With 23 players whose ages span a generation of soccer, from new face Alyssa Thompson to veteran Megan Rapinoe, the U.S. has its roster that will attempt next month to do what no country has done before: raise a third straight trophy at the Women’s World Cup.
The 18-year-old Thompson, who has been impressive this season as a rookie for Angel City in the National Women’s Soccer League, is the youngest on the roster; the 37-year-old Rapinoe is the oldest.
“I’ve already talked to some of the other experienced players about how we rally this group of players from ages 18 through Rapinoe,” 33-year-old forward Alex Morgan joked during a video call conference with reporters after the roster was revealed Wednesday. “Just how we can all come together and and be incredibly fluid and go through this World Cup.”
The players were introduced with a star-studded social media post that included U.S. President Joe Biden, first lady Jill Biden and music stars Lil Wayne, Megan Thee Stallion and Taylor Swift.
Morgan and Rapinoe will each be making her fourth World Cup appearance for the Americans, who are currently No. 1 in the rankings. Morgan stopped short of saying the U.S. is the favorite going into the 32-team tournament.
“I think that at the end of the day, we already have a target on our backs coming in as reigning World Cup champs. But there’s some teams that have done incredibly well over the last four years and have made a name for themselves to compete for this trophy,” she said.
Defender Kelley O’Hara, 34, also earned a spot on her fourth World Cup squad, lending a veteran presence to shore up the back line in the absence of team captain Becky Sauerbrunn, who announced last week she won’t play in the World Cup because of a lingering foot injury.
The tournament kicks off on July 20 in Australia and New Zealand. The Americans are in Group E with the Netherlands, Portugal and Vietnam. The U.S., which has won four total World Cups, opens with Vietnam on July 22 in Auckland, New Zealand.
“We want to do something that’s never been done before. We believe in the quality of the team and the support we have, and we think we have what it takes to make it possible,” U.S. coach Vlatko Andonovski said about the opportunity to win a third straight World Cup title.
Rapinoe is currently nursing a calf injury but should be ready to play in the team’s sendoff match against Wales on July 9 in San Jose, California. Andonovski said the veteran will take on a different role than at the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France, where she scored six goals, including a penalty in a 2-0 victory over the Netherlands in the final.
“She certainly is going to have different types of minutes. But her role, first from the leadership standpoint is so important, but also her performance on the field is very valuable for us,” Andonovski said.
The team has been hit by injuries leading up to the event. In addition to Sauerbrunn, the Americans will be without forward Mallory Swanson, who tore the patellar tendon in her left knee. Swanson had seven goals this year before she was hurt in an April exhibition against Ireland.
Catarina Macario, a talented forward who tore her ACL last year while playing for her French club, Lyon, did not recover in time for a spot on the team, and midfielder Sam Mewis also has a lingering injury and wasn’t available.
Some of the youngsters include 22-year-old Sophia Smith, who was named both the NWSL MVP and the U.S. Soccer player of the year for 2022, and 21-year-old Trinity Rodman, U.S. Soccer’s young player of the year in 2021 and the daughter of former NBA star Dennis Rodman.
Thompson is the second-youngest player ever named to a Women’s World Cup roster for the Americans, behind U.S. assistant coach Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak, who played in the 1995 event. Thompson was called onto the team in early April for a match against Ireland, taking the place of Swanson.
A surprise inclusion on the roster was 25-year-old Savannah DeMelo, who has yet to appear in a match for the United States. DeMelo plays for Racing Louisville in the NWSL, has scored in three of her past four matches and has five total goals this season.
She is just the third U.S. player to be named to a Women’s World Cup squad without playing in a match on the international level.
“Her performance in the league was one of the biggest reasons why she’s on the team,” Andonovski said. “And based on the needs that we have in terms of the opponents and different situations that we may face, we see Sav being very important to us going forward.”
The roster by position, with club affiliation in parentheses:
Goalkeepers — Aubrey Kingsbury (Washington Spirit), Casey Murphy (North Carolina Courage), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars).
Defenders — Alana Cook (OL Reign), Crystal Dunn (Portland Thorns), Emily Fox (North Carolina Courage), Naomi Girma (San Diego Wave), Sofia Huerta (OL Reign), Kelley O’Hara (Gotham), Emily Sonnett (OL Reign).
Midfielders — Savannah DeMelo (Racing Louisville FC), Julie Ertz (Angel City), Lindsey Horan (Lyon), Rose Lavelle, (OL Reign), Kristie Mewis (Gotham), Ashley Sanchez (Washington Spirit), Andi Sullivan (Washington Spirit).
Forwards — Alex Morgan (San Diego Wave), Megan Rapinoe (OL Reign), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit), Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns), Alyssa Thompson (Angel City), Lynn Williams (Gotham FC).