5 USWNT players who played their last game and who will replace them

5 USWNT players who have played their last game and who will replace them

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 06: Megan Rapinoe of USA misses her team's fourth penalty in the penalty shoot out during the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 Round of 16 match between Sweden and USA at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium on August 06, 2023 in Melbourne / Naarm, Australia. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images) /

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MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – AUGUST 06: United States head coach Vlatko Andonovski shakes hands with Kelley O’Hara #5 of the United States after the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 Round of 16 match between Sweden and the United States at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium on August 06, 2023 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Brad Smith/USSF/Getty Images for USSF) /

2. Kelley O’Hara

USWNT Replacement: Emily Fox

One thing stood out on the field following the final whistle of the Portugal match during this World Cup — Kelley O’Hara making an empowering speech to her teammates in a huddle. That was who she was. O’Hara, along with, Rapinoe was a leader that never wore the armband for the red, white, and blue. The defender’s work ethic never wavered. Her honesty in addition to her leadership style made her the remarkable player she was on the international stage on and off the pitch.

Like a few other veterans, O’Hara jas not confirmed the Sweden match was in fact her final game for the USWNT, but after playing in her fourth World Cup, it is quite likely. Like all these players, a perfect replacement is impossible. Though, in the wing-back position for the USWNT, it is quite evident who the future is. Emily Fox, the North Carolina Courage defender was one of the many positives for this USWNT at just 25 years of age.

Whether it is the left or the right side of the defense, Fox is someone that is going to be wearing that crest on her chest for years to come. What she did at the 2023 World Cup is just scraping the surface of her potential. The Courage defender has the capability to progress the ball with her dribbling or passing, and that was on full display through four matches down under. Whenever you lose someone like O’Hara, it is going to be difficult. But Fox is that gritty versatile wing-back that is bound to be a cornerstone of this team going forward.