Rose Lavelle’s Comeback
In a remarkable comeback after nearly seven months away from international play, Rose Lavelle made a significant impact on Thursday as the United States women’s national soccer team triumphed over Ireland with a 4-0 victory at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado. Lavelle, who had not appeared for the USWNT since December 2024 due to ankle surgery, scored her 25th national team goal in the 53rd minute, skillfully redirecting a low cross from Ally Sentnor.
Lavelle’s Journey Back
Before this match, Lavelle resumed playing with NJ/NY Gotham FC in early June, where she made a limited return, starting one game and accumulating just over 70 minutes in total across three matches. During her absence, she took the opportunity to develop her skills as a supportive teammate, as she reflected:
“Any time you spend time away from the game I always find some silver lining in it. I think I’ve found a lot of silver lining during this time away. I think [some] of that is learning how to be a good teammate when I can’t be on the field with them…Being out for so long really forced me to do that 10-fold.”
Match Highlights
Lavelle also provided an assist for the night’s opening goal. In the 18th minute, she delivered a cross from a short corner taken by Michelle Cooper, leading to Avery Patterson scoring her first international goal with a header. The USWNT extended their lead with a second goal from Sam Coffey shortly before halftime, and Alyssa Thompson added the fourth goal in the 63rd minute with a stunning solo effort, dribbling past her defender and finding the net from within the penalty area.
Debuts and Future Matches
The match also featured three players making their international debuts: goalkeeper Claudia Dickey, and defenders Lilly Reale and Jordyn Bugg, with Dickey and Reale playing the full match. Under coach Emma Hayes, a total of 22 players have made senior international debuts in her tenure so far across 23 matches.
The USWNT will compete again against Ireland on Sunday in Cincinnati, Ohio, which is the hometown of Lavelle. This match kicks off a sequence of international friendlies, concluding with a game against Canada on Tuesday in Washington, D.C. Following this window, the team will reconvene for their next international obligations in late October, where Coach Hayes plans to refine her roster as they prepare for the 2027 World Cup.
