USWNT projected lineup, starting XI: Rose Lavelle and Lynn Williams needed to spark sluggish USA attack

While the starting lineup may change, using more substitutes could ultimately be the most important difference

By Sandra Herrera

Jul 31, 2023 at 1:23 pm ET • 2 min read

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The United States women's national team has one final group match to determine their path to the knockout rounds. They will face Portugal on Tuesday at Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand, and a win or draw will secure a place in the round of 16 while a loss may signal potential disaster.

USWNT head coach Vlatko Andonovski has used two identical starting lineups in the previous group matches. It was a precious point in an ultra-competitive tournament but he caught some criticism for not utilizing more subs in the team's recent 1-1 draw against the Netherlands. So will there be more changes for Andonovski in the final group game?

Let's have some fun with a lineup projection:

USWNT projected starting lineup

USA: Alyssa Naeher, Emily Fox, Julie Ertz, Naomi Girma, Crystal Dunn, Andi Sullivan, Lindsey Horan, Rose Lavelle, Sophia Smith, Alex Morgan, Lynn Williams

This might be more of a wishlist than an actual projection, but two consecutive 45-minute halves from Lavelle is a signal she's more than ready to start at this point. She has been "medically clear" for some time, but the coaching staff has been reluctant to build her minutes. Williams is the only attacker on the team without any minutes in the tournament, and her absence as a potential late sub against the Netherlands was a real head-scratcher.

Still, if Andonovski has shown he doesn't plan on major rotation, just minor situational tweaks, then it might not be a big surprise if we continue to see Savannah DeMelo or Trinity Rodman back in the lineup for a third consecutive runout. Defensively the backline should stay put. Maybe Andonovski and the coaching staff haven't been given credit for pairing Ertz and Girma as the center back duo to begin the competition, but they should be. Through two rounds of play the USWNT has been the defensively dominant team of the tournament.

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This is the first tournament the two are playing as the starting defenders and they have looked more comfortable as each half goes by. Ertz won the 2015 tournament as a rookie center back and has lots to offer the young talented Girma on how to navigate the role. Meanwhile, Girma has shown a degree of positional awareness that makes her seem like she's more of a veteran than a World Cup rookie.

No matter the starting lineup, this is a game that the United States should go out and target as a decisive performance. They are 10-0-0 all-time against Portugal and both players and coach should use this final group match as a definitive message going into the knockouts. Sharp performances on the pitch combined with less timid adjustments from the sidelines.