da pixbet： The U.S. has several potential breakout stars that look like they could be the next American to make their mark on the biggest stage
da bet7： The old guard is still very much part of the United States women's national team. There are nine players returning from the team that won the 2019 Women's World Cup and five from the team that won it four years prior. Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe, Julie Ertz, Rose Lavelle, Lindsey Horan… it's a who's who of superstar names that have already dominated on the biggest stage.
But this summer isn't really about the old guard. For the USWNT to succeed at the 2023 tournament, for them to contend for a third consecutive World Cup crown, they'll need several new faces to become stars in their own right.
The USWNT's fate may just come down to the rise of those new faces, all of whom are capable of being the breakout star of this summer's tournament. The U.S. has several up-and-comers that seem ready to be the next faces of the team. Four years from now, we may be looking back at how Sophia Smith or Trinity Rodman became the latest player to put their names alongside Morgan, Rapinoe, Ertz, Lavelle and Horan.
Ahead of the USWNT's World Cup opener against Vietnam, GOAL has you covered with an introduction to the rising American stars that look set for a breakout in New Zealand…
GettyNaomi Girma
She's just 23 and only in her second full season as a professional, but Girma is already one of the best young defenders in the game right now. A standout for the San Diego Wave, she made her professional debut in 2022 and, by the end of the year, she'd collected NWSL Defender of the Year and NWSL Rookie of the Year awards. Her first USWNT cap also came last year, and it didn't take long for her to earn CONCACAF W Championship Best XI honors.
Girma is an incredibly talented center-back who should be a mainstay for the USWNT for the next decade or more. She's fantastic on the ball and already a heck of a defender. Notably, though, she's a player that is constantly improving as she gains more experience at a higher level.
This summer, Girma will be totally irreplaceable for the USWNT, not just because of how good she is, but because of the actual squad assembled. There are only two natural center-backs in the team, Girma and Alana Cook, which means those two will need to do a whole lot of heavy lifting this summer.
Girma can do it, though. It'll be her first World Cup and probably not her last. At 23, this is just the start for her.
AdvertisementGettySavannah DeMelo
DeMelo isn't the youngest member of the squad, but she is certainly the newest. The midfielder's call-up is one of the wildest in recent memory.
The 26-year-old earned her first USWNT cap on July 9, just two weeks before the tournament. DeMelo has played just 26 total USWNT minutes, and now she's heading to the World Cup. It's almost impossible, really, for a team like the USWNT to pick a player with his little experience, but here DeMelo is.
An attacking midfielder for Racing Louisville in the NWSL, DeMelo was called into two USWNT camps last fall but failed to appear in a game. This year, she wasn't called into any camp until she was named to Andonovski's World Cup squad.
She has five goals and two assists in the NWSL, having proven herself as a game-changer at that level thanks to her speed and decisiveness in the final third. The question now is if those assets will translate to the international level, simply because we haven't seen any evidence either way.
Can she leapfrog the likes of Kristie Mewis or Ashley Sanchez to become a midfield supersub? We'll see, but DeMelo is the USWNT's big wildcard heading into the World Cup.
Getty ImagesSophia Smith
If you're looking for a USWNT star to truly reach the 'world-class' level this summer, Smith is the one. That only works, though, if you don't think she's already there.
Smith became the youngest-ever NWSL MVP in 2022 as she fired the Portland Thorns to a league title. And that dominance has carried over to the international stage as well, with Smith emerging as a key player for the U.S. ahead of the World Cup.
With Mallory Swanson's injury on the opposite wing, Smith's role on the right will be even more important as the U.S. looks for another player to help Morgan by scoring goals. Smith scored 11 times in 17 USWNT appearances in 2022, although she hasn't scored in any of her first three this year after dealing with injury issues.
Still, if you're betting on a new player to show up and become the USWNT MVP, Smith may just be the one to back as she seems ready to introduce herself to the world on the biggest stage.
GettyTrinity Rodman
American fans will know the last name, but Trinity Rodman's game is about so much more. The daughter of former NBA star Dennis Rodman, the Washington Spirit winger arrived in the NWSL in 2021 and became an immediate star. She was rewarded with NWSL Rookie of the Year, NWSL Best XI and U.S. Soccer Young Female Player of the Year after that debut season, and she's showed no signs of slowing down.
Rodman made her USWNT debut in 2022, going on to earn 10 total caps throughout the year before earning eight so far in 2023. Her best performance, undoubtedly, came in her most recent appearance, as she came off the bench to score two fantastic goals against Wales in the USWNT's send-off game. With those goals, the 21-year-old star became the youngest player in USWNT history to net a brace and, considering all of those that have come before her, that's a hell of an achievement.
It remains to be seen if Rodman will be a starter or a game-altering substitute but, however she gets on the field, the winger will no doubt make an impact.