USWNT locked on winning third straight World Cup: 'Only one thing in mind'
CARSON, Calif. — With less than four weeks until the start of the FIFA Women's World Cup, there should be no doubt: The United States women's soccer team has its game face firmly in place.
Heading into the tournament, the United States is carrying all the pressure of having won the past two World Cups while never recording worse than a third-place finish in any of the global event's eight renditions.
Coach Vlatko Andonovski and his players know there will be no room for complacency as they prepare to board the plane for Australia and New Zealand, with the overall standard of women's soccer around the globe having increased markedly.
Even so, the goal remains the same: to accept nothing less than ultimate victory.
"Would I happy be anything short of a third straight win?" Andonovski asked, as he addressed reporters Tuesday at Dignity Health Sports Park on the outskirts of Los Angeles. "No. Absolutely not. There is only one thing in mind going into this tournament. We are going to … our goal is to win the World Cup. No question about it, and I don't think anyone on our team feels different."
While experienced figures such as Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe and Lindsey Horan headline the roster, Andonovski believes the recent turnover — 14 members of the 23-person squad have never played at a World Cup — sets up the group for a prolonged run of success.
"We have 14 players that we believe are ready to not just win this World Cup but to win the Olympics and the next World Cup," added Andonovski, whose team takes on Vietnam in its Group E opener on July 21 (9 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app).
Rapinoe, the veteran midfielder who has been one of the best players in the world for more than a decade, insisted that rather than being burdened by pressure, the nothing-but-gold expectation level was a privilege that would continue to bring the best out of the USWNT.
The depth of international soccer is now such that though the USA is a favorite, opponents such as Spain, France, Germany, England, Canada and Sweden all have their eyes on the prize.
"This is not a team that is ever about resting on its laurels," Rapinoe said. "It is always about the next thing, the next thing to fight for, how we can use our platform, and on the field how we can continue to be the absolute best team that we possibly can.
"Being one of the best teams you are always on that razors edge. What gets lost with this team … the on-field stuff, that's the most important thing and that's been the fuel to this team always. To strive to be the very best, to try to win every single game. For us, it is about continuing to put our best foot forward, to be dominant and to be the best team in the world."
Four years ago, the group began its 2019 championship campaign with an emphatic 13-0 victory over an outmatched Thailand team. That outcome led to some criticism over how the team had run up the score and celebrated each goal.
Morgan dismissed any comparisons between that clash and the Vietnam matchup, with international soccer's Asia region having experienced particular improvement since.
"Looking at this tournament and the games we are going to be playing, you can't compare our match against Thailand to any upcoming games," Morgan said. "That tournament we started with a bang, and we are hopeful and optimistic this tournament will be successful. That's what we've worked so hard for. We can't overlook our first match."
Also in the Americans' group are the Netherlands and Portugal. In 2019, the swift and tactical Dutch made it all the way to the final before losing 2-0, with a Rapinoe penalty and a second-half strike from Rose Lavelle proving to the be difference.
Andonovski said Group E is the toughest of the tournament. Yet whoever they play, the USA has — and will always have — a target on its back.
"You didn't see it when we walked in?" Rapinoe said, referring to the bullseye. "Still there, always there."
Martin Rogers is a columnist for FOX Sports and the author of the FOX Sports Insider newsletter. Follow him on Twitter @MRogersFOX and subscribe to the daily newsletter.
