U.S Soccer

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29 June 2021

By: Paulina Vairo

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After winning their fourth World Cup and two SheBelieves Cups since 2019, the U.S Women’s National team look to win their first Olympic gold medal since 2012. Currently, the USWNT have gone 43 straight games without a loss as their last loss came against France in a friendly a few months before the World Cup in 2019. 

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Head coach Vlatko Andonovski announced his 18-player roster that he will take to Tokyo this summer for the Olympics on June 23, 2021. There will be plenty of familiar faces in the lineup as the U.S will have one of the oldest average age teams at 30.5 years old. 

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Goalkeepers

 

Andonovski is going with Chicago Red Stars’ goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher as starting goalkeeper. Naeher was the starting goalkeeper for the World Cup 2019 and backed up goalkeeper Hope Solo during the 2016 Rio Olympics. She has been an important role to the team, especially during their 43-game unbeaten streak. With three clean sheets in seven games already this season for the Stars, Naeher’s veteran presence in the goal will be a huge asset for the U.S back line in Tokyo.

 

Andonovski chose Portland Thorns goalkeeper Adrianna Franch as Naeher’s backup. Franch will be competing in her first Olympics, and has six appearances with the national team since 2018. She has been a brick wall for the Thorns with four clean sheets in six games in the NWSL this season so far.

 

Defenders

 

For the backline, Andonovski will go with Abby Dahlkemper and Becky Sauerbrunn as center of the defense. Dahlkemper has been on the national team since 2016 and became a regular starter during the World Cup in 2019. She is an excellent distributor and is a wall in the back with her strong tackles. 

 

Sauerbrunn on the other hand is one of the many veterans on the team. She has competed in three World Cups and will play in her third Olympics with the national team. She has been the backbone of the defensive line for several years and will be a huge influence to the team’s back line in Tokyo.

 

The left back and right back positions are occupied by Crystal Dunn and Kelley O’Hara. From Long Island, New York, Dunn has emerged to be a fan favorite on the national team. Not only can she play in the back, but can transition to a midfield and forward position. She loves to play in a wing back position so she can help out the offense. Even at 5-foot-1, Dunn has explosive speed that helps her ride the line and provide crosses into the box. Dunn is one of the most vital players on the team and will be a huge asset to the U.S. in Tokyo.

 

Kelley O’Hara is another veteran who will join the team in Tokyo this summer. O’Hara began as a forward for Stanford and ended up as one of the greatest players to ever play for her alma mater. However, she transitioned into a defender when she turned professional and she has been a key part of the U.S back line for years. She, along with Sauerbrunn, will be playing in their third Olympics together and will bring years of experience to the defensive line.

 

The team will go with Tierna Davidson andEmily Sonnett  as their reserved defenders. Davidson will be the youngest player on the roster at 22 years old. She plays as a center back and has appeared in 33 games for the national team. She was also the youngest player on the roster during the 2019 World Cup. Davidson has a playmaker mentality as she grew up idolizing Kelloy O’Hara while she played for Stanford.

 

Emily Sonnett will be used as a defender or an outside midfielder off the bench. She will appear in her first official Olympics and already has made an appearance in her first World Cup two years ago. Sonnett had stints playing overseas in Sweden and currently plays in the NWSL for the Washington Spirit. 

 

Midfielders

 

Andonovski chose Julie Ertz and Lindsey Horan to be his two starting center midfielders for Tokyo. Ertz will play the defensive midfield role and Horan will play the attacking midfield role.  Ertz solidified her spot on the team after the 2015 World Cup: Her contribution led the team to win their first World Cup since 1999. Since that year, she has won NWSL Player of the year in 2015 and U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year in 2017 and 2019. Ertz is known for her stellar ball control in the middle of the field and her ability to tackle opposing players. 

