Football

USWNT Olympic roster projection 2.0: Jaedyn Shaw continues her rise as Rose Lavelle's status unclear

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6m ago

Apr 28, 2024 / 3346 Views

Evan Walker

The Olympics are just three months away and time is ticking for U.S. women's national team players to make their case for the 18-player roster. Players will now get a chance to work directly with incoming manager Emma Hayes, who has plenty of roster decisions to make. She will officially be on the sidelines with the USWNT in June before the Olympic send-off games in July, while former interim head coach Twila Kilgore pivots into a full-time USWNT assistant.

Kilgore led the team as interim for nine months, she earned a 10-1-3 record in 14 games with the team, and her lone loss came against Mexico during the USWNT's victorious Concacaf W Gold Cup run. The squad also won its seventh SheBelieves Cup, sending off Kilgore with two titles during her head coaching stint. Several players made their debuts through Kilgore's reign, including Jaedyn Shaw and Olivia Moultrie, and she deepened the player pool ahead of the Paris Olympics.

The USWNT were recently drawn into Group B and will face Germany, Australia, and Zambia in France this summer. With the summer games set to begin July 25 for the USWNT, and domestic leagues in full swing, spots on an Olympic roster are only listed in pencil at the moment.

The tournament is officially three months out, and things have changed since our first mock roster, so here's our second projection:

USWNT 2024 Olympic Roster 2.0

Goalkeepers (2): Alyssa Naeher, Casey Murphy

On the bubble: Aubrey Kingsbury, Jane Campbell

Not much has changed here from our first mock roster. Naeher appears to be getting stronger in penalty scenarios as weeks go by. After a stellar penalty shootout during the Gold Cup against Canada, she followed up with another massive penalty performance against the Concacaf rivals during SheBelieves. She'll need these next 90 days to improve some 50-50 decision-making.

Murphy has firmly been in the role as de-facto backup and is currently in good form with North Carolina Courage and she's unlikely to be bumped as the tournament gets closer.

Campbell and Kingsbury are having two opposite club experiences at the moment. Kingsbury and the Spirit are having success and are currently on a four-game win streak. Campbell has been put in some unfortunate defensive scenarios as the Dash struggle to find their footing this season.

Defenders (6) Crystal Dunn, Naomi Girma, Tierna Davidson, Emily Fox, Casey Krueger, Jenna Nighswonger

On the bubble: Sarah Gorden, Abby Dahlkemper, Alana Cook, Becky Sauerbrunn, Sam Staab, M.A. Vignola

There's no real significant change in this mix for me from our previous mock roster even with some recent injury concerns. Naomi Girma exited a SheBelieves Cup match with what was later deemed a thigh strain but recently returned to play a full 90 minutes with San Diego Wave FC. Davidson has had a resurgence in her performances since returning from her ACL injury but exited a Game with NJ/NY Gotham FC with what appeared to be a hamstring issue.

Nighswonger and Dunn are also splitting time in Gotham FC matches as head coach Juan Carlos Amoros and the club try to manage injuries at the club. Fox continues to get starts with Arsenal even while balancing duty for club and country.

So who is the most in form defender in our mock roster? Krueger by far. She's been operating as an attacking catalyst for the Spirit, who keep winning, and providing defensive recovery when needed.

The only real shift in this position for me is who is higher on the bubble, it's likely Abby Dahlkemper, but maybe Sarah Gorden finally gets a look as an option for a center back who can blaze attackers in recovery.

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Midfielders (5): Lindsey Horan, Ashley Sanchez, Jaedyn Shaw, Emily Sonnett, Sam Coffey

On the bubble: Rose Lavelle, Korbin Albert, Andi Sullivan, Savannah DeMelo, Olivia Moultrie, Kristie Mewis

Ok, let's just get right to it. Lavelle is one of the team's most gifted and experienced attacking midfielders on the USWNT and she's also nursing another lower leg injury ahead of a major tournament. In shades of 2023, Lavelle missed out on the majority of club play ahead of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, and we're seeing a repeat of that in 2024 ahead of the Olympics.

You add in the extra layer of recent success by Jaedyn Shaw during SheBelieves Cup playing in the No. 10 as an attacking mid, and there's excitement, but there are questions around Lavelle's availability and form going into a demanding tournament. Rollovers from our first mock roster include Horan, Sonnett, and Coffey after extended play with the USWNT and consistent performances with their club teams.

Also bumped with Lavelle is Albert, who did not see much time with the national team during the SheBelieves Cup following her anti-LGBTQ+ social media reposts. She was subbed out during a UEFA Women's Champions League semifinal first leg for Paris Saint-Germain as the club squandered a two-goal lead to Olympique Lyon.

Promotion from the bubble go to Sanchez, with a shout-out to Sullivan. Sanchez gets the bump from the bubble to rostered because she keeps delivering week after week for North Carolina Courage in attacking sequences. Sullivan keeps winning the ball in the Spirit's defensive half and connecting her passes in the final third.

Kilgore was vocal in earlier press conferences that "everything matters" in terms of performances during a short build up to the tournament. Time to see Sullivan and Sanchez back in camps if that's the case.

Forwards (5): Catarina Macario, Alex Morgan, Trinity Rodman, Sophia Smith, Mallory Swanson

On the bubble: Ashley Hatch, Alyssa Thompson, Lynn Williams

Morgan's form for club and country has cooled off post-Gold Cup. Only one goal across five NWSL competitions and she recently exited a Wave FC match with an apparent ankle tweak. No update at the time of this mock roster, and if it's something week to week where she's back to full games by June, she's going.

Swanson has gone from "what's she gonna look like after injury" to instant lock. She has been involved in setting up teammates and scoring. Somehow, she looks just as threatening before her time away. Smith and Rodman have both been bright spots for their respective clubs, especially Smith as she helps the Thorns work themselves out of a slump.

Macario finally got her first start as a member of Chelsea FC after brief appearances off the bench. With her two-year recovery from an ACL injury, she still hasn't been able to play 90 minutes, but she's been a factor for the Blues in her limited appearances so far and has gotten on the scoresheet with them.

Williams and Thompson remain on the bubble as they string together games for their clubs following injuries to start the NWSL season. Hatch will remain a bubble option for the squad as long as there is rotation at the No. 9 and injuries to manage.

Alternates: Aubrey Kingsbury, Andi Sullivan, Olivia Moultrie, Lynn Williams

This role can sometimes feel like a thankless one, but they're still necessary for the Olympics. One alternate spot will surely go to a goalkeeper, so two midfielders and a forward will go as other options with Sonnett, Nighswonger, and Dunn's versatility to play across lines.