The quest for five stars will kick off this summer. And the question remains the same: will the USWNT repeat as World Cup Champions? Heading into the last two friendlies against Ireland, there have been plenty of doubters about how far this team can go. In the aftermath of those two friendlies, the number of doubters surely went up.
Mallory Swanson went down with a serious injury that has taken her out of playing in the World Cup. As a result, a key starter in the team’s offense will no longer be available, which is a tough adjustment for the USWNT. On the flip side, we did see Julie Ertz play for the first time since her pregnancy. This could be great news for the team’s midfield. Assuming there won’t be any more friendlies scheduled between now and the World Cup, here’s the overall outlook heading into the World Cup for the USWNT.
Rebuilding the Attack
The impact of losing a player like Mallory Swanson cannot be overstated. Swanson had arguably been the best player in a USWNT jersey all year. She scored seven times in the last five games before the Ireland matches. When the player scoring a majority of the team’s goals is gone, who will pick up that torch and score the goals needed to fulfill the USWNT’s World Cup hopes?
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