 

Horan also has a lot of creativity in the middle of the field. At the time, Horan was the first female soccer player to skip college and go straight to the pros. She skipped college to play for PSG for 4 years before joining the Thorns where she won an NWSL Championship and was named MVP for the finals in 2017. She also won NWSL MVP in 2018. Ertz and Horan are both in their primes and they will play an essential role in covering the middle of the field and distributing the ball to the forwards and wingers.

 

Another part of the starting midfield will be occupied by Sam Mewis. Mewis is a huge impact to the midfield and was a big factor during the U.S 'run to a World Cup championship in 2019. She has been the star player for the North Carolina Courage in the NWSL, then moved for a year to play for Manchester City overseas before returning to the Courage for the 2021 season. Mewis is arguably USWNT’s top player at the moment as she won the U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year award in 2020 and is ranked first in ESPN FC Women's top 50 best women's soccer players in 2021. 

 

Sam’s older sister Kristie and Rose Lavelle will be coming off the bench for the midfield. Although Kristie hasn’t accomplished as much as her younger sister, she has made major improvements in the last few years and will make her first Olympic appearance in Tokyo. Lavelle is on the younger side of the roster and will come off the bench as a center midfielder. She has a lot of creativity on the ball and will make a big difference late in the game. Lavelle was the underdog during the 2019 World Cup as she won the Bronze Ball in the tournament and scored the second goal during the final against the Netherlands. There will be a lot of talent coming off the bench in the midfield as both Kristie Mewis and Lavelle scored the only two goals during the USWNT’s friendly against the Netherlands in May.

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Forwards

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The starting wingers will be veterans Megan Rapinoe and Tobin Heath. Rapinoe is the leader and captain of the team and has been one of the top influencers both on and off the field for the USWNT. She has led the call for equal pay and equal treatment in women’s soccer and was their best player during the World Cup in 2019. She won the Golden Ball and Golden Boot awards in the tournament, and won Women's Best Soccer Player in 2019 and the Ballon d’Or in the same year. Rapinoe is explosive coming out of the box and a big force on the wing. She is also great at sending the balls into the box with her strength and long crosses.  

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Health is another veteran on the team who is a dynamic player on the wing. She is known as one of the most skillful players in USWNT history with her dribbling and ball movement. Just like Rapinoe, Heath loves to deliver balls in the center and has one of the best legs on the team with her amazing crosses and corner kicks. Her and Rapinoe will be appearing in their fourth Olympics and are icons to the team that will make it very hard for opposing defenders to stop.

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The center forward position will be shared between Stanford's all time scorer Christen Press, long time veteran Carli Lloyd, and Alex Morgan. Press looks to be the team’s top pick for starting center forward as she is in better shape than Lloyd and Morgan. Press currently plays for Manchester United and is also a fan favorite for the team. Press looks for personal redemption in the Olympics as she missed the penalty kick that eliminated the U.S during the Rio Olympics against Sweden in 2016. 

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Lloyd is the oldest player on the team at soon to be 39 years old. She did not become successful until later in her career when she became the best soccer player in the world in 2015. During the 2015 World Cup Final, Lloyd was on another planet as she scored three goals in 15 minutes, one being a 50-yard strike to the goal that won the goal of the tournament. She also won the golden ball in the World Cup in 2015 and Female Player of the Year in 2015. Lloyd has won many awards with the national team, however she has not been successful with her club teams, having stints with the Dash, Sky Blue F.C, and Manchester City. 

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Alex Morgan is considered a veteran, now playing in her third Olympics. She has scored 110 goals in 178 games with USWNT. She is a dynamic goal scorer and is always at the right place to get the ball in the back of the net. She looks to win gold again, as she was one of the best players on the team during the 2012 London Olympics during their run to a gold medal.

The USWNT are the favorites to win the gold in Tokyo this summer. They have the best depth and have one of the most experienced players on their roster. There is no weak part of this team, as they have strength from their back line all the way to their offensive line. It will not be an easy run, as the Netherlands, Sweden, and Japan look to give the U.S their first loss in over two years.