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USATSI

The U.S. women's national team's era of experimentation at the Concacaf W Gold Cup has seen several players deliver standout performances, and after the group's decisive 3-0 win over Colombia on Sunday, interim head coach Twila Kilgore inches closer to revealing the findings of her month-long assessment.

Kilgore tinkered after last week's loss to Mexico by making six changes to the lineup, many of which paid off in a high-stakes matchup that tested not only the coaching staff's approach but the individuals entrusted with carrying out that vision. The rewards came nearly instantly for the USWNT, who swapped out a frantic performance against Mexico for a high-intensity showing against Colombia that potentially revealed who the team's current first-choice starters might be as they search for a new look ahead of July's Olympics.

It comes as little surprise that Kilgore blended youth and experience against Colombia, which allowed a wide variety of players to step up to the plate. Jaedyn Shaw once again impressed and notched a place in the USWNT's record books in the process, but the headlining acts on Sunday were players in two very stark situations pre-match -- up-and-comer Jenna Nighswonger and Alex Morgan, the veteran with a point to prove.

Here's a closer look at the players who successfully made a case for themselves against Colombia as the competition for tickets to Paris heats up.

Jenna Nighswonger

While young players like Shaw and Olivia Moultrie were always well-positioned to be in the USWNT's player pool sooner rather than later, few have seized their opportunities better than Nighswonger in recent months. The NJ/NY Gotham FC player is in the midst of a meteoric rise since being the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NWSL Draft and has since picked up the league's rookie of the year honors, the championship and her first few caps for the national team. Her form means she is now locked in a battle with club and country teammate Crystal Dunn as the USWNT's starting left back, a positional matchup that was not the most easy to foresee at the start of the team's rebuild.

Nighswonger demonstrated exactly why she would fit into Emma Hayes' team well, considering the incoming head coach loves an influential winger. The 23-year-old was the USWNT's most active player on Sunday, amassing the most touches (66) and second-most passes attempted (37) of the starters. Though her passing accuracy of 48.6% left something to be desired, she was consistently able to contribute to the USWNT's attack and capped off a showy performance with an impressive goal in the 22nd minute. She also complemented Emily Fox well, who was putting in a similar shift on the opposite flank and seems to be the default position at right back.

Alex Morgan

While Nighswonger has been steadily rising up the USWNT's ranks, Morgan's star turn on Sunday came as a surprise based on recent form alone. She entered the Gold Cup on a year-long dry spell for the national team and only joined the squad to replace the injured Mia Fishel, all signs that pointed towards a changing of the guard at center forward. Though the 34-year-old's group stage performances did little to quell that theory, her outing against Colombia may have changed the conversation completely.

Morgan started in a familiar position -- the center of a three-person forward line -- but has been evolving into more of a supporting role after years of serving as the focal point of the USWNT's attack. She carried out the role in dynamic fashion, drawing a penalty and skillfully notching the assist on Nighswonger's goal. She also boasted a passing accuracy of 80% in the attacking third and even offered glimpses of her trademark self with 0.95 expected goals, bolstering her argument to start in the role over Sophia Smith. It might not necessarily relegate Smith to the bench -- she has played alongside Morgan as a wide forward -- but offers more food for thought as the Olympics rapidly approach.

Jaedyn Shaw

Shaw's as close to a near-lock as it gets for the lesser experienced players at the Gold Cup, but she deserves a name drop as the USWNT coaching staff maps out the team's new look. The 19-year-old notched three shots, two of which were on goal, during her 56 minute appearance and scored yet again, becoming the first USWNT player to score in her first three starts since Shannon Boxx did so in 2003.

The teenager continues to perform in a way that keeps her near the top of the depth chart in an incredibly competitive part of the pitch, which forces another set of questions for the coaching staff when it comes to naming a group of starters. Hayes and company might be spoiled for choice come July, but as long as Shaw maintains the form, her name will likely be at the top of the list.

Alyssa Naeher

Few realistically believed that anyone other than Alyssa Naeher would have the starting spot in goal in Paris, but the 35-year-old's shaky performance against Mexico meant it may have been worth exploring other options. Naeher promptly shut that idea down with a big outing against Colombia, on the day of her 100th cap.

She made three saves during the match, including two important stops in the middle of the first half as Colombia began to establish a rhythm. Naeher single-handedly ensured the scoreline would remain 2-0 to the U.S. rather than 2-2 and likely kept ahold of her longstanding role as the team's first choice in goal for the Olympics in the process. Naeher will not be around forever, but she continues to show her worth while she still is.

Korbin Albert

The USWNT trotted out a new midfield combination where Sam Coffey partnered with Korbin Albert and Lindsey Horan played in front of them. While it did not do away with the yearslong unresolved feeling of the U.S.' midfield, the start was the latest vote of confidence in Albert, who is also quickly rising up the USWNT's depth chart.

The versatile midfielder earned her third start of the tournament on Sunday and is beginning to position herself as an ideal go-between for the defense and the attack. She leaned on her preferred attacking skills with one shot on goal and one chance created, but also enjoyed a strong defensive outing by winning 80% of her duels. Albert is clearly someone the USWNT coaching staff are putting faith in -- likely in part because of her wide-ranging skill set -- and the fact that they continue to be rewarded with solid shifts means she could survive the midfield experimentation that will likely continue for the next several months.