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Eighteen-year-old Alyssa
Thompson was selected Wednesday
alongside veteran Megan
Rapinoe and 21 others for the
U.S. roster that will vie next
month to do what no country
has done before -- raise a third
straight trophy at the Women's
World Cup.
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, while 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)," forward Alex Morgan
joked. "Just how we can all
come together and be incredibly
fluid and go through this World
Cup."
The players were introduced
with a star-studded social media
post that included President Joe
Biden, first lady Jill Biden, Taylor
Swift, Lil Wayne and Megan
Thee Stallion.
Morgan, 33, and Rapinoe
will each be making their fourth
World Cup appearances for the
No. 1-ranked U.S. team. Morgan
stopped short of saying the
Americans were the favorites going
into the 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
backline 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 Vietnam, the Netherlands
and Portugal. The United
States, which has won four total
World Cups, opens with Vietnam
on July 22 in Auckland.
"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," head
coach Vlatko Andonovski said
about the opportunity to win a
third straight World Cup title.
Rapinoe is currently nursing
a calf injury but she should be
ready to play in the U.S. team's
sendoff match against Wales on
July 9 in San Jose, Calif. Andonovski
said she will take on a
different role than in 2019, when she scored six goals including
a penalty in a 2-0 win 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 in the run-up to the
event. In addition to Sauerbrunn,
the United States will
be without forward Mallory
Swanson, who tore the patella
tendon in her left knee.
Swanson had seven goals
this year before she was hurt
in an April exhibition match
against Ireland.
Catarina Macario, a talented
forward who tore her
ACL last year while playing
for French club Lyon, did
not recover in time for a spot
on the team. Midfielder Sam
Mewis also has a lingering
injury and wasn't available
for the World Cup.
Some of the youngsters
include 22-year-old Sophia
Smith, who was named both
the NWSL Most Valuable
Player 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 World Cup roster,
behind U.S. assistant
coach Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak,
who played in the
1995 World Cup. 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, and has
scored in three of her last
four matches. She has five
total goals this season.
DeMelo is just the third
U.S. player to be named to
a World Cup squad without
playing in an international
level match.
"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:
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).