CONCACAF W Championship: USWNT stars Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan look to extend USA legacies

Since the end of Jill Ellis’ reign as the USA’s manager – which included back-to-back World Cup wins – change has been afoot for the USWNT.

Vlatko Andonovksi, who was appointed in 2019, has been keen to put his own stamp on the national team including in player selection.

Their 23-woman squad for the upcoming CONCACAF W Championship is testament to that with plenty of new faces called up to camp and some experienced names missing out.

With Andonovski already looking towards next year's FIFA Women's World Cup and Paris 2024, this could be the last chance for a number of USWNT stars to prove they can still perform at the highest level.

Tokyo 2020: What went wrong for the USA?

Perhaps one of the key factors in Andonovski's desire to revamp the roster is what he saw at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in 2021.

Going into the Games on the back of a World Cup triumph, and seeking redemption for Rio 2016, it all seemed to go wrong for the Americans.

Winners of gold four times previously, the USA went to Japan as strong favourites.

But any thoughts of a procession were quickly dispelled as they went down 3-0 in their opener to Sweden, the team that knocked them out of the quarter-finals in Rio.

Despite a starting line-up featuring established names like Kelley O’Hara, Tobin Heath, Becky Sauerbrunn and Alex Morgan, and Megan Rapinoe and Carli Lloyd coming off the bench, USA saw their 44-game unbeaten run come to an end.

After recovering to get out of their group, USA had to come through a penalty shoot-out in their quarter-final against the Netherlands who they beat in the 2019 World Cup Final.

But their luck ran out in the semis as Jessie Fleming's penalty 15 minutes from time gave Canada a rare win over their neighbours on their way to gold.

The USWNT did at least return home with a medal this time, beating Australia 4-3 to take bronze.

Rapinoe and Lloyd both scored twice with the latter taking her Olympic tally to a USWNT record 10 goals and ending her career on a high note.

But two defeats in normal time could not hide that Andonovski needs to do some rebuilding if the USA are to reclaim their position at the summit of women's football.

Now or never for USA greats

For those who have been around since gold at London 2012, and played in the World Cup triumphs of 2015 and 2019, their names will be forever written in the USWNT history books.

But now is the time to show that they can still contribute ahead of the World Cup to be staged in Australia and New Zealand.

Alex Morgan is one of those players, and if her new-found club form translates well on to the national team, she could solidify her spot as a valuable member of Andonovski’s squad going forward having been dropped earlier this year.

At NWSL newcomers San Diego Wave, coached by former USA head coach Jill Ellis, Morgan has scored 16 goals in 15 games in all competitions which is already her career-high seasonal tally.

And with the new USA squad featuring several forwards who like to operate in wide positions, that could give Morgan the opportunity to stake her claim as their go-to central striker for the big tournaments ahead.

Both Becky Sauerbrunn and Kelley O’Hara are among the veterans in defence.

With plenty of full-backs on the scene, O’Hara will need to ensure she stands out although - even if she is not a regular starter - the 33-year-old is embracing the chance to ‘pass the torch’ on to the next generation.

“I have a responsibility that I didn’t used to have to create the culture, contribute to the culture to make sure the team stays here, and not just stay here, but keep taking steps forward,” she told Just Women's Sports.

For centre-back Sauerbrunn, there’s a different type of responsibility as one of the core captains of the squad.

At 37, Sauerbrunn is very much approaching the twilight of a career in which she has been something of an unsung hero for her country.

A key part of USWNT’s 2015 World Cup win, she will no doubt be a point of reference for the likes of Naomi Girma (two caps) and Alana Cook (10 caps).

Rapinoe is also back in the squad having been dropped ahead of February's SheBelieves Cup.

The 36-year-old will be keen to rediscover the kind of form which saw her win the second-ever women’s Ballon d’Or in 2019.

Morgan, O'Hara, Sauerbrunn and Rapinoe, along with midfielder Lindsey Horan, are the only members of the squad boasting over 100 caps.

Their inclusion will bring much needed experience to the roster at the Concacaf W Championship in Mexico where a top-two finish would secure qualification for both the World Cup and Paris 2024.

It is now up to them to perform and keep themselves in Andonovski's plans for the immediate future of the USWNT.