The United States women’s national team had a historic 2023 potential with a winning start on Tuesday in New Zealand.
After the first half without a goal FIFA World Cup 2023 Co-hosts in Wellington, USA had a couple of goals in the second half from Mallory Swanson (née Pugh) plus strikes of Alex Morgan and Lynn Williams in a 4-0 win for the defending world champions.
The Americans will attempt to be the first team, men or women, to win three consecutive world championships when this year’s event opens in Australia and New Zealand in July.
Here are three thoughts on Tuesday’s victory.
Swanson made a name for himself…
Played her first match since marriage Chicago Cubs shortcut Dansby Swanson Last month, Swanson tried his best to cement his place on the field this summer alongside his teammates. Megan Rapinoe and 2022 USWNT player of the year Sophia Smith went missing this month due to minor injuries. The second youngest member of the trophy-winning squad in 2019, Swanson has been in consistent form in his career over the past 12 months. That stellar performance continued into this year’s opening game.
The winger is a bit off the mark compared to most of her teammates – January games are often not good after long periods of time. Northwest discount season. Swanson looked dangerous throughout the game, and she mercilessly scored two goals. The first appeared on an exact title, the second after running behind the back row of Kiwis:
If Swanson starts competing in Down Under this summer, it will probably be alongside Smith and Alex Morgan, if they are healthy. That will leave China Purce (who started on Tuesday and performed well enough for 45 minutes of action) and Williams (who deserves her name after a devastating injury in 2022) are ready for bench roles along with the theme of the sequel, who helped her make a big difference on Tuesday.
[Swanson and Smith: ‘Bonafide stars and the future of USWNT]
… as well as The Holy Trinity Rodman
With two assists from the bench, 20-year-old Rodman had his best performance for his district in his 10th international appearance. It couldn’t have come at a better time. Rodman is an exceptional talent; it’s not her ability, but the absurd forward depth of the USWNT that has prevented Rodman from taking on a larger role thus far.
But World Cups also have a habit of creating young stars, and Rodman seems to have a knack for taking advantage of her opportunities, such as setting up her header to complete the header. by Williams:
While it seems unlikely right now to get a lead role in Australia/New Zealand 2023, a lot could change in six months. Morgan will be 34 years old when the World Cup opens. Rapinoe will be 38. Injuries still happen, even with young players like Smith, 22. Only one or two people could open the door for Rodman, who feels fated to make his mark on the biggest stage in one way or another this year.
Other World Cup squad clues
An hour before the friendly — with Friday’s rematch scheduled as a key part of the holders’ World Cup preparations — starting American coach Vlatko Andonovski provided some details on the pre-match allocation order between national team personnel.
Of course, there’s plenty of time for Andonovski’s opinion to change over the next six months — that’s one of the main points of this camp, plus three SheBelieves Cup competitions next month vs. Brazil, Canadaand Japan. But the coach’s first squad of 2023 made a few things clearer.
Looks like a veteran goalkeeper by Alyssa Naeher work to lose in the network. Crystal Dunnwho returned from maternity leave last October, probably the first choice left, with Emily Fox left to fight Emily Sonnett (and possibly Kelley O’Hara) on the right.
It is said that during her maidenhood, the defensive midfielder started in the United States Taylor Kornieck received a nod in the role Julie Ertz, who is still out after giving birth to her first child last August, has taken up most of Andonovski’s tenure. Coach keep Lindsey Horan in a more offensive role along with rosewith Sullivan replacing Kornieck at the break.
Some rotations are definitely scheduled for Friday, and that game will no doubt tell us more about the US position. How much? While the United States may have avoided the defeat in the opening year of the World Cup it suffered France in both 2015 and ’19, Tuesday’s encounter shows they still have a lot of work to do. FIFA’s 24th-ranked Football Ferns was no Les Bleus, and the American’s performance was not so convincing despite the overall score difference. They will find a way to solve that when these teams meet again in three days.
Doug McIntyre is a football writer for FOX Sports. Prior to joining FOX Sports in 2021, he was an editor for ESPN and Yahoo Sports, and he covered the U.S. men’s and women’s national teams at various FIFA World Cups. . Follow him on Twitter @ByDougMcIntyre.
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