Pedro Soares/SPP
The United States women’s national team begins the final stage of its World Cup preparation with a pair of games against the Republic of Ireland over the next week. U.S. head coach Vlatko Andonovski will be looking to obtain further clarity regarding his squad in these friendly games in this final international window before he selects his World Cup roster.
With three months to go before the World Cup kicks off, now is a good time to go in-depth on the squad—what does Andonovski need, which players are definitely in, which ones might drop out, and who could make a late push for inclusion?
Tournament team-building
There are a few factors that are universally accepted as important to account for when building a squad for a major international tournament. An obvious one is fitness, given the team will be playing numerous games in quick succession. Leaders are key to relay the manager’s message and organize the team during games. Versatile players can be of huge use, too, considering only 20 outfielders can be…
