Against Vietnam, the United States Women's National Team had a big contrast between players. Many players such as Julie Ertz and Alex Morgan had more than 100 appearances. Then there was Savannah DeMelo. She had just one appearance before the opening match of the World Cup.
She then started against both Vietnam and the Netherlands at the tournament. She appeared in seven games in 2023 and seemed poised to be one of the new stars of the team representing the United States.
Since then, though, she has yet to make an appearance in a match under new head coach Emma Hayes. DeMelo initially made the 2023 roster for the international tournament by playing aggressively in the NWSL and had eight goals in the same year as the World Cup.
Savannah DeMelo was left off the Olympic roster but was brought in for the January camp
It seems that Hayes may be looking in different directions, but if DeMelo can return to her 2023 form she should be on the radar for Hayes. Both Sam Coffey and Jayden Shaw have been utilized at both the Olympics and in recent friendly matches, as opposed to DeMelo at the midfielder position.
She still has time, and since her recent diagnosis of Graves' disease and hyperthyroidism has seemed to be regaining her old form from 2023. She has two goals and two assists in club play for her NWSL team, Racing Louisville FC.
She has to continue to improve and generate chances as a midfielder and possibly moving into a forward position if she wants to get more National Team appearances and become a part of the World Cup Roster in 2027.
She was a mainstay on the both the U-19/U-20 teams and 38 appearances. However, she still has yet to get as many chances on the main National Team. The player pool is deep, but there was a reason why she was chosen for the World Cup in 2023.
She needs to prove to Hayes and be the reason that she cannot be left home yet again.
The young DeMelo did show some promise in the World Cup opening match against Vietnam in 2023. She played well defensively and offered a sweet pass to veteran Alex Morgan that fell just short for a fourth goal in a 3-0 victory.
The promise needs to become more consistent on the club level or in camp for DeMelo. If she plays with more consistency, it may be hard for Hayes to leave her off the roster anymore.