Rose Lavelle Returns to Girls’s World Cup a Smarter Participant Than Her 2019 Breakout Debut

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Rose Lavelle believes she’s developed into a better participant within the 4 years since turning into a breakout star for the US within the 2019 Women’s World Cup remaining in opposition to the Netherlands.

Lavelle, now a veteran on an American workforce that has 14 gamers making their World Cup debuts, mirrored on the previous 4 years on the eve of the rematch.

“I really feel like clearly I’ve much more expertise, so I believe simply my mentality is a bit is a bit totally different. 4 years in the past I used to be clearly one of many youthful gamers on the workforce, and I believe now I discover myself in a special place, which I believe simply type of offers me a little bit extra confidence,” she stated. “I really feel like I am a better participant. I believe I’ve grown in each realm, which is what I might hope.”

Lavelle injured her knee in an April exhibition match in opposition to Eire and hadn’t performed for her membership workforce, OL Reign, within the run-up to the World Cup.

Lavelle was subbed in similtaneously Rapinoe, her Reign teammate who injured her calf in a Nationwide Girls’s Soccer League match in June.

The win over Vietnam in Auckland wasn’t as lopsided as many anticipated given the Golden Star Girls’s Warriors inexperience on the worldwide stage. The Vietnamese had been amongst eight groups making their first World Cup look on the event co-hosted by New Zealand and Australia.

The Netherlands will little question be an even bigger problem than Vietnam.

Ranked No. 9 on this planet, the Netherlands has gained simply one among its 10 matches in opposition to the US total. Solely a type of conferences got here in a World Cup — that 2019 remaining. The one Dutch victory within the collection got here within the first assembly in 1991.

The Netherlands opened the World Cup with a 1-0 victory over Portugal, profitable it on Stefanie van der Gragt’s objective. However the workforce is lacking one among its most dynamic gamers, ahead Vivianne Miedema, who ruptured her ACL whereas taking part in for her membership workforce, Arsenal, in December.

“I believe each time we play them it is a very bodily, intense match. They’ve a number of totally different threats,” Lavelle stated. “I believe they’re technical, good on set items, so I believe it should be a tricky recreation. However I believe we’re actually excited for it.”

Lavelle was introspective when requested Wednesday whether or not the World Cup championship objective modified her.

“I do not actually really feel prefer it did. It was a objective and it was enjoyable,” she stated. “However I really feel like I am nonetheless simply me.”

Andonovski went a little bit additional in what the objective did for Lavelle.

“If I can add on that, possibly Rose’s life modified, however she hasn’t modified a bit,” the coach stated. “She’s nonetheless the identical humble and good individual.”

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