HARRISON, N.J. — United States women’s national team midfielder Rose Lavelle played her first match in sixth months on Saturday in NJ/NY Gotham FC‘s 2-1 loss to the league-leading Kansas City Current at Sports Illustrated Stadium.
Lavelle entered the match in the 74th minute for her first competitive appearance of any kind since Dec. 3, 2024, with the USWNT. Lavelle underwent ankle surgery shortly after that December match and had been recovering since.
“It was the first time I had to get surgery, which is a blessing, but I definitely was a little naïve to what that entailed,” Lavelle said after Saturday’s match. “So, it was definitely a lot harder than I anticipated.”
Lavelle said that her recovery timeline was about what she initially expected it to be.
“I’m healthy,” Lavelle said. “I feel good, I feel really strong. I think it’s more just it will be a little bit for my ankle to be at 100%, but the rest of me is feeling good.”
Lavelle nearly scored five minutes after entering the match on Saturday when she cut…
