U.S. women’s national team midfielder Rose Lavelle said she feels “good” Wednesday after working back into the team’s lineup following a knee injury that sidelined her leading into the Women’s World Cup. Here’s what you need to know:
- “I feel ready for the second match,” Lavelle said ahead of the USWNT’s game against the Netherlands.
- Lavelle subbed on during the USWNT’s 3-0 win over Vietnam on Friday, marking the first time she featured in a competition since April’s international break.
- Lavelle was one of the Americans’ standout performers during the last World Cup cycle, scoring a goal in the 2019 final against the Netherlands in the USWNT’s 2-0 win.
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
Could Lavelle start versus the Netherlands?
Lavelle’s message on Wednesday was that she was feeling fine ahead of the 2019 rematch against the Netherlands (with coach Vlatko Andonovski affirming that assessment briefly later on). U.S. Soccer will never give any advance warning on a starting XI, but the 30 minutes she played in the opener against Vietnam and her presence in today’s news conference are both really good signs she could start on Thursday here in Wellington.
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It’s doubtful she’s ready yet for a full 90-minute performance, but Lavelle being on the field immediately elevates the USWNT’s performance and creativity. With the Netherlands expected to use a 3-5-2 formation, having her on the field for even a half to find some pockets of space and unleash the forward line could help the team find another early goal and settle the match down early. We won’t know for sure until game time, but there are plenty of reasons to have hope this will be the way it plays out. — Linehan
What they’re saying
Lavelle addressed playing the Netherlands again, saying, “Both teams are completely different players and coaches (from 2019). So, I think it’s a fun memory, but we have a new mindset for this game. We know every time we play the Netherlands, it’s gonna be a great game.”
Regarding how she’s changed as a player since 2019, Lavelle said she has a lot more experience.
“My mentality is a bit different, I think,” Lavelle said. “Four years ago, I was one of the younger players on the team, one of the most inexperienced players on the team. Now I find myself in a different position, which just kind of gives me a little more confidence.
“Now, I have more experience under my belt. I feel like I’m a smarter player. I think I’ve grown in every realm, which is what I would hope, and hopefully, I can use that to help the team.”
On Wednesday, Andonovski also fielded questions about the USWNT and the Netherlands being considered the “favorites” in the tournament, but instead highlighted Nigeria, Jamaica, South Africa and the Philippines.
“These are the teams that actually show how much women’s soccer has grown,” he said. “It’s not the difference or the wins and losses between the top 10, 12, 15 teams. It’s the difference between 15-40 (ranked teams) that is a good mark or indication of how much the women’s soccer game has grown.”
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Backstory
Prior to this year’s tournament, Andonovski confirmed that not all of his 23-player squad were ready to play the full 90 minutes but that there were no injury concerns ahead of the opening fixture.
Andonovski previously said that Lavelle was “really good” and trained the team for three weeks “off and on a little bit before that.”
“We’re not going to force a lot of minutes from the very beginning but we’ll ease everything up as we move on,” he said prior to the USWNT’s match against Vietnam.
Required reading
(Photo: Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images)
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