USWNT 2027 World Cup roster predictions 3.0: Wilson and Davidson return, a possible goalkeeper shift?

Just like our 2.0 roster, we’re not holding ourselves to any stringent parameters, but here are our choices.

Melanie’s World Cup squad predictions

Goalkeepers (3): Phallon Tullis-Joyce (Manchester United), Claudia Dickey (Seattle Reign), Mandy McGlynn (Utah Royals)

Defenders (7): Naomi Girma (Chelsea), Emily Sonnett (Gotham FC), Gisele Thompson (Angel City FC), Emily Fox (Arsenal), Lilly Reale (Gotham FC), Avery Patterson (Houston Dash), Tierna Davidson (Gotham FC)

Midfielders (7): Sam Coffey (Manchester City), Lindsey Heaps (OL Lyonnes), Claire Hutton (Bay FC), Rose Lavelle (Gotham FC), Jaedyn Shaw (Gotham FC), Lily Yohannes (OL Lyonnes), Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns)

Forwards (6): Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit), Alyssa Thompson (Chelsea), Sophia Wilson (Portland Thorns), Cat Macario (San Diego Wave), Jameese Joseph (Chicago Stars), Michelle Cooper (Kansas City Current)

This three-match window was a resounding success for Hayes and her team, with some players taking advantage of this window to leave a good impression. While Hayes alluded that her roster is far from being a finished product, patterns are emerging.

When it comes to goalkeepers, my pool remains unchanged from our Roster 2.0.

Utah Royals’ Mandy McGlynn was left off this roster as she recovers from a finger injury, but her replacement, Houston Dash’s Jane Campbell, did not play in this window. This serves as further evidence that Claudia Dickey and Phallon Tullis-Joyce are Hayes’ clear No 1 and No 2s for the role, which Hayes confirmed to reporters.

Dickey may have a slight edge, as she can better play out from the back and is much better with a ball at her feet than Tullis-Joyce. Regardless, her confidence against Japan was impressive.

As for the backline, I was stumped. But I leaned into the variety of options.

Kennedy Wesley made her case for deserving a spot on the pitch alongside this team’s core group — recording her first international goal against Japan, one of the best defensive teams in the world, and followed with a beautiful assist to fellow defender and long-time team-mate Naomi Girma.

It’s that relationship with Girma that will keep her in the back of Hayes’ mind. I’m certain that Wesley is next in line behind players like Emily Sonnett or Davidson — which is where she is placed in the depth chart. There was a possibility of swapping with Lilly Reale, but her versatility and left foot convinced me otherwise.

Another big change in my roster was including Gisele Thompson, who has become a clear Hayes favorite. She is having a breakout moment, and is peaking at the right time. Having her sister, Alyssa, on the pitch is simply added fuel. We know that, to Hayes, these types of pairings are crucial.

My midfield selections remain unchanged. I am intrigued by Claire Hutton, one of the rising captains of this team. Has she surpassed more experienced players, like Sam Coffey? Is Hayes’ reliance on her simply to encourage her development? While the midfield pool seems exclusive, there remain serious contenders, namely Croix Bethune.

The forward pool was tough, because leaving players like Ally Sentnor at home feels wrong, as does ignoring Michelle Cooper’s versatility and creativity up top, which is something this team could use more of. It’s why I opted to include Cat Macario, who I anticipate will be rejuvenated by her arrival to the NWSL’s San Diego Wave. It’s why I dropped Emma Sears, who has struggled to finish in the national team’s final third.

The forward pool was boosted by Wilson’s triumphant comeback. How much further will Mal Swanson’s pending return boost — or change — the USWNT’s options for this role?

Tamerra’s World Cup squad predictions

Goalkeepers (3): Phallon Tullis-Joyce (Manchester United), Mandy McGlynn (Utah Royals), Claudia Dickey (Seattle Reign)

Defenders (7): Naomi Girma (Chelsea), Gisele Thompson (Angel City FC), Emily Fox (Arsenal), Emily Sonnett (Gotham FC), Avery Patterson (Houston Dash), Tierna Davidson (Gotham FC), Kennedy Wesley (San Diego Wave)

Midfielders (7): Sam Coffey (Manchester City), Rose Lavelle (Gotham FC), Claire Hutton (Bay FC), Lindsey Heaps (OL Lyonnes), Jaedyn Shaw (Gotham FC), Lily Yohannes (OL Lyonnes), Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns)

Forwards (6): Alyssa Thompson (Chelsea), Michelle Cooper (Kansas City Current), Sophia Wilson (Portland Thorns), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit), Catarina Macario (San Diego Wave), Jameese Joseph (Chicago Stars)

I’ve made four changes since my 2.0 prediction — swapping Davidson for Tara Rudd, Wesley for Reale, Michelle Cooper for Emma Sears; and Jameese Joseph for Ally Sentnor.

There’s been an ordering shift too. Dickey has quietly overtaken Tullis-Joyce as Hayes’ No 1. This change may have been obscured by Tullis-Joyce’s injury late last year, which caused her to miss a few national team camps. But more than her absence, as Melanie mentioned, Hayes prefers a keeper who is comfortable distributing out from the back.

Both keepers made important saves across the three Japan games, but the gap between the two on that particular skill was evident; Dickey starting the final match over Tullis-Joyce and Campbell all but confirmed her spot.

I recognize the risk of bringing four center-backs in Girma, Sonnet, Davidson, and Wesley. Considering how much will be expected of the full-backs, I still believe the ideal split is three center-backs and four full-backs, but right now the margins separating the former position are tighter than they are between the latter, so I’m allowing the imbalance to exist … for now.

Wesley’s impact during this window has been immense. She is a player who, on her sixth appearance for the USWNT, made two critical goal contributions in 11 minutes against a team that Hayes has deemed the best in the world. Davidson’s return has bumped Rudd further down the bench, and now I wonder if that, combined with Wesley’s ascent, might do the same for Sonnett further down the line.

My midfield selections are unchanged from the last edition — I feel similarly to Hayes that everyone in this group is largely trending in the right direction.

I am most conflicted about my forwards. That none of them scored during this window doesn’t help — and if we go back further, only two (Sentnor and Alyssa Thompson) scored during the SheBelieves Cup.

Yes, Wilson and Rodman are both working their way back to full fitness and finding their touch again. They still have time, but Hayes has referenced the need for improved decision making in the final third.

That’s why I can’t leave Macario, the top USWNT goal scorer of 2025, off this roster, even though she’s yet to play with the national team this year as she recovers from a heel injury.

Macario and Wilson are the No 9s, with Thompson, Cooper, and Rodman holding down the flanks. Joseph has played significantly fewer minutes than Sentnor with the national team, but her ability to slot in centrally or play on the wing is a versatile asset.

Sentnor is tenacious and has shown moments of individual brilliance, but her qualities as a No 9 do not exceed those of Smith or Macario when they are healthy, nor do her qualities as a No 10 (a position she can play) match those of Shaw or Lavelle.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

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