Who's up next for the USWNT after Mal Swanson injury?

The United States women’s national team’s worst fears have been confirmed. 

On Sunday afternoon, it was revealed that Mal Swanson will miss this summer’s World Cup after she tore her patella tendon in her left knee during Saturday’s friendly against the Republic of Ireland. The injury will sideline the forward for at least several months. Swanson has now left the squad and returned to Chicago for further evaluation.

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Injuries in soccer are cruel, whatever the case. But perhaps they are even crueler when they prevent a prominent player from featuring at a major international tournament.

Soccer players only get limited opportunities during their short careers to build their legacy. For Swanson to miss the World Cup at the age of 24, when she has been the most in-form goalscorer for her country in the past year, is exceptionally brutal — not only for USA fans but for anyone that wants to see the greatest players compete on a world stage. 

“Mal is doing good. Honestly, she is doing better than I thought,” USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski told the media at a press conference on Tuesday. 

“She [Swanson] said that all she wants is for her team to be successful and that she is going to be our biggest supporter. She has things planned already in terms of the timeline of the rehab and the medical side of it. She’s in a good place, as good as she can be at this moment.” 

Alas, the show must go on. The remit doesn’t change. The USA will head off to Australia & New Zealand in July to defend its World Cup title and aim to become the first-ever nation to win the tournament three times in a row. 

So, who comes in to replace the sensational Swanson? Let’s break it down. 

The phenom  

The USWNT talent pool has arguably never been higher. It is a fortuitous situation that Andonovski finds himself in. How many nations see a generational talent like Swanson get ruled out and the next player up is similarly gifted? 

Trinity Rodman is that player. The Washington Spirit forward is the most likely replacement for the starting wide forward berth that Swanson was playing in the USWNT’s 4-3-3 formation, with Alex Morgan as the central forward and Sophia Smith as the other winger. While Swanson has often started on the left, Rodman is more used to being used on the right side. 

Four years, 73 caps, and 17 goals behind Swanson, Rodman is in a similar position on the national team that Swanson (then Pugh) was heading into the last World Cup in 2019. Like Swanson before her, Rodman is a budding star whose promise and abilities are undeniable but whose consistency is still lacking.  

In 2021, Rodman’s rookie year in the NWSL, the forward was almost peerless. On the way to winning the championship, she registered six goals and five assists, which was a league-high for goal involvements. That season, there were moments where the forward attempted skillful tricks and line-breaking runs that most other players cannot or do not attempt. 

More than just a constant creative threat, Rodman came to prominence as a relentless pressing forward — a defensive-minded team player who could close down space, force turnovers and spark an attack by progressing the ball vast distances. 

Like Swanson, she is an unbelievable dribbler. Last season, both players were ranked in the top seven in the NWSL for carries into the final third, and ranked in the top six for carries into the penalty area. 

Rodman’s ability to carry the ball makes her an easy replacement for Swanson, but it is her defensive side of the game that adds something a little different. In 2022, Rodman averaged 4.14 combined tackles and interceptions per 90 minutes. In comparison, Swanson had only 1.66. 

Where the drop off from Swanson to Rodman might be is finishing. 

Over the past year, Swanson has become one of the most efficient and technically accurate forwards. On Saturday at Q2 Stadium, one could see the difference between the two forwards. 

Rodman was presented with a chance to score right in the center of the box, about a yard behind the penalty spot. The USA forward carved open ample space to shoot but could only blast the ball high over the bar. It was just the sort of opportunity Swanson may have done better with. 

The key statistic that further explains the difference between the two forwards is non-penalty goals minus expected goals (npG - xG). In the 2022 NWSL season, Swanson had a npG - XG of +4.2 while Rodman registered a -0.7. Simply put, for the past year or so, from open play, the injured USA forward is an elite striker who is outpacing the metrics with accurate finishing from the positions she finds herself in. However, her presumed replacement produced a slightly below-average completion rate for the chances that were presented to her. 

At just 20 years old, it’s hard to be too down on Rodman, though. In terms of capability, she really isn’t too far behind Swanson. It is more so that replacing a player who is coming off an incredibly refined, consistent and productive 12 months is never going to be easy. 

The future

Rodman has spent the past 18 months in the USWNT setup. Slowly, she has been primed to be a significant contributor in the frontline. But with Swanson’s injury, it is assumed that Andonovski will also draft in another player from outside the squad to offer depth at the wide forward position.

In the short term, the player getting that opportunity is Alyssa Thompson. The 18-year-old Angel City forward, who is yet to graduate from high school, was called up in an emergency on Sunday evening and flew to St. Louis to join the team that night. 

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The USWNT will play its second friendly against the Republic of Ireland at St. Louis's Citypark on Tuesday night, and Andonovski confirmed that Thompson will see the pitch. 

“She [Thompson] has abilities to turn in small areas that not many players have…We will see Alyssa on the field, it’s just a matter of how much,” said Andonovski. 

It has been quite the start to Thompson's professional career, even if, right now, the 2023 NWSL first-overall pick is still raw. In her first two Angel City appearances, she scored a stunning shot from range on her debut and won a crucial penalty for team in the other. 

It’s undeniable that the plan for Thompson is to play a huge part in the long-term future of the USA national team. Whether the teenager is ready for the 2023 World Cup is the real question. But if you’re good enough, you’re old enough. This shouldn't be a debate about age. 

In terms of speed, close control, and the ability to see running lanes and find space, Thompson might just be the best bet for Andnovski to have a true difference-maker off the bench in New Zealand. When it comes to stretching opponents' backlines, especially during the match as legs tire, who could be more dangerous than a fearless young forward with confidence and belief? 

The veteran 

But what about experience? Doesn’t that count for something? 

Two-time World Cup winner and USA legend Megan Rapinoe is not totally out of the running of earning a spot on this summer’s 23-player roster just yet. A lynchpin of the 2019 title-winning team, it’s hard to truly quantify the impact she might have in the locker room. Four years later, perhaps she is needed once again. 

Rapinoe could guide first-time tournament players such as Rodman, Andi Sullivan, Taylor Kornieck, and Naomi Girma with the adjustment to World Cup soccer. That’s not only the competitive nature of the matches, but the high-intensity environment of being in a bubble away from home and the increased media attention. 

Yes, Rapinoe is a big personality. But some players want a teammate who can take the pressure off them by soaking up the limelight so that they can concentrate on soccer. The OL Reign leader can almost act as an extra coach in the USA locker room. She can be a voice from within the squad that commands. 

When fit, Rapinoe has been a mainstay of Andonovski’s USWNT squads. The head coach has remained loyal since assuming the position in 2019. However, injuries have often curtailed the 35-year-old's ability to be available, which includes the last two USA camps, SheBelieves Cup, and these Ireland friendlies. 

Health permitting, Rapinoe has been contributing on the pitch too. In the second half of the 2022 NWSL season, she was essential in the strong finish for OL Reign’s capture of the Shield, besting rivals Portland Thorns for that regular-season title. Rapinoe started nine of the Reign’s final 10 matches and netted seven goals plus four assists in that stretch as the club went 8-1-1. In crunch time, she came up clutch. 

When it comes down to it, one of the hardest roster decisions that Andonovski will have to make will be Thompson or Rapinoe. 

Will Andonovski select a trusted lieutenant, who he has spent nearly seven years coaching? A chance for one last rodeo, in a new role, as a conductor, that puts the team first? 

Or will he give vital experience to the youngest member of his squad? Untapped potential, a new dawn? The surprise weapon that is somehow already ready for the world stage? 

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