The Women’s World Cup is now a little more than a month away, and the roster for the U.S. women’s national team should be announced within the next three weeks.
Those of us trying to forecast the roster know this is the most unpredictable roster for the USWNT ahead of a major tournament in some time. As head coach Vlatko Andonovski said in April after the USWNT’s final international friendlies before the World Cup: “We have maybe 10 to 12 players that are fighting for six to seven spots.” That’s a lot, and it’s also a departure from previous tournaments, for which the squad was pretty much set months in advance.
Why so many question marks? One big reason is the number of injuries that have plagued the USWNT over the past year.
Some players couldn’t make it back — Catarina Macario would’ve made this roster if she got fit in time from an ACL tear, but she recently announced she won’t be ready. Samantha Mewis and Mallory Swanson — two roster locks when healthy — are injured, freeing up spots for players who have never competed in a World Cup.
There are a number of players, such as Kelley O’Hara, Julie…
