Rose Lavelle Scores, Thrills USWNT Fans in Return from Ankle Injury in Win vs. Ireland

Rose Lavelle hasn't made an appearance for the United States women's national team in all of 2025 while recovering from an ankle injury. It didn't take her long to make her presence felt in a major way.

The star midfielder notched a goal and an assist in the USWNT's 4-0 win over Ireland in friendly action on Thursday night, as her deft cross off a short corner to Avery Patterson provided the game's first goal and her finish on a neat piece of build-up play from the Americans provided the third.

Sam Coffey and Alyssa Thompson added goals for the Americans.

But it was the return of Lavelle that was one of the biggest stories on the night, and fans and pundits alike were pleased to have her back:

LaVelle wasn't the only key contributor who is recently returned from injury, as superstar defender Naomi Girma was also back in action yet again after a calf injury suffered in March kept her out for several months. She was the only player from a European club called upon by head coach Emma Hayes for the trio of international friendlies in the coming week.

That has meant a number of younger call-ups to the senior camp, with LaVelle the most experienced of the group.

"I have been one of the more experienced players now for a little bit, which still feels weird, but I feel like I obviously have been in that position before where I was the newer, inexperienced player, and I always say I think I had a lot of really, really great older players to look up to, to help usher me into the position where I now can be that for the younger players, so it's definitely something that I lean into," she told reporters Wednesday.

Sometimes leading by example is best, however. A goal and an assist is pretty darn good in that regard.