The future is now.
At least that's the case for the U.S. women's national team following a disappointing exit in the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.
Sweden axed the USWNT's bid for a historic Women's World Cup three-peat by winning 0-0 (5-4 penalties) in the Round of 16 early Sunday morning.
The USWNT had dropped subpar performances in group play leading up to the elimination that made it feel inevitable, but it doesn't make it any less unfortunate. The team wasn't clinical when it mattered and got punished for it. Whether the blame should fall on the manager, tactics or players not stepping up, it was an all-around failure to not at least push for the semifinals.
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So, where does that leave the USWNT for the future? It may need a hard reset similar to the USMNT after it failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup entirely. Bring in a new manager, move on from deadwood and focus more on the youth; that way, they're seasoned for 2027.
Fortunately for the squad, it is in a much better position to do that than the men's side was in 2018 given the talented youngsters already at its disposal. These five, specifically, are players to keep tabs on during the 2027 Women's World Cup cycle:
CB Naomi Girma
The USWNT may have missed Becky Sauerbrunn in the backline, but 23-year-old Naomi Girma looked sensational in the majority of her minutes. With Julie Ertz stepping in for Sauerbrunn, Girma, the youngest of the trio, played like a 10-year veteran with her calmness and composure on the ball. The San Diego Wave truly have a gem and rock in the back, and there's no doubt that Girma will be leading the backline when she's 27 in 2027. Tierna Davidson, 24 and a natural left-footed left center-back, is another one to watch if she recovers well from her ACL injury.
LW Alyssa Thompson
Thompson was the USWNT's youngest player in the World Cup at just 18 years old and one of the youngest in the entire tournament. Despite starting against Wales in the send-off game in San Jose, Calif., Thompson played just 17 minutes across two World Cup games. Manager Vlatko Andonovski rarely utilized substitutes or youth in the tournament, which came at the cost of talented youngsters like Thompson, who could've injected some fresh legs during those stale moments. She'll be 22 in 2027 and currently plays for the NWSL's Angel City FC.
RW/LW Sophia Smith
If there's one player who already has her calendar circled for 2027, it's Sophia Smith. The 22-year-old unfortunately was one of the players who missed their spot kick against Sweden, and she'll no doubt want her revenge when the next tournament rolls around. The Portland Thorns star can speed down any flank and turn nothing into something, though she never quite clicked after scoring a brace against Vietnam in the opener.
Forwards usually start hitting their prime in their late 20s, so the best could be yet to come for Smith. Playing centrally as a center-forward may be another option to unlock new skills in that span. Trinity Rodman, who will be 25 in 2027, is another similar profile to Smith that deserves a mention.
CAM Catarina Macario
One of the USWNT's most dynamic options did not feature in the World Cup due to an ACL injury she had suffered in June of 2022. Catarina Macario, who is 23 and will be 27 in 2027, can play anywhere across the front line and even as an attacking midfielder. Born in Brazil, she plays for Lyon in France, where she recorded 14 goals and five assists in 20 games in the 2021-22 campaign before her injury. She hasn't had too much of an impact with the USWNT yet, but maybe the 2027 World Cup will be the perfect time to start.
CM Ashley Sanchez
If you thought Thompson's 17 minutes was being criminally underused, Ashley Sanchez didn't even step onto the pitch for a single minute. The 24-year-old Washington Spirit midfielder will be 28 for the next World Cup but received no chance to prove herself this year. That may provide extra motivation for when she returns to the NWSL, where she could demonstrate she was the attack-minded midfielder the U.S. needed to link the defense and offense in a smoother fashion.
Honorable mention
GK Casey Murphy: Given Alyssa Naeher is 35 and Aubrey Kingsbury is 31, the U.S. should start looking for younger goalkeepers pronto. Goalies tend to hit their peaks in their 30s so Murphy, 27, is on good pace to develop with the NWSL's North Carolina Courage until then. She was in the squad for 2023 but understandably did not feature as teams tend to just use their best goalkeeper unless they need to call upon backups. Let's see who else emerges in this position by then.
