Here are 5 Americans to watch in this year’s World Cup

byDuc Manh •
0

The United States team celebrates a win against Wales during a FIFA Women’s World Cup send-off soccer match in San Jose.

The USA group celebrates a win in opposition to Wales throughout a FIFA Girls’s World Cup send-off soccer match in San Jose, Calif., Sunday, July 9, 2023.

Josie Lepe, Related Press

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United States’ Alex Morgan holds her daughter, Charlie at Audi Area in Washington, Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2022. Morgan says she feels calmer heading into this World Cup and needs to signify mother athletes. She’s one among three moms on this U.S. squad and is commonly accompanied by 3-year-old daughter Charlie.

Julio Cortez, Related Press

When the U.S. takes the sector in opposition to Vietnam in its first match of the World Cup on Friday, there might be plenty of new faces. Fourteen of the group’s 23 gamers might be taking part in of their first World Cup.

The brand new gamers are inheriting plenty of strain and dealing with excessive expectations. The U.S. has gained the final two World Cups and is in pursuit of changing into the primary three-peat champions.

Listed here are 5 Individuals to observe because the U.S. chases historical past:

Alex Morgan

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United States’ Alex Morgan holds her daughter, Charlie at Audi Area in Washington, Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2022. Morgan says she feels calmer heading into this World Cup and needs to signify mother athletes. She’s one among three moms on this U.S. squad and is commonly accompanied by 3-year-old daughter Charlie.

Julio Cortez, Related Press

Already a family title, Alex Morgan might be taking part in in her fourth World Cup and has essentially the most World Cup expertise on the group, having performed in 18 matches. This is also her final World Cup. Solely Kristine Lilly has performed in 5 World Cups for the U.S. ladies’s nationwide group, in line with the U.S. Soccer Basis.

Morgan isn't any stranger to big-time objectives on huge levels just like the World Cup. Because the youngest participant on the group within the 2011 World Cup, a 22-year-old Morgan scored the objective within the closing that gave the U.S. the lead earlier than the group in the end misplaced to Japan.

Within the 2019 World Cup, she tied the U.S.’s single-game scoring report with 5 objectives in opposition to Thailand of their first group stage match. She additionally scored the game-winning objective in opposition to England within the 2019 semifinal, which led to her well-known tea-sipping objective celebration.

Sophia Smith

Sophia Smith is the NWSL’s main scorer with 10 objectives in 13 video games. She can be the primary participant to make an look for the nationwide group who was born after the U.S. gained their second World Cup in 1999, in line with U.S. Soccer. She has scored 12 objectives in 29 appearances for the nationwide group.

This might be Smith’s first World Cup. She might have scored the U.S.’s first objective in its send-off match in opposition to Wales on Sunday however unselfishly handed to a wide-open Trinity Rodman to place the U.S. on the board. She additionally performed a task within the second objective of the match, additionally scored by Rodman. Her blocked shot finally made its strategy to Rodman after three different photographs have been blocked.

Alyssa Thompson

The 18-year-old Alyssa Thompson is the youngest participant on the U.S. World Cup roster. In January, she was the youngest No. 1 general choose and the primary excessive schooler to be picked within the NWSL draft. This must be the primary of many World Cups for Thompson.

She earned the beginning within the send-off match however was subbed out for Lynn Williams within the second half. She has but to attain a objective for the nationwide group in her three appearances, however this match is her likelihood to indicate the world a glimpse of what’s to come back for one of many future faces of U.S. soccer.

Crystal Dunn

This might be Crystal Dunn’s second World Cup however first since changing into a mother. Dunn returned to skilled soccer solely 4 months after giving beginning to her son, Marcel, in Might 2022. She was coaching along with her NWSL group, the Portland Thorns, whereas 9 months pregnant.

Dunn is a flexible participant who primarily performs as a defender for the nationwide group however performs as a midfielder for the Thorns. She has 24 objectives and 19 assists in 131 appearances for the U.S. The group will depend on her management as she is one among solely three of the group’s defenders with earlier World Cup expertise.

Trinity Rodman

Rodman is constant to make her personal legacy of the Rodman title — sure, she’s the daughter of former NBA star Dennis Rodman, however he “doesn’t play a giant position” in her life, she admitted. Within the send-off match, Rodman entered the sport as a sub within the second half and scored the one two objectives of the match, making her the youngest U.S. ladies’s nationwide group participant to attain a brace at 21 years and 50 days previous, in line with The Athletic.

Her efficiency on Sunday might earn her a beginning position in her first World Cup and slide Thompson again to the bench.

The total World Cup roster

Goalkeepers:

  • Alyssa Naeher.
  • Aubrey Kingsbury.
  • Casey Murphy.

Defenders:

  • Alana Prepare dinner.
  • Crystal Dunn.
  • Emily Fox.
  • Naomi Girma.
  • Sofia Huerta.
  • Kelley O’Hara.
  • Emily Sonnett.

Midfielders:

  • Savannah DeMelo.
  • Julie Ertz.
  • Lindsey Horan.
  • Rose Lavelle.
  • Kristie Mewis.
  • Ashley Sanchez.
  • Andi Sullivan.

Forwards:

  • Alex Morgan.
  • Megan Rapinoe.
  • Trinity Rodman.
  • Sophia Smith.
  • Alyssa Thompson.
  • Lynn Williams.

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