Alyssa Naeher Adrianna Franch Ashlyn Harris Jane Campbell Becky Sauerbrunn Crystal Dunn Abby Dahlkemper Kelley O’Hara Emily Sonnett Casey Krueger Ali Krieger Tierna Davidson Julie Ertz Sam Mewis Kristie Mewis Catarina Macario Rose Lavelle Morgan Brian Allie Long Lindsey Horan Tobin Heath Christen Press Megan Rapinoe Carli Lloyd Alex Morgan Lynn Williams Jessica McDonald Mal Pugh These are the names of the 2019/2021 era, this is the squad of the 2019 World Cup and the 2020/21 Tokyo Olympics. This team as it is will change. I don’t know how much but this era is closing or at least transitioning towards something new. They won a World Cup and an Olympic Bronze Medal. They sued their own Federation months before the most important event to get the deserved equal pay. They inspired all the other national teams to do the same. They made women’s football spectacular. Beyond what has gone wrong tactically or technically in this tournament, I realized that expectations’ weight was too heavy at some point for them to bear it. Probably the pandemic hit them hard, maybe the preparation wasn’t right, we will never really find the right answer for this question but I believe at some point their head wasn’t just at the right place. As Pinoe said, they lost joy. Today, today I’ve seen them again, I’ve recognized them, and they were BEAUTIFUL. They were free. Even when messy, even when they made it hard for themselves conceding those stupid goals, they were in the game, they were the USWNT.
And yes, it’s not the gold, yes, they surely aren’t too happy about the bronze but they will honor it because it’s their last win with THIS ensemble.
But remember their names. Remember this team. They have just written another chapter of the women’s football history. Their legacy will survive them. They will never be forgotten because no one will have this kind of impact on and off the field. EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT LEGENDS NEVER DIE.
Proud of them. Always.
