With the NWSL season underway and the days until the Olympics numbering, it's time to start thinking about what the USWNT roster will look like for the first tournament under incoming head coach Emma Hayes.
In mid-March, the three of us decided to independently select the current 18-man roster. When we met again to compare notes, it turned out that he had selected 18 players, all of whom were exactly the same. I feel like it's a sign.
But if we all just patted each other on the back for our great roster-building acumen, it wouldn't make for such a compelling read. We provide a list, but we also examine the player pool on a broader level to see how some players appear to be locked in, and who is still adjusting their case for participation. Find out if there are any.
Our Olympic team:
Goalkeeper (2): Alyssa Neher (Chicago Red Stars), Casey Murphy (North Carolina Courage)
Defender (6): Naomi Girma (San Diego Wave), Teanna Davidson (Chicago Red Stars), Emily Fox (Arsenal), Crystal Dunn (Gotham FC), Jenna Neiswonger (Gotham FC), Casey Krueger (Washington)・Spirit)
Midfielder (5): Rose Lovell (Gotham FC), Lindsay Horan (Lyon), Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns), Katarina Macario (Chelsea), Emily Sonnett (Gotham FC)
Forward (5): Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns), Mallory Swanson (Chicago Red Stars), Alex Morgan (SD Wave), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit), Jadyn Shaw (SD Wave)
Girma quickly became indispensable to the United States (John Todd/ISI Photos/Getty Images)
hierarchy of importance
S Tier — Absolutely Important
Naomi Girma, Lindsey Horan, Rose LaBelle, Emily Fox, Alyssa Neher
Between now and the Olympics, this quintet will definitely need to stay energized by wrapping themselves in bubble wrap and getting a good eight hours of sleep each night. There are players in the pool who can do some of what each player does, but no one player can do it at the same proven high level and consistency.
Fox, Horan, and LaBelle represent three of the best players in the entire pool, regardless of position. The same applies to Girma. Girma is similar to Neher in the sense that no one has established themselves as a viable alternative to their position.
Tier A — Build your roster around them.
Jadyn Shaw, Sophia Smith, Trinity Rodman, Alex Morgan, Mallory Swanson, Katarina Macario, Sam Coffey, Crystal Dunn, Tianna Davidson
Yes, please smile. That's half of his 18-player roster in one tier, including all of the team's attackers. The difference with A-tier and (upcoming) B-tier is that these players are still easy to pick among our three. What is keeping them from getting to the next level? Each has viable alternatives. Team building is not about playing favorites.
There was some rotation between the left wing and the striker, but recently Trinity Rodman has been fixed on the right wing. Sophia Smith got her groove back with a breakthrough against Canada. Jadyn Shaw is a W Gold Cup player and a very versatile player in small team tournaments. Mallory Swanson was the team's best forward until getting injured last year, but Alex Morgan has seemed reborn as a veteran line leader in recent weeks.
Like Swanson, this ranking has a lot of confidence in Katarina Macario's recovery from injury. However, she has already scored a goal for Chelsea, which will help sway Hayes as much as she can for her national team. Crystal Dunn can competently play the role of full-back as well as midfield, Sam Coffey can stably protect the back line and break the line with distribution, and Teana Davidson Finally giving Girma a stable partner in the rear.
Nicewonger did well in the Gold Cup (Omar Vega/Getty Images)
B tier — less certain
Casey Murphy, Jenna Neiswonger, Casey Kruger, Emily Sonnet
You can think of this as the beginning of a potential “bubble” with the last inclusion and first snub. That's part of the reality of building a team of 18 players.
The fact that all three of us individually agreed to include this particular quintet speaks volumes about the case they brought. Neiswonger, Kruger and Sonnet have benefited from being able to play at least two roles at international level, and all three have been in good form for club and country over the past 10 months. A second goaltender is needed, but Murphy has been the preferred replacement for Neher in recent years.
All that matters is which areas need the most depth and who has the best equipment to do the job.
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How is things going in the midfield?
Meg: Horan and Lavelle have been playing together in midfield for a very long time, but it still doesn't always feel like they're a cohesive unit. That being said, I don't think there's a convincing alternative answer, as Horan and LaBelle are very necessary to this team in their own ways, but everything about the U.S. team's midfield over the past two years Given the discussion, this is probably the one we talk about the least.
jeff:I think this is where Coffey's performance in the World Gold Cup (and last season in Portland) shines. By the end of the Vlatko Andonovski era, the Horan-Lavel partnership worked best in front of a dedicated defensive midfielder. Andy Sullivan played every minute at the World Cup, but he feels he is far from being in the squad for this Olympics. Coffey's decision-making and approach are well-aligned, and while he doesn't rely as much on retaining the ball at the expense of his teammates, he is confident in dribbling through waves of defence. That's a consistent trio in my book.
Davidson and Girma formed a solid pairing in the Gold Cup (Jenny Chuang/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images)
The center back depth chart is Gilma…?
jeff: Twelve months ago, we were hoping this would be the dawn of a partnership between Gilma and Alana Cook. Fast forward to the present and she completely misses this prediction. We didn't get the best optics as the World Cup was completely avoided by Ertz's stopgap solution, but Ertz's retirement opens the door for him to not only be on the depth chart, but to compete to start alongside Girma. was held.
