After a month of patiently waiting, Emma Hayes and US Soccer announced the Olympic roster. Let’s go through the roster and see how our new manager did.
Goalkeepers
In goal, we have Alyssa Naeher of the Chicago Red Stars and Casey Murphy of the North Carolina Courage. Naeher has been the go-to goalie for this team since 2019 and has done more than enough in her career to prove that she should be the starting goalie. She has over 100 caps with the national team and is a stellar captain.
In friendlies and other tournaments, Casey Murphy has shown stellar decision-making in goal and is quick on her feet. The current record of the NC Courage does not reflect Murphy’s talents, as she has drawn multiple clean sheets for the national team in the past.
Defenders
The backline comprises Naomi Girma, Tierna Davidson, Emily Sonnett, Emily Fox, Jenna Nighswonger, and Casey Krueger. Naomi is one of the best, if not the best defensive players in the NWSL. I have seen her play live twice and she will do whatever it takes to get the ball out of her team’s half.
Tierna Davidson, Emily Sonnett, and Jenna Nighswonger play together for the New Jersey/New York Gotham. Davidson can get the ball off of strikers, and of course, score headers off of set pieces. Sonnett controls her backline and communicates with the midfield as well. Jenna is quick and runs up the wing to assist and score goals.
Emily Fox is a very talented defender. She plays across the pond for Arsenal Women’s F.C. and had an amazing first season with them. She gets into physical battles with midfielders and defenders to win the ball. She also sets up crosses for strikers to easily score.
Casey Krueger plays for the Washington Spirit and is quick on her feet. Once she has hold of the ball, the other team’s push halts, as Krueger will launch it to the other side of the pitch. Her ability to disturb the tactics of teams is key if the USWNT wants to proceed further in the tournament.
Midfielders
In the midfield, we have Rose Lavelle, Sam Coffey, Catarina Macario, Lindsey Horan, and Korbin Albert. Lavelle plays for Gotham and after returning from injury, has started to look like her old self again. Her teammates call her a “little fairy” because of the way she moves about the field. She moves with blazing speed, making her very hard to defend against.
Sam Coffey is a midfielder for The Portland Thorns. Though the team had a rough start to the season, she was still able to provide structure to the midfield and assist in scoring goals. She also scored a couple of goals herself, which is not usual for her, as she is normally the one setting up plays.
Catarina Macario plays in London for Chelsea Women’s F.C. While we have not seen much of her due to her ACL tear, she is healthy and has made her presence known to the team. She scored multiple goals while at Chelsea, and also took corner kicks that ultimately led to goals for the national team.
Lindsey Horan and Korbin Albert play in France. Horan plays for Olympique Lyonnais while Albert plays for Paris Saint-Germain. Horan is a no-brainer for this squad as she is the captain of the USWNT and had a great season with OL. The choice of Albert has been controversial, as she reposted posts with homophobic and transphobic remarks on social media. With Hayes’ past, it is no surprise that she can look past this since Korbin is a decent choice for the midfield.
Forwards
The forwards on this roster are Sophia Smith, Mallory Swanson, Trinity Rodman, Crystal Dunn, and Jaedyn Shaw. Sophia Smith plays for The Portland Thorns and is tied for first in the NWSL Gold Boot race. She can practically score from anywhere and is going to be an essential key to winning the Olympics.
Mallory Swanson plays for The Chicago Red Stars, and post-injury, she has been a goal-scoring machine. She can score at very odd angles and tight spaces which is a skill that can capitalize on opponents’ mistakes.
Trinity Rodman plays for The Washington Spirit. She is one of the fastest players I have seen with my own eyes. Once she has the ball, she runs towards the goal to either score or bag an assist. Along with Swanson and Smith, these three will be lethal up front and will create many opportunities to score.
Crystal Dunn plays for Gotham, and only recently has she come back to the national team as a forward. From a neutral standpoint, it is easy to underestimate Dunn’s abilities as she is one of the shorter players on the team. However, that just makes her harder to defend, as she can get through small spaces, and she is quick.
Lastly, we have 19-year-old Jaedyn Shaw. She plays for The San Diego Wave and has four goal contributions (three goals, one assist) this season. A hard feat to accomplish when the team you play for is having a historically mediocre season. Not only will she provide another attacking perspective to the team, but she will also be able to develop as a player.
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