The U.S. women’s national team is gearing up for a banner 2023, with the World Cup kicking off in July. Coach Vlatko Andonovski’s group will hit the ground running in the new year, as the team prepares for a trip to New Zealand for a series of January friendlies. Then, in February, the USWNT will host Canada, Brazil and Japan for the annual SheBelieves Cup. The early run of matches will provide important insight into the team’s trajectory and form heading into July’s tournament, with a lot of questions still left to be answered.
In preparation for the 2023 campaign, here are the storylines to follow as the USWNT sets out on its quest to secure a third-straight World Cup.
The Three Biggest Questions Facing the USWNT in 2023
How bumpy will the USWNT’s transition be?
It's no secret that the USWNT is in a transitional moment, with Andonovski overseeing a generational shift. A class of young athletes is replacing experienced players, many touted as the future of the national team. With fresh faces, however, comes growing pains and the USWNT has undoubtedly endured its fair share this year. They lost three matches in a row for the first time since 1993, falling to England, Spain and Germany during the team’s series of fall friendlies.
NWSL Rookie of the Year Naomi Girma is among the USWNT’s new generation of talent, emerging as a mainstay on the backline, surrounded by Sofia Huerta and Emily Fox on the flanks. Andonovski’s defensive lineup, which he has continued to experiment with, is a significant shift from the experienced backline of Becky Sauerbrunn, Abby Dahlkemper, Crystal Dunn and Kelley O’Hara that helped win the 2019 World Cup. Without a consistent starting unit solidified, the defensive chemistry has suffered, with breakdowns leading to goals for a USWNT that is used to being quite stingy. With more reps, however, the USWNT’s defense could soon begin to gel. Lest we forget the chatter about the team’s perceived lackluster backline ahead of the 2019 World Cup, in which the defense helped win the tournament.
On the other side of the ball, the USWNT has struggled to find the back of the net as of late, with the team’s attack undergoing a sea change as well. NWSL MVP Sophia Smith and Red Stars forward Mallory Pugh are all but locks for the starting spots out wide, while NWSL Golden Boot winner Alex Morgan has taken over the No. 9 role amid a post-pregnancy career renaissance. The front three are no strangers to goalscoring glory, with Smith, Pugh and Morgan in the top five scorers from the 2022 NWSL season. In Andonovski’s system, however, the attack has struggled to convert in the final third, with the team’s only multi-goal game of the fall coming in the USWNT’s 2–1 win over Germany.
With new and young players scattered throughout Andonovski’s roster, the USWNT’s success hinges upon how well the transition into the next generation is managed. The talent is there; now, it's just about achieving harmony.
How will injuries impact the USWNT’s roster?
Injuries have plagued nearly every team in women’s soccer as of late, and the USWNT is no exception. Christen Press, Lynn Williams and Catarina Macario, all part of Andonovski’s attacking lineup for the Tokyo Games, have been sidelined. Press and Macario both tore their ACLs during club play, while Williams underwent surgery for a complex leg injury.
The USWNT’s coaching staff has shown a keen interest in Macario’s recovery in particular, with the 23-year-old seen as the squad's present and future. The star striker is expected to be back in training in February or March, while Williams could be in consideration for a call-up come January. Press, per Andonovski, is a bit behind Macario after a minor setback in her recovery.
Longtime USWNT winger Tobin Heath also underwent surgery on her knee after sustaining a season-ending injury in September, and a timeline for her rehab has not yet been confirmed by Andonovski.
The midfield has also changed shape due to injury, with Julie Ertz absent from the team, first because of an MCL sprain that restricted her minutes at the Tokyo Games, only slightly. Then, Ertz welcomed a baby with her husband, Zach Ertz in August, keeping her off the pitch. The latest from Andonovski is that the star defensive midfielder is “enjoying motherhood,” with a World Cup appearance not looking likely. Sam Mewis has also been missing from the USWNT’s midfield, with the 30-year-old’s knee injury requiring a lengthy rehab process. She underwent surgery in August 2021 and hasn't returned to the pitch since.
Without Ertz and Mewis, the midfield has struggled to take shape, with the spine of the pitch in need of fortification. Andi Sullivan, Rose Lavelle and Lindsey Horan have emerged as Andonovski’s starting trio as the squad grapples without Ertz and Mewis’s defensive presence in the middle of the field.
Add defenders Tierna Davidson, Abby Dahlkemper and Emily Sonnett to Andonovski’s injury list, and the USWNT hasn’t enjoyed a fully healthy player pool in some time.
Has the rest of the world caught up with the USWNT?
When will the rest of the world catch up with the U.S.? That question has loomed large over the last several World Cup cycles. While the soccer world’s perceived inferiority to the USWNT has never felt fully fair (see Germany’s early aughts dynasty), it's true that the U.S. has long stood as the giant of the sport.
An era of true parity, however, may now be upon us, with European sides England, Spain, France and Germany quickly rising to prominence. The Lionesses, anchored by Arsenal’s Beth Mead and Barcelona’s Lucy Bronze, made their presence known by winning the program’s inaugural Euro title in July, putting a target on their back ahead of the 2023 World Cup. For the first time in a long time, England, under the leadership of Sarina Wiegman, who led the Netherlands to a 2019 World Cup final, is perhaps the favorite over the USWNT to take home the trophy come August.
Sweden and Canada have also given the U.S. trouble, with both teams defeating the USWNT during the Tokyo Games, Sweden decidedly so. Don’t forget about Brazil either, which includes an all-time great in Marta and Courage star striker Debinha, both with plenty of experience playing in the United States with and against USWNT players.
After a rocky showing against England, Spain and Germany in ’22, the USWNT will look to reclaim its place as the undisputed best of the best. To do so, the squad will have to show that its feisty, win-at-all-costs ethos did not disappear with the team’s previous generation.
