Where Are The 2019 USWNT Women’s World Cup Stars Now?
We’ve got another roster recap as we wait for the 2023 FIFA World Cup kick-off. This time we’re going back to the 2019 Women’s World Cup. Because the USWNT roster runs so deep, this will build off of what they had going in 2015.
Leading up to the 2019 Women’s World Cup
Coming into this World Cup, the USWNT was in an interesting situation. They had just reestablished themselves as the top dog on the international stage, and all eyes were on them. But the team coming into the 2019 tournament would look very different. 2015 had been the last World Cup for greats like Hope Solo, Abby Wambach, and Shannon Boxx, so there were quite a few boots to fill.
But several stars had also started to form and shine even brighter since that tournament, like Megan Rapinoe, Christen Press, Alex Morgan, and Becky Sauerbrunn. This was Jill Ellis’s second time managing in a World Cup, coming off of that 2015 victory.
It was all but confirmed that this would be Carli Lloyd’s last World Cup. Moreover, winning this would make her the winningest player in franchise history. 2019 presented the USWNT program with the chance to do a bit of rebuilding, and it was shaping up to be great.
2019 in Summary
This French World Cup was rife with excitement and intense feeling. Any uneasiness over this squad was quickly put to rest when the USA came out swinging. In their first game, they beat Thailand 13-0 for a record-breaking victory.
With not a single loss against them, the USWNT advanced through the bracket and knockout round play to the finals. This was Alyssa Naeher’s debut as the starting keeper for the USWNT, stepping into Hope Solo’s shoes. Naeher astonishingly only allowed three goals, all after bracket play.
Megan Rapinoe was named Best Player and shared the Top Scorer title with teammate Alex Morgan and the legendary Ellen White of England. With a 2-0 victory over the Netherlands in the final, the USA lifted the FIFA World Cup trophy for the unprecedented fourth time.
Fresh Faces
The 2019 FIFA World Cup was the debut tournament for ten new players. Almost an entire team could have been fielded with just freshman players. What could be more exciting than getting to fall in love with a brand-new squad?
Adrianna Franch
Although Franch, a goalkeeper, didn’t get playing time in this World Cup, she has built up her game and name over the last several years. Her first international cap came at the 2019 SheBelieves Cup against England, but she can be more regularly seen playing for Kansas City. Franch really started to show out as a keeper for Portland Thorns. This is where she won NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year two years in a row–the first player ever to do so.
Abby Dahlkemper
Dahlkemper made her World Cup debut as a starting central defender. She maintained that starting position throughout the entire tournament. With a backline as strong as the USWNT, that is an incredible accomplishment.
Dahlkemper defined herself in this tournament as a smart and fierce defender. Since the 2019 tournament, Dahlkemper has played for four teams: NC Courage, Houston Dash, and Manchester City. She most recently became the first player signed to San Diego Wave.
Tierna Davidson
In 2019, Davidson was one of the freshest faces, not just to the roster but to the program. Davidson hadn’t been named to the senior team until the year before for the Tournament of Nations. She was the youngest player on this roster, at just 20 years old. In fact, she had only just started her NWSL career a few months prior, joining Chicago Red Stars in March of 2019.
She was also added to the 2020 Tokyo Olympic roster the next summer. Unfortunately, Davidson suffered an ACL injury in the last NWSL season, but we are excited to see her on the mend and playing once more.
Crystal Dunn
Dunn’s road to the World Cup roster is unlike a lot of her teammates. Dunn had been trying to break onto the starting roster for the USWNT since her call-up in 2013. She had CONCACAF and Victory Tour appearances but was struggling to find her footing in a more lasting way.
That was until this midfielder was switched to defense. Dunn had established herself as a great midfielder around the NWSL, but when you look at who is taking up those spots on the USWNT, it’s hard to find your edge. Jill Ellis offered Dunn a spot on the squad if she played defensively. Dunn was apprehensive at first but has really done the job.
Dunn joined the Thorns from NC Courage in 2020 and became a mom in May last year.
Allie Long
Before 2019, Long had seen herself on the USWNT on and off over the years, first getting the call in 2014. Long was a part of the squad in the 2016 Olympics, but 2019 was her first World Cup appearance. She joined Gotham FC and gave birth to twins Siena and Trent in May 2022.
Emily Sonnett
Sonnett joined the senior USWNT roster during the 2015 Victory Tour while still a student at UVA. Sonnett’s first World Cup appearance came as a sub for Dahlkemper in the 82nd minute of a group-stage match against Chile. Since 2019, she has appeared for the USWNT in the SheBelives Cup, CONCACAF Championship, and on the Olympic stage. Sonnett went first overall in the 2016 NWSL Draft to the Portland Thorns. She is currently a member of OL Reign. After breaking a rib in 2022 in the NWSL Challenge Cup, Sonnett has been getting back to the game.
Lindsey Horan
When Horan stepped on the pitch, something shifted. As soon as she started playing, you knew you were watching something special. Scoring two points in the World Cup, her first international goal in the tournament’s opening game, made her stand out. Horan has been a Thorn for the majority of her professional career. She has won the NWSL Challenge Cup, Women’s International Champions Cup, and NWSL Shield. Additionally, her team won the NWSL Championship–for which she was named MVP. Currently, on loan to Olympique Lyonnais Féminin, we can’t wait to see Horan on that World Cup Roster once again.
Rose Lavelle
Like Horan, Lavelle made her name early and fast with a goal in the Thailand game. Later, her second goal came in the final. She put the USWNT over the top with a 2-0 over the Netherlands. Lavelle has been with OL Reign since 2021 after returning stateside from a season with Man City. Lavelle is well known as one of the darlings of the USWNT.
Samantha Mewis
Mewis is a hard player to overlook, and not because she’s six feet tall. The third newbie to net two points for USWNT, Mewis struck twice in that fateful Thailand game. Her two points came back to back just four minutes apart.
Mewis was a member of NC Courage from 2017-2021, with a season stint at Man City, before joining Kansas City in 2022. With NC Courage, Mewis won two consecutive NWSL Championships. The Mewis gene pool runs deep with soccer skills, as her older sister is Kristie Mewis.
Jessica McDonald
McDonald was one of the oldest new additions to this roster, starting with the USWNT on the U17 team in 2006. While she only made one appearance as a sub in the tournament, it was nice for long-time soccer fans to see her on this international stage.
McDonald became a household name after the release of the LFG documentary about the fight for equal pay in soccer.
McDonald, along with being a long-time NWSL player, is the mom to an 11-year-old son, Jeremiah.
Mallory Swanson (Pugh)
Just slightly younger than Davidson, Swanson was another young player on this squad. Swanson received her call-up in 2017, just after starting with Washington Spirit. This was not her first major tournament with the USWNT. Swanson had appeared in the 2016 Olympics and two SheBelieves Cups. She netted a Thailand goal after subbing in for Rapinoe.
Swanson joined Red Stars in 2021 and lives in Chicago along with her husband, Dansby, who plays shortstop for the Chicago Cubs.
Featured image via Getty Images
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