If the 2027 Girls’s World Cup appears far-off, assume once more.
Now that the U.S. ladies’s nationwide workforce has received the 2026 version of the SheBelieves Cup, head coach Emma Hayes has solely six extra worldwide home windows till she wants to call her World Cup squad.
Hayes has begun to slender the USWNT participant pool in current months. As she and her employees refine their techniques, one of many huge questions over the subsequent 15 months endures: Who will Hayes rely on as her beginning lineup when the match kicks off in Brazil?
Hayes has ushered in a historic degree of experimentation over the previous year-plus: 32 worldwide debuts in her first 32 video games on the helm, by way over some other USWNT coach in that very same span. However that makes it all of the tougher to find out what even is her most popular lineup.
We’re up for the problem, however first, a nota bene about nuance: A “most popular” lineup begs the query, “Most popular towards whom?” Hayes stated as a lot final week when she spoke repeatedly about getting this new group of gamers prepared for “match soccer,” the place video games should be received in numerous methods.
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“What I do know is that we’ve to maintain constructing our connections as a lot as doable,” Hayes stated on Friday. “I’ve made it clear this 12 months that there might be, notably in three-game home windows, two groups, per se, that may play — perhaps not the entire time — however so we get an opportunity to develop the connections for a gaggle of gamers over two video games; in a single group, over one of many video games. That, for me, is the larger precedence.”
World Cup group phases sometimes characteristic a variety of opponent qualities and kinds, that means there are deliberate rotations inside these video games and a “strongest” beginning lineup will imply two various things towards two totally different opponents. For instance: A gaggle stage recreation towards a low-ranked workforce that’s anticipated to take a seat low would name for an aggressive midfield, however a match a number of days later towards a world heavyweight might require a double pivot and extra defensive cowl.
These opponents won’t be recognized till at the least the World Cup draw, which is prone to happen on the finish of this 12 months. And rather a lot is sure to occur between now and the 2027 World Cup from a roster perspective, from accidents and comebacks to dips in type.
With these acknowledgements established, let us take a look at what Hayes’ World Cup lineup might appear to be come June 2027, utilizing every little thing we learn about her decisions up to now and the ideologies she has laid out to type our speculation. To be clear, this isn’t who we might choose — that is how we predict Hayes is considering.
The post-Alyssa Naeher period has formed up as a two-horse race between Tullis-Joyce and Dickey. They’ve acquired roughly equal taking part in time over the previous 12 months, with Tullis-Joyce’s temporary damage absence within the fall factoring into their complete caps.
This race is hardly determined, however Tullis-Joyce impressed in her debut towards Brazil and earned the beginning within the ostensible showcase recreation of the SheBelieves Cup towards Canada. Hayes has talked concerning the improvement she has seen from Tullis-Joyce with the ball at her toes and as a vocal chief.
Dickey is equally worthy of the beginning function for her stupendous shot-stopping (half-jokingly dubbed “The Claw” by Seattle Reign teammates) and will nonetheless declare the beginning spot. Studying the tea leaves as finest we are able to from the surface, Tullis-Joyce appears to have the within place.
Barring damage, Girma, at heart again, and Fox, at proper fullback, are locks. Every is among the many finest on the planet at her respective place.
That reverse fullback is among the huge questions on this again line. Patterson has an distinctive mixture of recreation consciousness and athleticism and will nonetheless be the reply. Gisele Thompson can declare related attributes, plus the X issue of the unstated connection along with her sister, Alyssa.
Reale, nonetheless, appears to be like to have the within observe on the place. She, too, can push excessive to hitch the assault like Gisele Thompson, and she or he has a tough-as-nails defensive stature like Patterson. Reale thrived for Gotham FC final 12 months, serving to the workforce win the NWSL Championship and Concacaf crown whereas accumulating NWSL Rookie of the 12 months honors.
A good greater query looms round Girma’s central associate, and the participant who cannot be forgotten in that dialogue is Davidson, who tore an ACL practically a 12 months in the past. The Girma-Davidson mixture was Hayes’ desire (however for a minor damage to Davidson) on the 2024 Olympics, the place the USWNT received the gold medal. The issue is that they have performed collectively solely as soon as since then resulting from accidents, essentially the most severe of which was Davidson’s torn ACL — a second in three years and a priority in itself.
Davidson was simply reactivated by Gotham and reappointed as membership captain forward of the 2025 season. She is of course left-footed and a transparent complement to Girma. Well being and sturdiness might be her biggest questions, however she has over a 12 months to reintegrate.
Within the meantime, the omnipresent and ever dependable Sonnett continues to ship at heart again. It’s solely doable that Sonnett begins subsequent to Girma on the World Cup.
Tara Rudd’s inventory additionally continues to rise as a extra aggressive center-back possibility after coming off the bench towards Colombia and shutting down the electrical Linda Caicedo in a number of one-vs-ones.
