A new year often brings clarity, and for the U.S. women’s national team, it was affirmation of what was hiding in plain sight: the core of the 2023 World Cup roster.
U.S. coach Vlatko Andonovski made it clear throughout the past year that he was developing a new-look squad for the 2023 World Cup, which included scouting new players who might be able to handle the tournament, and giving reps to players he planned to bring. Adding uncertainty, however, was the significant number of major injuries to U.S. players — nearly a starting XI worth in 2022. That cast significant doubt on how the final World Cup roster could take shape.
Now, however, there is much more clarity. Over the past week, Andonovski confirmed two big absences in the midfield this summer: Sam Mewis will miss the World Cup after undergoing another knee surgery, and Julie Ertz is all but certainly ruled out. The void left by Ertz remains the biggest question facing the U.S. midfield, but her absence over the past 18 months forced the team to find solutions. Mewis has also not played for the U.S. since the Americans won the Olympic bronze medal in August 2021, although there had been hope she might return.
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Meanwhile, forward Lynn Williams returned to the team last month after a 10-month layoff due to a hamstring injury, and there is now a definitive timetable for the return of forward Catarina Macario, who tore an ACL in June. She will absolutely be part of World Cup plans once healthy.
USWNT players have only two more international windows to solidify their World Cup spots: the SheBelieves Cup later this month, which includes tough games against Brazil, Canada and Japan, and then the April international window, which will be the last before Andonovski will select his World Cup roster. Last month, he told reporters that his pool for the World Cup roster is down to 32 players.
FIFA confirmed recently that rosters will be 23 players, not 26, like for the 2022 men’s World Cup, so let’s discern who fits where.
How we’re doing this
This isn’t our first Big Board, and the approach has not changed: Who are the 23 players going to the World Cup as of right now?
Ongoing injuries mean that there will be changes to this list as the World Cup gets closer, but for now, those yet to return from long-term injuries are in a category of their own, outside of our 23. We’re treating this as if the team is getting on the plane tomorrow, because everything else is hypothetical until players return.
