USWNT vs. Republic of Ireland: 2023 Friendly Top Storylines and Predictions
The United States women's national team faces the Republic of Ireland for the second time in four days on Tuesday in St. Louis.
The USWNT be without one of its top scorers against the European side, as Mallory Swanson was carted off with a torn patella tendon in Saturday's 2-0 victory.
Swanson came into the pair of April friendlies in tremendous form with eight goals in six international matches to start 2023, and Vlatko Andonovski's side will miss her production up top. However, forward is the one position where the loss of one player will not lead to a major drop-off in talent.
Swanson was replaced on the roster by 18-year-old Alyssa Thompson, who will have a chance to play in the USWNT's final match before the 23-woman 2023 FIFA World Cup squad is settled in June.
The Americans will also be without Rose Lavelle, who picked up a small knock on Saturday and is being held out as a precautionary measure, per The Athletic's Meg Linehan.
Lavelle's absence in midfield opens up the chance for other midfielders to impress Andonovski.
The key player to watch in that scenario is Julie Ertz, who made her return off the bench on Saturday and needs more minutes ahead of the World Cup to improve her chances of heading to Australia and New Zealand.
Here are the top storylines ahead of the first-ever U.S. Soccer match inside CityPark, the home of Major League Soccer's St. Louis City SC.
Other Forwards Must Step Up in Mallory Swanson's Absence
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Swanson's injury on Saturday was an unfortunate blow to the USWNT's preparations ahead of the Women's World Cup that begins on July 20, with the forward now likely to miss the tournament. No official timetable for return has been provided yet by the player or U.S. Soccer.
Alex Morgan and Sophia Smith are locks to make the tournament roster, and Megan Rapinoe should be brought along for her extensive World Cup and Olympics experience.
Lynn Williams is likely the fourth forward on the plane to Australia and New Zealand because of the work she provides in front of goal and her defensive work off the ball.
That leaves Ashley Hatch, Trinity Rodman and Thompson as the three forwards who can make the biggest impact on the USWNT staff with a berth in the squad up for grabs.
Hatch and Rodman both received time off the bench on Saturday and could play even more on Tuesday given the circumstances affecting the forward pool.
Thompson will get some playing time in St. Louis, which was confirmed by Andonovski on Monday, per The Equalizer's Jeff Kassouf.
Hatch and Rodman may have better cases to make the World Cup roster since they both have over 15 USWNT appearances, but if Thompson shines during her minutes in the second meeting against the Republic of Ireland, it could make the coaching staff think about taking the Angel City FC player to Oceania.
Julie Ertz to Get Another Pre-World Cup Look in Midfield
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Ertz's USWNT return was the biggest surprise of the April roster release.
She returned to the international level after 20 months away because of a knee injury and maternity leave with a 23-minute cameo against the Republic of Ireland on Saturday.
Ertz could be in for a bigger workload on Tuesday with Lavelle not available for selection. She will not play the full match, but a starting shift in the first half, or a 45-minute run out after halftime, would be ideal to stretch her legs.
Ertz will be on the plane to Australia and New Zealand if she proves that she can return to the world-class form from previous major tournaments. However, Ertz is a free agent, so she will need to sign somewhere in the NWSL after the April friendlies to return to 90-minute fitness and regain her touch.
A healthy midfield of Ertz, Lavelle and Lindsey Horan would be one of the best positional units at the World Cup, and their performances could be one of the main reasons why the USWNT goes deep in the tournament this summer.
Prediction
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USWNT 3 - 0 Republic of Ireland
The USWNT's forward depth should show in St. Louis with Morgan and Smith creating the bulk of the scoring chances.
Morgan and Smith combined for five of the USWNT's final 10 goals in 2022. They took a backseat to Swanson's remarkable form to start 2023, and Smith also missed the last set of games with a foot injury.
It would not be a surprise to see one of Hatch, Rodman or Thompson get on the scoresheet because of what Tuesday's game means to their respective World Cup roster hopes.
The USWNT defense has five clean sheets in six games to start 2023, and another shutout is expected from a match in which the Americans are likely to dominate the possession and the scoring chances.
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