What the United States women’s national team will look like during the next World Cup cycle is going to depend largely on who gets hired as the team’s next coach. Undeniably, there is a significant group of young, talented players to develop ahead of a 2027 tournament that could be played on home soil.
Blair Newman already ranked and analyzed 50 such prospects for the next cycle earlier this year. The topic comes with renewed interest given the place the U.S. women find themselves in. There is not yet a new coach. The 2023 World Cup went horribly. And, particularly on Sunday, the team got a taste of what the next generation could look like thanks to some overdue lineup rotation.
Mia Fishel and Jaedyn Shaw each came on at halftime and each player scored her first international goal in her second U.S. appearance. It was easy to imagine that the front line pulling the strings for the U.S. for years to come, especially after 18-year-old Alyssa Thompson joined the mix.
It was also easy to forget how much talent was not on the field or even in camp.
