Rose Lavelle will miss the first game of the SheBelieves Cup for the U.S. women’s national team, coach Vlatko Andonovski revealed Wednesday.
The 27-year-old midfielder was injured in training, picking up what Andonovski referred to as a knock, though both the coach and a team spokesperson did not provide further information. Still, the team did not rule her out for the second and third games of the round-robin tournament, which kicks off Thursday.
The USWNT opens the tournament against Canada at 7 p.m. ET Thursday in Orlando. The game, which will air on HBO Max, already features the dramatic storyline of the Canadian women’s national team’s heated dispute with its national federation.
Next up, the USWNT will face Japan at 3:30 p.m. ET Sunday in Nashville. The host team closes the tournament against Brazil at 7 p.m. ET next Wednesday, Feb. 22, in Frisco, Texas.
Lavelle was one of just six players who played at least 1,000 minutes for the USWNT in 2022. A rising star turned seasoned veteran, she is a reliable presence for the team on a midfield line that sorely needs one.
The midfielder scored a brace in the USWNT’s second match against New Zealand in…
