggest thing was probably just mindset and mentality,” Huerta said during a press conference from USWNT camp on Thursday. “Being able to have confidence in myself and work on my weaknesses, but again just more importantly, the mental side and being able to stay afloat and have a positive attitude.”

Midfielder Kristie Mewis has provided a blueprint for players looking to make a return to the USWNT under Andonvski, working her way back into the national team pool during the Tokyo Olympic cycle. After years away from the squad, Mewis has received steady call-ups since 2020, culminating in a roster spot on the Olympic team.

The 30-year-old is not slowing down anytime soon either, eyeing a place on the 2023 World Cup squad and recently signing with NWSL’s Gotham FC through 2024.

“I want to make the biggest impact I possibly can,” Mewis said of her offseason trade to Gotham FC. “I want to be one of the best midfielders in the league. I want the team to rely on me to be really successful in that pocket in the midfield.”

As for the USWNT, Mewis is embracing the spirited nature of January camp.

“It’s been really intense and competitive, and I think that’s exactly what the point of this whole thing was, to just be really competitive, get back into it for this new year,” she said.

Defensive depth

The defensive roster called into January camp looks markedly different from the World Cup-winning and Olympic bronze-medal backline USWNT fans grew used to seeing.

While Tierna Davidson carved out a spot with precious minutes during the Tokyo Olympics, for the most part, Kelley O’Hara, Abby Dahlkemper, Becky Sauerbrunn and Crystal Dunn have served as the team’s last line of defense. With Dunn out due to pregnancy, and Sauerbrunn not participating in USWNT training because of an egg-freezing procedure, new players are getting a shot to prove themselves on the backline.

Defensive depth has long been a question for the national team, especially at the outside back position. Huerta’s call-up may have come at the perfect time for precisely that reason. She can fill the role of an attacking defensive player who dominates the flanks, a necessity in the USWNT’s current system.

“January is definitely a really competitive camp,” Huerta said. “Everyone is ready to compete and to prove themselves to be called in again.”

Naomi Girma carried on the long tradition of the No. 1 NWSL draft pick receiving an early call-up to the USWNT. The San Diego Wave FC defender joined other No. 1 overall draft picks Emily Fox, Sophia Smith, Davidson, Andi Sullivan, Rose Lavelle, Emily Sonnett and Morgan Gautrat in Austin.

SheBelieves awaits

The USWNT will play its first matches of 2022 during the SheBelieves Cup, kicking off with the team’s matchup against the Czech Republic on Feb. 17 in Carson, Calif.

One of the loudest criticisms following the Tokyo Olympics was the lack of youth on the roster, with some calling on the squad to begin to cycle in new talent. Now that Andonovski has gotten a chance to see many representatives of the next generation, SheBelieves will offer an early sign of his intentions for the USWNT moving into summer’s Concacaf W Championship.

Will Catarina Macario make the trip from France, or will her Lyon club duties keep her from reuniting with the USWNT in February? Will attacking giants Christen Press, Tobin Heath, Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe reclaim their spots on the frontline, or will NWSL powerhouses Midge Purce, Ashley Hatch, Mallory Pugh and Trinity Rodman get their shot? Will Sauerbrunn and Julie Ertz return to hold down the defense?

The SheBelieves Cup certainly won’t serve as the definitive roster for the World Cup cycle, but it could provide insight into who is rising to the top of Andonovski’s pool of players.

Clare Brennan is an associate editor at Just Women’s Sports.

Sofia Huerta plays as a midfielder for OL Reign. She previously played for the Chicago Red Stars and the Houston Dash, and has suited up for both the U.S. national team and Mexico’s national team. Below, she takes us through her favorite pairs of kicks.

 

CHANEL SNEAKER

I love these shoes because I felt like I worked really hard for them. I searched so many different stores for them and I finally found them after months. I was on a mission. Plus they are a perfect shoe to either dress up or dress down in.

 

ADIDAS X PHARRELL X HUMAN MADE SOLAR HU