United States

USWNT offsetting inexperience with 'incredibly gifted' young talent

Updated Feb. 21, 2023 8:08 p.m. ET

FRISCO, Texas — One of the most glaring ways the U.S. women's national team roster will look different at this summer's World Cup compared to the one from four years ago is in its experience. The squad that won it all in 2019 featured stars like Carli Lloyd (retired) and Julie Ertz (gave birth in August) and more than half the team (12 of 23 players) had previous World Cup experience.

The group U.S. manager Vlatko Andonovski ultimately brings with him to New Zealand and Australia this summer (the World Cup begins July 20), won't have that built in luxury. In fact, 11 of the 23 players at the SheBelieves Cup — the USWNT faces Brazil in its third and final match Wednesday at Toyota Stadium — have fewer than 30 caps, including players like Emily Fox, Alana Cook, Ashley Sanchez, Trinity Rodman and Naomi Girma. Seven players are 25 or younger.

Rodman, 20, and Girma, 22, are two of the youngest players in camp and have combined for just 27 total caps. They are also the only two players on this current roster who were born after the 1999 World Cup. But both have the potential to make an immediate impact at the World Cup.

Girma, who in 2022 was the first player ever to win both NWSL Rookie of the Year and Defender of the Year in a single season, has been fighting to become a starter at center back since her first cap last April. Despite her club accolades — she was also the No. 1 overall pick by the San Diego Wave in the 2022 draft — she's still very much getting used to the senior national team environment and learning what it's like to prepare for a World Cup.

"Is Naomi young? Because I don't think she is," Megan Rapinoe said Tuesday. "There's very few players in my whole tenure that have stepped in and it's like, ‘Oh, yeah, that's a first person team sheet type of player every single time.' And that's Nay from the second she got here. I was like, ‘Oh, OK.' She's just that good."

"She's a leader on the field, she's calm, extremely smart," Rapinoe continued. "I don't think her physicality gets talked about enough. She's deceptively quick and if you have any kind of quickness and brains, then that's a wrap."

"She's going to be the future of the team for a long time," Rapinoe said of Girma. (Photo by Matthew Maxey/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Girma is soft-spoken and has a friendly smile. She plays the same spot on the back line as captain Becky Sauerbrunn, so she is fighting for minutes, but there's no drop-off when she steps on the field. She seldom turns the ball over, makes important tackles wherever she is on the field, and strips forwards mid-dribble, as she did time and again during the USWNT's 1-0 win over Japan on Sunday.

"She's just f---ing good," Rapinoe said. "It's tough to step into this team at this level and immediately be like a no-brainer to start. I think the last person I can think of would be Julie Ertz. She came in and immediately was a starter and played in the World Cup. The impact was just immediate with Nay.

"She's going to be the future of the team for a long time."

Rodman will be, too. She may be the youngest player on the squad, but is one of the more recognizable faces. Her father is NBA Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman, but more than that, Rodman became the youngest player drafted in NWSL history after being selected second overall by the Washington Spirit when she was 18. She earned NWSL Rookie of the Year that season and the next signed a contract extension that was reportedly worth more than $1 million, making her the highest paid player in league history.

Rodman has two goals and two assists in 14 senior national team appearances and there's an overwhelming sense that something is going to happen anytime she's on the field.

Last week in the USWNT's 2-0 win over Canada, it was Rodman's cross that set up Mallory Swanson's first goal in the seventh minute. She could have and probably should have had more assists and even a goal or two that game.

"I think that will come with more games," said Andonovski, who noted that he actually showed her a video on the sideline during that game of opportunities where she could have been more selfish and opted to take on the space rather than opt for a cross. He said Rodman and some of the other younger players need to be more "ruthless" in that way.

"She's a tremendous finisher," Andonovski said. "She has shown that in different ways. I think that will come with more and more she plays in this game."

Rodman agrees and knows it's just a matter of time before the game opens up, saying, "I think that's just me getting comfortable and [growing into] my own here," she said. "Obviously I don't have as much experience as everybody else and I think I've been selfless in areas where I could have taken a shot or taken [the defender] on. It's just getting more comfortable with the people I'm playing with and the opponents."

It's only a matter of time, and her veteran teammates can see that.

"I think she's still finding her feet and the nuance of the game and understanding the game," Rapinoe said of Rodman. "Obviously she's incredibly gifted and has all the right instincts. I think it's just a matter of honing those in.

"We saw in the Canada game that she's able to do really special things and is that exciting type of player with flair. I think that's always part of the U.S. DNA is having those types of players who do cool shit on the field and energize the crowd, and it energizes us watching her play and be able to play with her like that."

Andonovski only has four more games (including Wednesday) to evaluate his players before naming a final World Cup roster. Regardless of how their specific position battles play out, don't be surprised if you see both Girma and Rodman making significant contributions this summer.

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.

Read more: