Auckland, New Zealand (PSF) - The USWNT took on New Zealand for their second game of 2023 on January 20th, and they looked even more dominant than the first match. Manager Vlatko Andonovski showed some variety in his lineup, as well. Ashley Hatch, Crystal Dunn, Ashley Sanchez, and Trinity Rodman earned starting spots for the first time in awhile. Casey Murphy also started in goal. Hatch started as a last minute call after Alex Morgan was injured during warm-ups. Rose Lavelle also earned her first cap as captain. Within minutes the US had already begun creating chances. They first struck in the 22nd minute with an Ashley Hatch goal, assisted by Trinity Rodman. The team seemed to be playing to have fun, not overly concerned about strategy. It was exciting to watch. 

Rose Lavelle came to play that night too. She scored a brace. The first came in the 38th minute with an assist from Sofia Huerta, and the second in the coming in the 74th minute off an assist from Lynn Williams. Lavelle also recorded an assist on Taylor Kornieck’s goal in the 80th minute. Lavelle played one of the best games of her national team career. She dominated the midfield, created chances for her teammates and self, and played back when needed. She earned the captain’s armband for sure. Mallory Swanson scored a goal in the 53rd minute as well, her third of the year. 

When it came to subbing players, Andonvosky also made some good choices, allowing more players opportunities. Kristie Mewis and Emily Sonnett received their first minutes of the year. Sonnet had been injured for much of the end of 2022. Mewis has long been a regular call up, but Anonodvski has historically given her very few minutes. Midge Purce, Taylor Kornieck, Emily Fox, and Lynn Williams also got more minutes in this game. It seemed like Andonovski wanted to test out a wider variety of players.

It is also worth noting that Lindsay Horan left the camp early to return to France to play for her club team. This came as a surprise to many fans, causing them to wonder why Andonovski called her up to begin with. With the World Cup being just six months away, why subject a player to unnecessary travel and potential injury in order to play one match. Horan is one of the only players actively in season, so this question does not apply to most of the team. Horan played in the first match, but did not appear to be in her best form. Andonovski loves Horan’s style of play and has started her in almost every match. Without her there, more midfielders had the opportunity to play. 

Overall, the US dominated New Zealand, again. Their next matches are in the She Believes Cup in mid-February, where they’ll play Japan, Brazil, and Canada. It seems possible that some injured players could make a return during that tournament, so we might be seeing more change in the national team lineup.