5 reasons why the United States Women’s National Team will not three-peat at the Women’s World Cup

The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup is underway in Australia and New Zealand, with the group stage completed and the knockout stages on the horizon. 

Despite 10 of the top 16 ranked teams advancing to the knockout rounds, including the United States Women’s National Team (USWNT), a handful of major upsets and early exits have plagued high-ranked teams. Colombia, ranked 25th in the world, upset second ranked Germany 2-1 in a win kicked off by 18-year old wonderkid Linda Caicedo. That game, coupled with a 1-1 draw with South Korea, knocked Germany out in the group stage for the first time ever. 

Co-host Australia, without injured captain Sam Kerr, was defeated 3-2 by Nigeria on their home turf. Canada, the 2020 Olympic gold medalists, was also knocked out in the group stage following a 0-0 draw with Nigeria and a 4-0 loss to Australia. 

Although these defeats sparked considerable attention, the USWNT has been at the forefront of conversation throughout the group stage.

The back-to-back World Cup champions were outright favorites to win their third consecutive title entering this World Cup, but have the tables turned? 

Here are 5 reasons why I believe the United States Women’s National Team has struggled at this World Cup and why a three-peat isn’t likely:

Debutant Disarray

Out of the 23 player roster, 14 of the USWNT’s players are debutants (making their first appearance), 6 of whom are in the starting lineup. With a mix of rookies and veterans, there is a visible lack of cohesion within the team. The squad lacks confidence, and they can’t find a real style of play or identity that suits everyone on the field.

While wingers Sophia Smith and Trinity Rodman are looking for through balls toward goal, midfielders Lindsey Horan and Rose Lavelle want to shoot from outside of the box. Miscommunications like this are present across the field and positions, and it’s creating frustration for both players and fans.

Manager Mayhem

After the first group stage game, it was blatantly obvious that the USWNT needed to change their lineup to produce more shots and finish their chances. However, manager Vlatko Andonovski kept the exact same starting lineup in the second game, frustrating fans and sparking criticism of his coaching tactics. 

In their second game against the Netherlands, the U.S. struggled to break the 1-1 deadlock; they needed a substitute, someone that could bring fresh energy and a fresh pair of legs. Instead, Andonovski showed his lack of trust and confidence in his squad’s depth, and the game ended in a 1-1 draw, with zero subs used.

If his game management continues to be an issue, and if the United States gets knocked out soon, he won’t keep the job for much longer.

Scoring Struggles

Scoring only four goals in the group stage, well below the 18 goals in 2019, it’s no surprise that scoring struggles are a big topic of conversation for this USWNT. 

A 0-0 draw against Portugal marked the first time in 8 years that the USWNT hasn’t scored in a World Cup game. It’s not like the U.S. are short of goalscorers, either. Starting striker and longtime veteran Alex Morgan, who has 210 appearances and 121 goals, has consistently been an essential figure for the USWNT; Sophia Smith, a favorite for the Young Player of the Tournament and Top Goal Scorer award, starts for the USWNT as a winger. 

The team also has attacking depth with players like Megan Rapinoe, who has 201 appearances and 63 goals to her name. If scoring continues to be an issue, the team will be forced to stay sharp defensively.

Injury Implications

Not all of the USWNT’s struggles have been self-inflicted wounds. 4 of the starting 11 players in the 2019 World Cup Final against the Netherlands are currently injured and were not available for selection this year. Likely starters Mallory Swanson and Catarina Macario along with Christen Press were also unavailable.

These injuries shook up the lineup, causing players to not be as comfortable with each other. Whilst injuries are out of the USWNT’s control, the key experience and leadership missing this year is definitely affecting their play.

Domination Decline

The USWNT has dominated the game for many years, winning four out of the eight editions of the FIFA WWC. In June 2017, the United States took the number one spot in the world, and they’ve held it ever since. 

Is that domination coming to a close? The rest of the world is beginning to catch up, with more national teams receiving backing from their federations, and more investments being made in youth development. For example, the USWNT beat the Netherlands in the 2019 final 2-0, but tied them in the 2023 group stage. 

The United States beat Thailand 13-0 in 2019, emphasizing the gap between smaller and larger countries. But now, times have changed, as Portugal held the United States to a draw, and smaller countries such as Colombia, Nigeria and South Africa have beaten larger and more established teams such as Germany, Australia and Italy, respectively.

If the United States continues their uncoordinated trend, they’ll be catching the next flight home.