with all the rotations we’ve seen this tournament (not a fan of it tbh), who is our best available starting XI???
my thoughts:
- i think pugh, morgan, smith frontline is pretty much a lock & i like their chemistry and combo of speed + skill
- lavelle is/should be a lock in midfield
- a HEALTHY horan also a lock, tho i do think she’s not 100% healthy at the moment and have no clue why she has been playing so many minutes when she’s clearly nursing something
- last midfield slot is kinda iffy (tho if s. mewis or ertz were healthy/available it wouldn’t be) but i’d go with sanchez, she’s creative & combines with lavelle and horan well
- honorable mid mention: andi sullivan. i love what she brings and she allows horan to push higher into a more natural attacking mid spot but something is always missing from her performances on the nt stage. she’s one of my favs from the nwsl but at this moment in time, i’m still more confident in an out-of-position horan at the 6
- captain broon is a lock cuz DUH. tho girma is quickly creeping up on her. girma’s diagonals are just 🤯
- i LOVE alana cook. so underrated. calm and composed presence. i think dahlkemper & davidson’s injury woes have allowed her to really solidify herself as the #2 available center back. before injuries i think those 2 were definitely ahead of her on the depth chart but she’s def taken advantage of the opportunity.
- outside backs are probably the biggest wild cards for USWNT at the moment. they kind of always have been. it’s #missingcrystaldunnhours. out of those available on this roster i think i’d go fox & o’hara. then sonnett as the 3rd option. i love sonnett but she’s not a natural ob tho they keep trying to make her one.
- ooo the keeper debacle. this one is hard for me b/c i love naeher. but i just think murphy has been too impressive to ignore. she consistently comes up big even during quiet games and her size gives her a good boost.