Peak Lavelle season has been upon us for the previous 12 months. Lavelle is perhaps the primary identify on the workforce sheet if her present type — and, as ever, her good well being — persists. The USWNT doesn’t have a like-for-like substitute for Lavelle, who, as Canada coach Casey Stoney admitted after Wednesday’s 1-0 USWNT victory, forces opponents to regulate.
Coffey can be a shoo-in for the holding midfielder function, whether or not in a double or single pivot. Her recreation continues to evolve alongside her management, and her current transfer to Manchester Metropolis will solely add layers to her already superlative recreation. Collectively, Coffey’s deep-lying skills and Lavelle’s easy attacking present a yin and yang within the midfield.
Who balances them out, and the way, turns into a stress level for Hayes.
Heaps is the workforce’s captain and its most skilled participant, one whose technical and tactical acumen stays undervalued by the broader public. She might be 33 when the World Cup kicks off, a relative outlier on a workforce abruptly composed of 20-somethings. There are legitimate inquiries to ask about sturdiness, however that is additionally why Hayes is growing depth.
The Coffey-Heaps-Lavelle midfield continues to be an possibility. Sure, this trio was bypassed at occasions throughout that Olympic gold medal run. And sure, established order looks like an unusually secure play for a disruptor like Hayes.
However two issues are at play right here: First, Hayes is prone to lean into veterans down the backbone of the workforce, an idea she has mentioned prior to now. Second, elevated depth means Heaps (and Lavelle and Coffey, for that matter) ought to discover a pocket of relaxation on the World Cup, at the least with a good draw.
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Former USWNT coach Jill Ellis did this efficiently on the 2019 World Cup, swapping all 10 outfield gamers within the second group recreation to handle a roster of veterans and plan for the knockout stage.
Yohannes, who may have simply turned 20 earlier than the World Cup, is essentially the most technically gifted of the up-and-coming midfielders. Hayes spoke once more this previous week about growing combos of gamers in her recreation rotations, and Heaps and Yohannes, who’re at the moment teammates at OL Lyonnes, are naturally symbiotic.
Yohannes is a elegant expertise with beautiful imaginative and prescient who will in all probability begin for the subsequent decade. Hutton, in a extra defensive-minded function, appears to be like to be the opposite long-term midfield basis for the USWNT. Each Yohannes and Hutton look on observe to start out some video games on the World Cup when the scenario requires it.
[Deep exhale] Choices on the entrance line are why Hayes earns the massive bucks (the “highest-paid ladies’s soccer coach on the planet,” per U.S. Soccer on the time of her hiring; over $1 million yearly, per sources on the time).
Wilson and Swanson are of their return-to-play programming after giving start, and the self-proclaimed Triple Espresso — with Rodman now again on the sector after accidents — could possibly be reunited come 2027. Certainly, Hayes will need that, proper?
Sure … and no. Hayes cannot ignore that Alyssa Thompson is her most constant, in-form winger, having now break up time between tearing up NWSL and Girls’s Tremendous League defenses over the previous 12 months. The 21-year-old has an indeniable potential to dribble at defenders with pace and catch groups in transition. She’s undroppable proper now.
Rodman, as long as she stays wholesome, is equally distinctive. She brings an X issue of artistic aptitude and swagger to this workforce, a torchbearer of confidence at any second. She has an innate nostril for the aim.
That leaves the No. 9 function for the taking. Macario staked her declare to it in 2025, however Wilson will do the identical this 12 months as she returns from maternity go away. Who earns the World Cup beginning function might be much less of an indictment of both participant’s qualities and extra of a referendum on how Hayes needs to play.
Macario is a back-to-goal false 9 who loves to mix. Wilson will stretch defenses and run at defenders. Wilson can be going so as to add a component of defensive stress excessive up the sector. One is perhaps nice for a sure opponent, and the opposite would possibly make sense in a special match.
The excellent news in such a situation? Think about bringing any of Swanson, Wilson, Macario or Alyssa Thompson off the bench. After which there are Shaw and Sentnor, who can every play throughout the entrance 4 positions.
The USWNT’s World Cup lineup(s)
So, what does all that imply for the World Cup?
The USWNT’s “finest XI” is extra like discovering the appropriate mixture in the appropriate recreation from a pool of 15 or so gamers.
You possibly can see what we predict the lineup might appear to be if the USWNT takes an aggressive disposition (because it did lately towards Argentina), and if Hayes feels she wants extra cowl in a extra heavyweight match — two current Canada fixtures are tangible examples.
Within the aggressive mannequin, Yohannes has the liberty to distribute and be a playmaker (as she did towards Italy lately) with out the USWNT worrying an excessive amount of about getting counterattacked.
Within the extra compact mannequin, Hutton and Coffey are a double pivot with Lavelle because the playmaker (a comparatively frequent mixture over the previous 12 months), Reale is the extra conservative fullback, and Alyssa Thompson and Rodman are tasked with getting in behind as Macario pulls defenders out of place.
Whichever strategy the USWNT goes with, anticipate Tullis-Joyce to be in aim because the No. 1.
