Crystal Dunn

United States women’s national team head coach Emma Hayes oversaw her first two games in charge and now must make the 18-player Olympic roster. One topic being hotly debated is who to bring as the forwards?

Perhaps a more appropriate question is how many forwards to bring? The USWNT has an Olympic-sized swimming pool kind of depth in attack. With only 18 players set to be on the plane to Paris, the decision is cutthroat.

Hayes led the USWNT to 4-0 and 3-0 victories against South Korea earlier this month and utilized all her forwards across the two games. 

The first Emma Hayes USWNT roster was revealed on Tuesday ahead of two June friendlies vs. South Korea. Hayes gave the nod to veterans like Alex Morgan, gave two players their first USWNT call ups and had an interesting change of position for Crystal Dunn.

This USWNT roster is the final one before the 18-player squad for the Olympics will be made. A total of 23 players are on the team for the games against South Korea. 

Emma Hayes USWNT roster

The United States women’s national team will go on a month-and-a-half hiatus following a spring that saw them lift the inaugural Concacaf W Gold Cup and their seventh SheBelieves Cup. We’d say we’ve seen enough for a USWNT Olympic roster prediction.

Incoming USWNT head coach Emma Hayes will need to narrow the roster to 18 names for the Paris Olympics. She’ll have watched both tournaments and have a solid idea of who deserves to go.

The United States women’s national team are champions. In the team’s first major tournament since the 2023 Women’s World Cup disappointment, the USWNT proved they’re the best team in the Americas defeating Brazil 1-0 on Sunday in the Concacaf W Gold Cup final.

Lindsey Horan scored the game’s lone goal in a battle between the top teams of North and South America.

National Women’s Soccer League champions Gotham FC are the talk of free agency. The Bats have their eyes set on several high-profile players and have so far confirmed the signings of two USWNT stars.

Crystal Dunn and Tierna Davidson are the first two players set to take their talents to the east coast for the 2024 season.

Gotham FC announced the signing of Dunn on New Year’s Eve and then revealed Davidson as a new player on Tuesday.

Gotham FC signings

Gotham FC are the talk of NWSL free agency as the reigning league champs are in advanced talks with multiple big names. This latest era of Gotham FC free agency could be one for the books.

No free agents have officially signed yet, but the Bats are in contact with the likes of Rose Lavelle, Emily Sonnett, Crystal Dunn and Tierna Davidson.

Gotham FC free agency targets

United States women’s national team fans will be asking, “why did Julie Ertz retire?” after she plays her final game on Thursday.

Ertz, 31, showed at the 2023 Women’s World Cup that age isn’t slowing her down one bit as she played every minute in the tournament and was dominant in defense.  

The reason for her retirement? Spending time with family and raising her baby boy, Madden.

United States women’s national team head coach Vlatko Andonovski is set to put out his first-ever World Cup starting XI on Friday against Vietnam. Here’s an idea of the expected USWNT starting XI vs Vietnam that Vlatko might field.

It’s no secret that the USWNT are heavy, and we repeat, HEAVY favorites against Vietnam. One Vietnamese reported even asked Vlatko if his team was going to do to Vietnam what they did to Thailand in the last Women’s World Cup (win 13-0).