USWNT’s Rose Lavelle ‘ready’ for match vs. Netherlands: Could she start after knee injury?

U.S. women’s national team midfielder Rose Lavelle said she feels “good” Wednesday after working back into the team’s lineup following a knee injury that sidelined her leading into the Women’s World Cup. Here’s what you need to know:

• “I feel ready for the second match,” Lavelle said ahead of the UWSNT’s game against the Netherlands.
• Lavelle subbed on during the USWNT’s 3-0 win over Vietnam on Friday, marking the first time she featured in a competition since April’s international break.
• Lavelle was one of the Americans’ standout performers during the last World Cup cycle, scoring a goal in the 2019 final against the Netherlands in the USWNT’s 2-0 win.

The Athletic’s instant analysis:

Could Lavelle start versus the Netherlands?

Lavelle’s message on Wednesday was that she was feeling fine ahead of the 2019 rematch against the Netherlands (with coach Vlatko Andonovski affirming that assessment briefly later on). U.S. Soccer will never give any advance warning on a starting XI, but the 30 minutes she played in the opener against Vietnam and her presence in today’s news conference are both really good signs she could start on Thursday here in Wellington.

It’s doubtful she’s ready yet for a full 90-minute performance, but Lavelle being on the field…