The Players Battling for a USWNT World Cup Roster Spot
The World Cup is just a few short months away, and we’ve all got our eyes on that USWNT roster. A few players are guaranteed to show up in Australia and Aotearoa, but we’ve also got some gaps to fill. Christen Press, Sam Mewis, and Julie Ertz are likely to sit this out due to recoveries from injury and pregnancy, respectively. However, there are so many young up-and-comers making appearances for the USWNT in friendlies, and during the SheBelieves Cup, there’s no shortage of talent to pick from. So who is still fighting for a spot on the USWNT World Cup roster? Here are our predictions for the 23-player list.
Goalkeepers
Typically there are three spots given to keepers on the USWNT World Cup roster. Alyssa Naeher is one obvious choice. Then there’s Adriana Franch and Casey Murphy, who have both been in incredible form for their NWSL teams and during their USWNT call-ups.
However, Jane Campbell and Aubrey Kingsbury are not out of the running.
Defenders
Crystal Dunn, Becky Sauerbrunn, and Kelly O’Hara have been holding down the backline in perfect unison for years now, but they can’t do it alone. It’s almost certain that Rookie and Defender of the Year Naomi Girma will get a spot on the World Cup roster. But we’re also looking at Tierna Davidson.
Davidson has been making the occasional international appearance for the USWNT, and she really shined in the last Olympics. She is an undeniable asset for this team at her best, but Davidson is still mending an ACL tear.
Also in the mix are Emily Fox and Alana Cook. Fox has shown to be a perfect fit in the fullback position, and Cook has been on the way to becoming a roster regular since last season.
A wildcard call-up could be Hailie Mace or Carson Pickett, as they’ve been getting minutes in the past year. Additionally, Abby Dahlkemper has been struggling with injury but is an excellent asset at her best. USWNT regulars like Emily Sonnett and Sofia Huerta will also be battling for defensive roster spots.
Midfielders
With Sam Mewis and Julie Ertz sitting this one out, there are some enormous shoes to fill in the midfield. Luckily, there is a huge pool of talent to choose from.
Rose Lavelle and Lindsey Horan have the attacking midfielder role down to a science, but we need a defensive midfielder to truly make up for Ertz’s absence.
Andi Sullivan seems to be Coach Vlatko Andonovski’s pick as of late, but could Sam Coffey be the one to step in? She has historically been a more attacking midfielder, but Dunn was a full-fledged forward before making that USWNT roster, so many it’s time for a shift.
Kristie Mewis feels like a natural–and poetic–choice to fill that Mewis hole. She is tenacious and brings a certain kind of energy to that midline that’s hard to ignore. But there are a few more names in the midfield mix.
Catarina Macario is the biggest question mark for this World Cup roster. She’s an invaluable versatile attacking player whose dribbling, and goal-scoring prowess would surely make it to the roster if she’s fully recovered. Additionally, Taylor Kornieck would be deadly in a set-piece situation. If Ertz, at 5’7, is our header queen off of a corner kick, imagine the damage 6’1 Kornieck could do.
Forwards
There are few certainties on this front line. However, classic choices like Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe, along with the incredible (relatively) new players Sophia Smith and Mallory Swanson, will undoubtedly be making their way to the World Cup.
Christen Press is still a question mark because of a summer ACL tear; there are a few other names to consider. Coach Andonovski has said that Press is still under consideration, as her rehab should finish in time for roster selection. But if Press is absent, her spot could be going to a plethora of talented attackers, like Tobin Heath, Trinity Rodman, Ashley Sanchez, Ashley Hatch, Lynn Williams, or Midge Purce.
Any of these players would be incredible additions to the roster, but for different reasons. Heath has been at it for years. We know what she can do and how she does it; however, she hasn’t appeared for the USWNT since 2021.
Rodman, only 20 years old, has been crushing it since she joined the NWSL and senior USWNT. Sanchez has a creative flair to create goal-scoring chances, and Purce’s pace and dribbling are something else. All will be pushing for just one or two more forward spots.
There are a lot of questions left to answer on this USWNT World Cup roster. It’s hard to say that there are any wrong choices here. It’ll all come down to chemistry on the pitch, which players are in their best form during the league season, and which direction Andonovski wants to take this team.
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