Steph: I think Davidson stepped up while Alana Cook was injured. Davidson is probably still finding her feet after a torn ACL in 2022 and a rocky season with the Chicago Red Stars in 2023, but here's what she answered about her recovery process during the Gold Cup: According to him, this has been a difficult journey.
“Right now, I don't feel like I'm trying to pick up where I left off,” she says. “I think it’s building on who I am now and growing into a new player.”
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Who is your substitute?
Steph: Aubrey Kingsbury, Alana Cooke, Olivia Moultrie, Lynn Williams
We discussed including Jaelyn Howell If I didn't need an emergency third goalie, she would be on this list. I think this team is still looking for a player who can make a mark in the midfield defensively, and I think Howell could ultimately be that player. Cook is clearly important as a centre-back and defender. Moultrie is a player on the brink, and depending on how the remaining friendlies go, he could be quickly removed from this replacement list and replaced by another player. As for Lin, this game hurt, but versatility is important with such a limited roster, and looking at the rest of the wide players, I think they offer more options.
Jeff: Jane Campbell, Alana Cooke, Olivia Moultrie, Lynn Williams
My closest call was with Moultrie. corbin albertand with Williams Midge Peirce, that creativity and role flexibility will be especially important given roster constraints. Albert showed a lot of promise throughout the Gold Cup, but her over-focus was easily avoided by Brazil with flick-overs and simple dribbling. She could be a very good option to support Horan in a “do it all” role, but that's not the case on an 18-player team.
Meg: Aubrey Kingsbury, Alana Cooke, Olivia Moultrie, Lynn Williams
Again, we are in agreement.I don't think it's possible to leave Lynn Williams Although she is not in the Olympic squad, especially considering her defensive workload, there are only five forward slots to bring to France, and the depth of the forward position makes it an impossible decision. It means that you have to give up.
Smith made the most of his opening-round loss (Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports)
Who benefited from the NWSL's opening weekend?
Meg: The story of the opening weekend may have actually been how the Gold Cup form carried over to players like Morgan, Smith and Neher. Before the CONCACAF tournament, Morgan was in the spotlight once again, especially when he was named to the roster to replace the injured Mia Fishel. Less than a month later, Morgan scored her only goal of the Challenge Cup, and she felt her WNT spot was more secure. Neher has been great, and she continued to make some great saves on the road at Utah State on Saturday.
In Portland's 5-4 loss to Kansas City, Smith appeared isolated from the rest of the team. Combined with the lack of touches, it didn't bode well for Smith until he scored his second goal. That performance, especially her 43rd-minute goal, was yet another reminder that she can be deadly out of nowhere.
Sophia Smith's first NWSL goal in 2024 is amazing! pic.twitter.com/dj9fSPuso1
— National Women's Soccer League (@NWSL) March 16, 2024
jeff: I think the fact that she scored two goals despite such a disconnect is actually a very good sign. When a striker is struggling, many tend to try to do too much. Drops too deep to get on the ball more often, even if it's in a much less dangerous area. It was vintage Sophia Smith who feasted on the table scraps she was given. That didn't quite happen last summer, but having Smith in such form is a huge boost as the whole squad will be adapting on the fly in Paris.
I would also like to give a shout out to Mallory Swanson. She started in Chicago's opener and showed her influence going forward even if she didn't make it into the box score, and she was so good that she was sent off after 81 minutes without any signs of discomfort. He is already on the road to recovery. .
Steph: The show continues to gather evidence that she is indispensable. It's wild to think that the remaining 10 percent of her game will need to be unlocked (maybe even more!) and that the show will become even more dangerous and versatile, but I think her ceiling is yet to come. I think.
Savannah DeMelo needs to adjust Racing's attack (EM Dash-USA TODAY Sports)
Which players in the bubble can make a strong case this spring?
Steph: Olivia Moultrie, Jaelyn Howell
Midfield has been a big question mark for this team for years, and Moultrie and Howell are two players who could really add answers if they have strong, consistent seasons. Moultrie may have a little more trouble standing out with a roster like Portland's, but forming a partnership with her Jesse Fleming could be very beneficial for her. Howell is already a huge asset to Racing, and if she can really step up this season, she could set this team up for success not only at the Olympics, but for the next four to eight years.
Jeff: Midge Peirce, Savannah DeMello
For Peirce, it is less about “making a strong case'' and more about “doing what she has done''. She's not worried about whether she can do it or not. Her concern is that she may have to do more thankless work when it comes to adding new players to continue getting a chance to stand out on such a star-studded Gotham team. Or not. DeMelo wasn't an issue at the World Cup, but with Taylor Flint joining Howell in Louisville's midfield, she will have more of a chance to focus on her game.
Meg: Ashley Sanchez, Alana Cook
Obviously all three of us value Macario, but if there's any setback or if she doesn't get to full fitness over the next few months, and she jets out to North Carolina, Sanchez has no chance. There will be. Considering her World Cup run and trade to Courage, there's plenty of motivation for Sanchez to not only rejoin the roster for a major tournament, but earn her first minutes on the field for the USWNT.
(Photo: Brad Smith/ISI Photo/USSF/Getty Images, John Todd/ISI Photo/Getty Images)
