New USWNT Faces: Meet Emma Sears, Alyssa Malonson, and Yazmeen Ryan
The USWNT is returning soon as the team prepares for their October friendly games. With that return, new faces are joining the USWNT. A few days ago, Emma Hayes announced the highly anticipated roster for the upcoming friendlies, and it had some surprising but deserving names. The roster includes 26 players, divided between familiar faces returning like Ashley Sanchez, players who were part of the Olympics team, and new faces.
Some new USWNT faces on the roster include Emma Sears, Yazmeen Ryan, and Alyssa Malonson. All three players have exceptional talent that wouldn’t have gone unnoticed by Hayes. Recently, Hayes was seen attending several NWSL games, and the players must have shown their talents during these games. As the team prepares for their matches, here is what you should know about the new USWNT faces.
Emma Sears
One of the new USWNT faces making the roster is Racing Louisville FC’s Emma Sears. Being called to the USWNT isn’t easy, but it is even more difficult to do so in your rookie season. However, Sears managed to do just that. With five goals and one assist in the NWSL, Sears’s addition to the roster is deserved. What’s even more impressive about the matter is that this is Sears’ first call to the national team on any level. Just like Sears found her way to the USWNT, the forward can find her way to the net. Racing Louisville FC’s player won the Goal of the Week Award back-to-back in May.
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During the 2024 NWSL Draft, Sears was the final pick of the second round. The young player played for the Ohio State University. In 83 matches during her time there, Sears found the back of the net 25 times. She also had 15 assists. It won’t be surprising if Sears finds even more success in the upcoming years since she has done the same during her college career. In 2023, Racing Louisville’s forward was part of the First Team All-Big Ten. It seems like a long time has passed since the beginning of her college career in 2019 till now. Joining the USWNT as a new face is thrilling, and whether Sears gets to play or not, this event will remarkably affect her development.
Yazmeen Ryan
Another new face joining the USWNT is Gotham FC’s Yazmeen Ryan. Ryan has left her mark on Gotham during this NWSL season as she came to the rescue several times. While Sears didn’t join the USWNT before, Ryan played for the U-18 in 2018 and U-23 in 2019. It’s different now, but a player with Ryan’s talent will be up to the task. The 25-year-old player is playing her fourth NWSL season. She has won the Championship twice: one with Portland Thorns and the other with Gotham FC. This enables Ryan to find her way to success, which is what Hayes will expect of all her players.
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Gotham FC’s forward already has four goals and the same number of assists this year. There is no doubt that Ryan can play a major role during the playoffs.
During her college days, Ryan played for Texas Christian University, and she had a long list of honors back then. The Oklahoma native scored 23 goals and made the same number of assists during 75 matches. When asked about her favorite moment in soccer, Ryan said, “Winning the Big XII tournament – the first in TCU’s history.” Maybe now, with her being called to the USWNT, Ryan has a new favorite moment to add.
Alyssa Malonson
Bay FC’s Alyssa Malonson is one of the new USWNT faces that the fans should know about. The defender has played for three seasons in the NWSL while appearing for the USWNT’s youth teams. She played for the Under-15 level and also the U-23. Malonson has previously played for Seattle Reign FC during the 2022 and 2023 seasons; she was sent on a loan for the Danish team FC Nordsjaelland. Despite this, Malonson found herself at home with Bay FC this season. She played around 20 matches, and while the team was off to a rough start, they started to find their footing.
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Being chosen as Bay FC’s first pick in the 2024 NWSL Expansion Draft can put a lot of expectations on any player. Malonson, however, proved herself to be a solid addition to the team’s defense and, hopefully, to the USWNT. Malonson was an impactful player for Auburn University’s Auburn Tigers even during college. In 2021, she won the SEC Defender of the Year and was part of the 2021 United Soccer Coaches Second Team All-America. One thing about Malonson is that she is consistent. She finished her college career with the record of starting 97 straight games; she had 23 assists during that time. This level of consistency can make Malonson one of the faces that will shine with the USWNT.
What’s Next For The USWNT
The fact that Sears, Malonson, and Ryan joined the roster marks their first chance at appearing on the senior international level. They might be new faces, but they are ones that the USWNT will need now or in the future. Hayes and the USWNT are lucky to have a great pool of upcoming talent who aren’t far from going pro. Including youth talents with veterans will help the USWNT avoid mistakes that might have happened in the past. In Hayes’s reign, the USWNT looks forward to dominating and winning.
Featured image via @uswnt on Instagram
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