Just about a month from now, the Women’s World Cup kicks off halfway across the globe, and an expanded field of international teams ensures this tournament will be different from the opening minute of play.
Through it all, one thing remains the same: The United States is the favorite. Still the No. 1-ranked team in the world, the Americans head to New Zealand and Australia as the bettors’ choice to return with a trophy.
Yet as the American side aims for a third consecutive World Cup title, this is no (to borrow a term from another sport) slam dunk.
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The world is getting better and the Americans are getting older, but the intersection of those two truths does nothing to change the level of expectation or pressure on the red-white-and-blue. Once you set the pace, you want nothing more than to stay out front. Just ask the Patriots, who have learned plenty about living on the other side of being the favorite these past three years. Just ask our 2020 women’s Olympic soccer team, which took home a bronze medal. Proud, sure. But disappointed? Absolutely.
The playing field has changed considerably since the US successfully defended its World Cup title four years ago in France, and not just on the pitch with that expansion to 32 teams. While the US has long set the pace for international dominance (we are the only country with four Women’s World Cup titles), fellow North American, European, and Asian powers such as the Netherlands, Sweden, Brazil, England, Canada, Japan, and China have closed the gap.
And the global spread of the game increases; the US will begin its title defense by playing newcomer Vietnam on July 21 in group play.
All of which is great for the game and for women’s sports writ large, another piece of evidence that investment in women’s sports leads to interest, involvement, and expansion.
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As US star Alex Morgan put it recently to the San Diego Union-Tribune: “There’s a lot of different things I can point to, to say why this is the most competitive World Cup ever. Fact of the matter is, female soccer players are being valued, embraced, appreciated in the way that we’ve always fought for. So, I think it’s just going to be a great showing.”
How the US does will depend on veteran, experienced players such as Morgan, at least those who are still standing. The recent announcement by stalwart back and team captain Becky Sauerbrunn that a lingering foot injury will keep her out of the World Cup was quite a blow, not only for her stout defense on the field but for her leadership both in the locker room and with coach Vlatko Andonovski.
From an on-field perspective, the absence of Sauerbrunn, local hero Sam Mewis (knee), and leading scorer Mallory Swanson (knee) robbed the roster of plenty of experience and skill. But Andonovski’s roster reveal Wednesday showed there is still experience at the top and youth at the bottom.
Morgan, Megan Rapinoe, and Kelley O’Hara were each named to their fourth World Cup team, and Alyssa Naher and Julie Ertz were named to their third. Beyond that, four players made their second team (including 2019 breakout star Rose Lavelle) and 14 made their first, including Kristie Mewis, Sam’s sister.
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The inclusion of Mewis marks the end of a long, relentless road of hard work for a player who has been in the national program for many years and played in the Olympics but battled enough injuries to stall her World Cup dream many times.
For other first-timers, youth is on their side, as Morgan said in that same interview.
“You look at Sophia Smith, Naomi Girma, Trinity Rodman, Ashley Sanchez — that’s just to name a few,” said Morgan, naming four NWSL players who respectively are aged 22, 23, 21, and 24. “These players have come in and dominated both at the club and the international level. That is an important piece to us performing well at the World Cup and us having a complete picture.”
As Andonovski put it, “We are expecting the level of play at this World Cup to be the best it’s ever been, and all the teams must keep up with that growth.
“Our players understand the challenges and the competitive environment we are heading into, and they love it. We have a roster with depth and versatility, and that will help us take on all the challenges that will be coming our way.”
These women have made it look easy, and they’ve often been criticized for it, derided when World Cup scores get lopsided. But even as they dominated, they challenged the rest of the world to catch up, and we are slowly seeing the results of that influence.
This is a program with such a rich history, not only of success on the field but for vocal advocacy off it, for their sport, for their fellow athletes, for pay equity in the national program and humane treatment in their domestic professional league.
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They stand up and they stand out, and they open their arms wide to the pressure that comes with all of it.
Here it comes again, to which they no doubt say: Bring it on.
Tara Sullivan is a Globe columnist. She can be reached at tara.sullivan@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @Globe_Tara.