So, we can start back by discussing Swanson’s replacement: 18 year old Alyssa Thompson. While many fans have contested this choice in favor of other players like Ashley Hatch, Vlatko has put his confidence in the young Angel City forward instead.
She started in the USWNT sendoff game against Wales and definitely showed her ability to make runs up the wing. Even if she wasn’t always able to cross or get into the box and make a play, we can see that a high potential player is emerging. While Thompson might not have been the first choice for the spot, it will be important to see how she takes the opportunity to prove herself as deserving of the position and impactful for the team.
In conjunction with Thompson, the absence of Swanson requires other forwards on the roster to step up. These players could possibly earn starts they might not have gotten otherwise and will need to show that they can take charge and score when given their chance. The sendoff game showed the abilities of players like Trinity Rodman who scored a brace as well as other players who were helping move the ball wonderfully like Lynn Williams.
Finally, we wouldn’t be done without discussing the two most experienced players in this frontline: Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe. Morgan made good give and go’s throughout the sendoff game but she didn’t find success in finding the net at all. I think its very likely that Vlatko will prefer her to start many World Cup games, but I also believe that players like Rodman and Williams have made a case for why they should be starters. I hope that the healthy competition for that spot pushes each player to maximize their abilities, especially if we can see Morgan get on the score sheet at the same level she was performing in 2019. As for Rapinoe, there have been discussions between fans about whether she should have gotten this spot over other potential, high scoring, younger players. Hopefully she proves her worth both as a locker room leader with tons of high level experience but also as a late impact sub who can perform on set pieces and lead the team in those high pressure moments she’s been in so many times.
So yes, Swanson is a hard player to replace as she made her presence felt during the span of her season. But, I don’t think that it needs to kill our World Cup hopes. Changing how the US is structured without Swanson might take time for both Vlatko and the players, but I hope that the US has the opportunity to take this misfortune in their stride and build the chemistry between the new frontline that can hopefully even uncover the abilities of talent that would otherwise not have had a chance.
