The USWNT take on Costa Rica tonight in their final friendly before heading to Brazil for the Summer Olympics in Rio.
The United States Women’s National Team are set to play Costa Rica in an Olympic send-off friendly in Kansas City tonight (ESPN, 8 PM CT). It will be the final tune-up match before they head to the Summer Olympics in Brazil.
Here are three things to watch for:
Megan Rapinoe’s playing time
As we’ve stated before, Rapinoe is recovering from an ACL tear that has kept her sidelined since last December. She picked up a minor knock that kept her from returning against South Africa back on July 9th. USWNT fans are hoping she gets some kind of run out tonight.
Rapinoe is a major part of the USWNT attack as a left winger. She is crafty with the ball at her feet and can be counted on to serve dangerous balls into the box. Selecting her for the Olympic squad means she has been deemed healthy enough to contribute in Rio; playing a significant chunk of tonight’s game would go a long way to easing any fears there may be of her ability to do that.
Ditto for Carli Lloyd
Lloyd is fighting her way back from her own knee injury (MCL). She played the second half against South Africa, but could really use this match to find the form USWNT fans expect from her.
As co-captain, and World Cup hero, Lloyd will be expected to guide this squad to the gold medal in Rio with her leadership and her ability to create multiple scoring chances per game.
Who plays where
USWNT manager Jill Ellis has an abundance of talent to choose from with this team. Key areas to track tonight will be right back, the wings, and up top. Kelley O’Hara and Ali Krieger are both experienced and reliable on the right side of the defense. It will be interesting to see who gets more playing time not only tonight, but in Rio.
Mallory Pugh and Crystal Dunn are two young attackers Ellis has awarded significant playing time to. Both are speedy and dangerous in the final third, and both can play either on the wing or at forward. With Rapinoe on the mend, one of them – Pugh most likely – will probably get the start on the left wing.
That brings us to Alex Morgan’s partner up top. Christen Press is more experienced than Pugh and Dunn, and has shown that she can finish in front of goal. However, Ellis has utilized her quite a bit in the midfield. The USWNT manager will be looking to get her first-choice XI some time together, meaning tonight’s match against Costa Rica should give fans a glimpse at her plans for the Summer Olympics.
For more Rio 2016 Olympics coverage, check out our Olympics hub.