Sam Mewis could be one of the World Cup’s biggest X-Factors

Although Sam Mewis wasn’t originally scheduled to start for the USWNT in their 13-0 victory over Thailand, she joined Alex Morgan as one of the team’s standout performers.

North Carolina Courage star midfielder Sam Mewis came into the 2019 World Cup in great form, but she was originally supposed to sit on the bench for the USWNT’s opening game against Thailand. However, an injury to Becky Sauerbrunn opened up an opportunity for Mewis to start, as Julie Ertz moved to the heart of the United States’ defense to make way for the 26-year-old.

Mewis took full advantage of this opportunity against an overmatched Thailand defense. As a whole, the USWNT had far too much class for the underdogs, but Mewis was particularly dominant in the first half before things really got out of hand in the second. Thailand simply couldn’t move Mewis off of the ball, and her intelligent passing caused all sorts of problems for Thailand, especially in the penalty box.

When the final whistle was blown and the scoreline read 13-0 in the USWNT’s favor, Mewis walked off the field responsible for two goals and an assist. She set up Rose Lavelle’s second goal with a perfect cross from the left, and both of her goals were the result of her trademark work ethic and opportunism inside the 18-yard box.

After her all-action display, Mewis will be extremely difficult to bench. The USWNT have an embarrassment of attacking riches in the midfield and out wide, as substitutes Christen Press, Carli Lloyd and Mallory Pugh were exemplary in the United States’ incredible win.

However, Mewis brings a different quality to the game as an athlete. She can do just about everything a midfielder needs to do. Mewis is a great defender, she’s composed on the ball, she’s a smart passer, she scores goals and her strength makes her impossible to beat in 50/50 challenges on the ground or in the air. Maybe the most important takeaway from her game, however, was her willingness and ability to beat defenders repeatedly, as she provided so much energy with her dribbling against Thailand.

All of that makes Mewis a player to watch closely in this tournament, and it seems like Jill Ellis will have no choice but to start her going forward. At worst, Mewis would be yet another dangerous player — along with Press, Lloyd and Pugh — off the bench for the USWNT.

But the fact of the matter is that she’s way too good to sit on the bench. At 5-foot-11, Mewis is the tallest player to ever feature in the USWNT, and her strength advantage shows. She’s also so good at taking defenders on and finishing off moves, which makes her the USWNT’s secret weapon.

Mewis is a name to remember, though diehard football fans understand her quality. After all, she was in the running for NWSL Player of the Year two years ago as one of the stars of a dominant Courage side, and she’s a regular in the league’s Best XI. Perhaps her only weakness, then, is her goal celebrations.

But with how often she scored against Thailand and with how much she impacts the game besides scoring goals, it’s just another endearing aspect of her multi-layered, high-caliber game. She needs to be a regular in Ellis’s side from here on out, because she has the talent to decide games on her own against even higher quality opposition.