USWNT developing depth in attack with Trinity Rodman, Alyssa Thompson
Editor's Note: "Plane to Australia/New Zealand" is FOX Sports' biweekly feature tracking the progress of players hoping to make the United States women's national team's 23-player roster for the 2023 FIFA World Cup.
With just a few spots up for grabs on Vlatko Andonovski's World Cup roster, perhaps no one is making a better argument for an invitation than Alyssa Thompson. The 18-year-old high school senior has scored three goals in five games for Angel City, including two in the last two matches.
The thing about Thompson's goals is that they all seem to teeter on being the most epic goal of the NWSL weekend. Take the one she scored in Angel City's 3-2 win over the Kansas City Current on Sunday. Thompson ran down a pass deep into the box, cut the ball back to her right foot on the end line to beat the defender, and then shot the ball at an impossible angle that hit the far post and bounced into the goal.
Andonovski admittedly planned on building the USWNT around Sophia Smith and Mallory Swanson, but with Swanson recovering from patellar tendon surgery and unavailable for this summer's World Cup, Andonovoski has to get creative by using a few different players to fill her spot. Thompson is making a strong case.
With that said, here's where the USWNT player pool stands:
FIRST CLASS
Goalkeepers
Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars)
Yes, Naeher allowed two goals in a 2-1 loss to Gotham over the weekend. But the sun was in her face while defending the south end goal at SeatGeek Stadium.
Casey Murphy (North Carolina Courage)
Same thing goes for Murphy. She allowed three goals in a 3-3 tie against the Thorns over the weekend, but two of them came from USWNT teammate Crystal Dunn. Silver lining?
Defenders
Still starting every match for the first-place Reign.
Crystal Dunn (Portland Thorns)
Dunn is tied for first in the league with four goals, which is the same amount as Alex Morgan, Sophia Smith, Ashley Hatch and Lynn Williams.
Emily Fox (North Carolina Courage)
Fox is still starting every match for the Courage. She also had an assist on the winning goal in a 1-0 win over Houston on April 28.
Girma has yet to come off the field for the Wave, playing the full 90 minutes in every game so far this season.
Becky Sauerbrunn (Portland Thorns)
Sauerbrunn did not play for the Thorns this weekend due to a foot injury. She's expected to be out for a couple of weeks.
Midfielders
Horan came off the bench in Lyon's 3-0 win over Dijon on Saturday.
Lavelle has still not played for her club since suffering a knock against Ireland during the April FIFA window.
Andi Sullivan (Washington Spirit)
Sullivan has started all six matches for the Spirit this season. She's played almost every minute, but was subbed off in the 86th during a 3-1 win over the Wave on Sunday.
Forwards
Morgan has scored four goals in five games for the Wave, all of which were from inside the box.
Rapinoe made her second start in as many games in a 2-0 win over the Houston Dash on May 6. She played 75 minutes, the most since a minor injury kept her out of the April friendlies.
Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit)
Rodman is ready for the big stage. The 20-year-old became the youngest player in NWSL history to reach 10 goals and 10 assists, passing Sam Kerr. Here's the one she scored in a 3-1 win over the Wave (she also had an assist).
Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns)
Smith continues to dominate, leading the league in assists (5), shots (28) and shots on goal (19). She's second (tied with Morgan, Dunn and Hatch) with four goals.
Williams is quite literally scoring every chance she gets for Gotham. She tallied her 103rd goal contribution (goal or assist) over the weekend giving her the most in NWSL history. Which is why we are moving her up to first class.
ECONOMY
Goalkeepers
Adrianna Franch (Kansas City Current)
Franch has not played in the last four games for the Current.
Defenders
Tierna Davison (Chicago Red Stars)
Davidson, who has played 90 minutes in five of six Red Stars games, is doing everything she can to make this roster after recovering from an ACL tear last year.
Huerta has played nearly every minute at outside back for the Reign this season.
Midfielders
Ertz missed Angel City's last two games, but fear not — her absence was for a good reason. She and husband Zach Ertz were in Philadelphia for the grand opening of House of Hope, which will provide "needed services and programs" to the community's underserved youth and families.
Ashley Sanchez (Washington Spirit)
Sanchez scored her first goal of the season (which was assisted by best friend Trinity Rodman) in a 3-1 win over the Wave on May 6.
Forwards
The 18-year-old's case for a seat on the plane gets stronger every match she plays.
STANDBY LIST
Defenders
Casey Krueger (Chicago Red Stars)
Krueger has played the full 90 minutes in five of six games for the Red Stars.
O'Hara has started five of six games for Gotham, which has won three of its last four regular-season matches.
Sonnett has started every game for the first-place Reign.
Midfielders
Macario has still not played a match — nor has she been available — for Lyon.
Mewis has started every club game this season.
Taylor Kornieck (San Diego Wave)
Kornieck has missed the last few matches for the Wave with an abdomen injury.
Forwards
Ashley Hatch (Washington Spirit)
Hatch is tied for second in the league in scoring (four goals). Her latest came in a 1-1 draw vs. Chicago on April 29.
Press, who tore her ACL last year, has still not played a regular season match for Angel City in 2023. She recently told ESPN she had some setbacks but is now in the final stretch of her recovery process.
"I'm starting to feel like myself again, getting my body back," Press said. "Hopefully I'll be joining the team soon."
Laken Litman covers college football, college basketball and soccer for FOX Sports. She previously wrote for Sports Illustrated, USA Today and The Indianapolis Star. She is the author of "Strong Like a Woman," published in spring 2022 to mark the 50th anniversary of Title IX. Follow her on Twitter @LakenLitman.
