No Alex Morgan, no problem? How the USWNT could line up at Paris 2024
The last time Team USA won Olympic gold in women’s football was at London 2012, when Alex Morgan’s last-gasp winner against Canada in the semi-finals proved crucial in their hunt for the podium.
12 years on, however, there is no Morgan on the United States Women's National Soccer Team (USWNT) roster for Paris 2024.
It is the first major tournament the USWNT will play with the veteran forward since Beijing 2008.
So without their mainstay striker leading the line, how will Emma Hayes opt to line her side up as she embarks on her first big test with them?
Olympics.com looks at the 11 players who could start their opening Group B game against Zambia…
USWNT at Paris 2024: Who could make Emma Hayes's XI?
Goalkeeper: Alyssa Naeher
With over 100 appearances for the USA, Alyssa Naeher is among their most capped players on the Olympic roster. In a tournament where experience can be key, it would be no surprise to see her called upon between the sticks, leading from the back.
Defence: Fox, Davidson, Girma, Nighswonger
It would be a surprise to see Hayes steer away from this back four for their curtain-raiser.
Jenna Nighswonger started both of the Brit's first two games in charge of the USA, indicative of her place in the back line, playing as both RB and RWB. Despite being the least-capped player on the roster, she has become an integral member of the squad and will no doubt be a force on the right-hand side in her Olympic debut. On the opposite flank, we can expect to see Emily Fox. The defender had been a standout in the NWSL, but a move to Arsenal at the start of the year has seen her elevate her game for club and country.
At the heart of the defence, Naomi Girma and Tierna Davidson are set to partner one another as the only natural centre-backs in the squad. The former has shown to be excellent on the ball, a vital cog in a side that wants to play out from the back with her sublime passing range and ability to progress into midfield. Davidson will bring plenty of experience at the back, despite being just 25. She has been in and around the national team since 2018 with injuries stagnating her progression of late – but now she is back and on the cusp of her prime.
Midfield: Coffey, Horan, Macario
Sam Coffey is arguably the closest the USWNT have gotten to filling the Julie Ertz-shaped hole in defensive midfield. The two are not exactly like-for-like, but Coffey provides crucial defensive cover while also having the ability to break the lines from deep. In a possession-based side that prioritises building from the back, a skillset like the Portland Thorns star possesses will be crucial.
Ahead of her is Lindsey Horan and Catarina Macario. The former will captain the side, providing both defensive robustness and an extra threat going forward, as well as her vocal presence to push the team on. Macario, meanwhile, will be the link between midfield and attack. She is a player known to Hayes, having transferred to Chelsea last summer. While she is just four/five months into her return from a long-term knee injury, Macario is already showing signs of her previous form that saw her regarded as one of the world’s best.
Attack: Rodman, Swanson, Smith
Choosing the forward line may well be the most difficult part of the team selection Hayes will be faced with. All her chosen attackers are in excellent form, all offering something different. Ultimately though, we come back to Hayes’s first game in charge, and the front three she picked for that one: Trinity Rodman, Mallory Swanson, and Sophia Smith.
This electric trio will no doubt be a force to be reckoned with for any opposing backline. With a combined 33 goals and assists between them in 14 NWSL outings so far this season (16 coming from Smith alone!), the three are staking their claim to being the first names on the teamsheet. And with the likes of an experienced Crystal Dunn and a fearless 19-year-old Jaedyn Shaw available off the bench, the USWNT must surely be among the favourites to win gold.