Women’s World Cup winner Rose Lavelle is close to making her return from an ankle injury, which could see her offer a well-timed boost for both her NWSL club NJ/NY Gotham FC and the U.S. women’s national team.
Lavelle has not played since the USWNT’s 2-1 win at the Netherlands in December, undergoing surgery for an ankle injury shortly after, and has spent the last six months working her way back to the pitch. Her long wait may finally be over on Saturday, when she could play her first game of the year when Gotham host the Kansas City Current (1 p.m. ET, CBS). Head coach Juan Carlos Amoros said in his pre-match press conference on Thursday that “if all goes well” in the final hours before the match, Lavelle could play “in some sort of capacity” during the match.
The midfielder would return for a pivotal matchup against the Current, who currently sit atop the NWSL table with eight wins from their first 10 games of the season. Gotham could use the boost since they currently sit in ninth place at this early stage of the campaign, though they are coming off of winning the inaugural edition of the Concacaf W Champions Cup, beating Tigres 1-0 in the final last month.
Lavelle’s importance for Gotham
Gotham currently sit outside of a playoff spot by two points, a small enough margin to reverse course with 16 games left in the season. It means Lavelle’s return comes not a moment too soon, especially since their middling form is reflected in their attacking return this season.
The 2023 NWSL champions rank eighth in the NWSL for goals with just 12 in 10 games, seven of them from one player – Spain international Esther Gonzalez. The underlying stats tell a fairly similar picture, with Gotham ranking eighth in the league for shots (120) and expected goals (11.9) as well as sixth for shots on target (45). They are almost breaking even on goals against with 10 so far, resembling a similar pattern from years past under Amoros.
Gotham also got off to a slow start last season before finishing third in the table and making it to the playoff semifinals, firmly a part of the NWSL’s top four teams that were a cut above the rest. The team, much as it is now, was defensively solid but it took a little while for them to unlock their offense. The attacking effort eventually improved when Lavelle returned from a lower leg injury in April. She then went on to score eight goals and notch one assist in 23 games, one of two Gotham players (alongside Gonzalez) to finish within the NWSL’s top 10 for goals scored. A similar output could be in the cards for Gotham this season, and at just the right time.
Lavelle adds experience to USWNT
USWNT head coach Emma Hayes may be strategically working with inexperienced talent as she continues the long journey to the 2027 Women’s World Cup, but there has always been room for veteran talent during this period of experimentation. Defender Crystal Dunn has described the veterans’ role as showcasing “how hard it is to be here,” something Lavelle can help with her years of experience. Lavelle has two trips to the World Cup and Olympics each under her belt, as well as one first place finish in each competition.
That’s before speaking about Lavelle’s on-field attributes. She has been a meaningful player in the USNWT’s midfield for years, frequently setting up the forwards for success in a team that has long been defined by their attacking habits. It is unclear when she will re-join the national team, especially since Hayes prefers not to bring players back into the fold too early as they return from injury, but she will bring offensive flair to the team during this period of transition.
Hayes previously said she plans to have a full grasp of her player pool by the time the next international window ends in early July, though she still has plenty of time to tinker with her options. The head coach has mostly been alternating between Lindsey Heaps and Lily Yohannes in the attacking midfield position over the last six months and Lavelle’s return will give her another option there as she begins settling on the best squad – and lineup – for 2027.
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