Without Trinity Rodman, Sophia Smith, who steps up for USWNT against England

Bryan Zarpentine

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Without Trinity Rodman, Sophia Smith, who steps up for USWNT against England image

One could call it a friendly, but there might be nothing friendly when the U.S. Women’s National Team faces England this Saturday, November 30, at Wembley Stadium. The USWNT notched two wins over Iceland and one over Argentina during the international window in October. But Saturday’s game against England will be the biggest test for the USWNT since winning Olympic gold this summer.

The game will be a homecoming of sorts for U.S. coach Emma Hayes, who was born in London. She also spent more than a decade as the coach of Chelsea, leading the Blues to seven WSL titles and runner-up of the UEFA Women’s Champions League in 2021. It will certainly be a big deal for her to coach against England as the leader of the U.S.

More: US vs England History

Aside from the subplot of Hayes’ homecoming, this will be a challenging match for the USWNT. Several key players are absent from the squad following the long NWSL season and amidst some injury concerns. Most notably, the Triple Espresso attack of Trinity Rodman, Sophia Smith, and Mallory Swanson have all been left off the roster. Likewise, NWSL Rookie of the Year Croix Bethune remains sidelined, while Crystal Dunn is also a notable absence after missing the end of the NWSL season for personal reasons.

Key USWNT players against England

With those players and others away from the team, the USWNT will bring a young roster to Wembley on Saturday. Of the 24 players on the roster, 10 have two international caps or fewer. That includes Ally Sentnor, hoping to make her first USWNT appearance, and Lily Yohannes, who recently pledged her commitment to the U.S. squad over the Netherlands. Of course, with so much youth, the USWNT will be leaning on veteran players to help them get a positive result against England. Here are five players who must step up if the USWNT hopes to beat England on Saturday.

Emily Fox

As one of the few American players currently with an English club, this is a big game for Fox. She will play against some of her Arsenal teammates in Saturday’s game. Also, with 60 caps, only five field players on the USWNT roster for this match have more international appearances than her. Fox has quietly become one of the veteran leaders on the national team despite being just 26. More importantly, England will be the best-attacking team the U.S. has played since the Olympics. Fox will need to be sure of her defensive responsibilities in this match while also helping to jumpstart attacking opportunities on the right wing.

Alyssa Thompson

Hayes has called on young players like Sentnor, Emma Sears, and Yazmeen Ryan to help replace the Triple Espresso attack. However, the most dangerous attacking player on the field could be Thompson. She made the most of her opportunities during the October friendlies and is coming off a strong season with Angel City. Facing England will be a step up from going against Iceland and Argentina last month when she was so effective. But if Thompson can play at the same level we saw from her last month, the absence of Rodman, Smith, and Swanson will be less noticeable.

Rose Lavelle

It’s been a while since we saw Lavelle play anywhere close to her best. Keep in mind that she stayed on the bench during the Gold Medal Match against Brazil following an uneven performance throughout the Olympic tournament. Even her performances in October were steady if unspectacular. However, she closed the NWSL season in good form and will need to carry that over into Saturday’s match against England. Without the threat of Rodman and Swanson on the wings, the USWNT might need Lavelle to pull the strings from the center of the field and unlock the English defense with the types of precision passes she’s capable of making. That might be the best chance the Americans have of creating scoring chances.

Naomi Girma

Girma was outstanding during the Olympics and stole the show during the last friendly of the October window. For that, we can ignore that she only made the NWSL Best XI Second Team despite being arguably the best defender in the world. With England boasting forwards like Beth Mead, Alessia Russo, and Chloe Kelly, Girma will need to be at her best. Keep in mind that if it’s unclear who Hayes will favor for the other center back spot next to Girma. It could be a veteran like Tierna Davidson or Emily Sonnett. But it could also be an inexperienced player like Emily Sams or Eva Gaetino, putting even more pressure on Girma against a quality opponent.

Alyssa Naeher

Saturday’s game could be Naeher’s swan song with the USWNT. She has announced she will retire from international duty after this window. If Hayes wants to look at Mandy Haught or Phallon Tullis-Joyce in Tuesday’s game against the Netherlands, the game against England could be the last time Naeher plays for the U.S. She will want to win her final game, preferably with a clean sheet. That won’t be easy against an England team that scored five goals over two matches in October. With this game being a far bigger test than the October friendlies when the goalkeepers had very little to do, the USWNT might need Naeher’s final game to be among her best if they hope to win at Wembley.

Bryan Zarpentine

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Bryan Zarpentine is a Syracuse University graduate with well over a decade of experience working as a freelance writer. During that time, he's covered professional soccer, baseball and football for a variety of websites and publications. Bryan is a fan of all Syracuse Orange sports teams, the New York Mets, Denver Broncos and Tottenham Hotspur. When he's not writing or watching sports, he enjoys playing pickleball, reading books, and traveling.