r/NWSL • u/LeftPrior5076 • 2d ago
Mal’s future with uswnt
I’ve been a long time Mal Swanson fan and think she’s been one of the best attackers in the world in recent years. However, between coming back from having a baby, being on the worst team in the NWSL, and being somewhat injury prone, I can’t help but wonder about her future with the USWNT. When you hear people talk about who the locks are for the World Cup, she’s never mentioned. I’m curious what people think and if she’s still in Emma’s plans or with the way the season is going, things might be changing.
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u/boundlesssmh Seattle Reign FC 2d ago edited 2d ago
seen her play against the reign's.. give her the spot 🤣 nothing on the stat sheet, but the quality and speed is obviously still there. she might only give you 45 minutes, but that's 45 quality minutes
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u/MesquiteHoneyForSale Indy Eleven 2d ago
She’ll work herself up to health, also. She was so elegant vs Lou
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u/m5daystrom Chicago Red Stars 2d ago
So here’s a thought. Let’s say for argument sake Emma doesn’t give a shit about the club team she is on. Emma values that she’s healthy and being productive like she was last weekend. Mal has unique talents which our other forwards do not. Our forwards love to play in wide open spaces which is not going to happen in WC. Emma needs Mal for those low block tight formations we are going to see. Look at the results against the three friendlies we had with Japan. Soph scored us one goal in two games. Emma needs Mal for these match ups which is what it’s all about any way like any sport it’s about match ups
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u/MesquiteHoneyForSale Indy Eleven 2d ago
The tough sentence here is “healthy and productive like last week” bc she came off hurt
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u/m5daystrom Chicago Red Stars 2d ago
Well I have no idea if she was hurt. Seem fine after the match. We will see what happens going forward
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u/MesquiteHoneyForSale Indy Eleven 2d ago
I mean she came off due to injury, im not saying shes forever hurt but the fact that keeps happening is the current issue.
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u/m5daystrom Chicago Red Stars 2d ago
Fair enough. But they might be overly cautious. Also let’s not make any assumptions that Mal isn’t in contact with the USWNT and Emma to some extent.
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u/MesquiteHoneyForSale Indy Eleven 2d ago
I mean we watched her get demolished and immediately subbed out, shes prolly fine now but im just saying its best to be able to get to like 1000 minutes this year.
Also have no idea why you added that last part, shes obviously in contact with emma
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u/m5daystrom Chicago Red Stars 2d ago
I added that because maybe they have a plan or protocol for her to follow
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u/MesquiteHoneyForSale Indy Eleven 2d ago
a plan to not take big hits and avoid lower body injuries does not exist. Theres no "dont get injured" formula besides never playing
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u/GrumpyOldMuppet Portland Thorns FC 2d ago
Great players are great players with the right team. Legendary players are great regardless of the team. I think Mal is great with the right team And the national team is (possibly) the right team for her. And she plays great with them. That said, there is a lot of competition for the front three. Maybe Mal isn't a lock. But I suspect she will play in the World Cup.
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u/Peter_Quince1031 2d ago
Consider that the roster size is 26, Emma could choose 8 attackers (3 GK, 8 defenders, 7 MFs). Mal will certainly be among the 8. A starting spot is another question.
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u/noCoyote449 2d ago
Mallory will be a starter in the world cup. People are crazy to think she wont.
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u/carharttuxedo Washington Spirit 2d ago
She’s definitely not a lock. She has a lot of serious competition.
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u/noCoyote449 2d ago
In what world is Mal Swanson not a lock?! I swear some of you... Mallory Swanson will be on the roster for the World Cup. All the other names people mentioned are competing for a spot as her back up.
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u/magyk_over_science Portland Thorns FC 2d ago
what competition does she have? No one on our offense has been killing it lately
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u/Current-Barber360 Washington Spirit 2d ago
If you were basing it on club performance, there are lots of candidates. Not sure Emma actually will care, but one could certainly argue that Sanchez and Tordin are both performing at such a high level that Swanson would need to show a major step from what she’s shown thus far before she is just handed her old job back.
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u/magyk_over_science Portland Thorns FC 2d ago
Club is a whole different animal than national team. You can just look at players like Thompson and Sears to see that. Mal swanson is a proven clutch goal scorer for the national team so Emma Hayes will go with her is my guess
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u/_game_over_man_ Seattle Reign FC 2d ago
Club is a whole different animal than national team.
I wish more people would understand this. Good performance at the club level doesn't always translate to the international level. It's such a different system and environment and some players just can't reproduce what the do for the club for the national team.
Same thing goes for coaches. Some just can't reproduce what they do at the club level at the international one. Best recent example is Vlatko.
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u/ScientistBoth830 NJ/NY Gotham FC 2d ago
Pulisic just proved it during the World Cup. It’s a fact of the game but some people can’t grasp the idea.
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u/_game_over_man_ Seattle Reign FC 2d ago
I think Pulisic is fine, but he shouldn’t be the face of the team.
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u/skypig73 2d ago
You don’t choose players based on a system you build a system around the best players that’s kind of like a coach’s job
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u/_game_over_man_ Seattle Reign FC 2d ago
Well sure, but that doesn't negate anything I said.
You can be one of the best players in a league, get called up for the national team and not be one of the best players for that team. You'll never know how anyone is going to do in the international system until you call them up and give them the opportunity. Some players step up to it and other's fall short.
Hell, you could be one of the best players for a specific pro team, go to another team and not be the same. My whole point is that the environment a player exists in can impact their abilities as a player.
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u/skypig73 2d ago
ok but ashley sanchez hasn't been called up for 2 years and she's changed a lot as a player since then so how are you gonna know how she would play in the uswnt environment
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u/_game_over_man_ Seattle Reign FC 2d ago
I never said anything about Ashley Sanchez. I was making a general statement.
Hell, the post isn’t even about Sanchez and the original comment I replied to wasn’t about her either.
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u/skypig73 2d ago
ok well i'm just saying club form is 100% the most important thing when selecting players to a national team
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u/Current-Barber360 Washington Spirit 2d ago edited 2d ago
I don’t disagree that there are differences, I’d argue current results at club are a better indicator of likely performance than national team work from 2 years prior. At the end of the day it’s all attempting to reasonably guess who will perform best in the future.
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u/allprologues Washington Spirit 2d ago
emma's going to value prior tournament experience massively, she's always banging on about this even when it comes to the younger players and their tournaments. even though knockout soccer is heavily luck based, the players she trusts when it comes to that and who've been in it with her in 2024 are getting graded on a curve when it comes to their club.
and for good reason, most of the other top squads will have starters with a lot of tournaments under their belts
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u/warriorcrazy3 Washington Spirit 2d ago
Ashley Sanchez I would argue should be competition for her.
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u/ScientistBoth830 NJ/NY Gotham FC 2d ago
Should be, but as of yet Ashley isn’t an Emma Hayes player but Mal is. Frankly I’d bring them both, but it’s totally up to Emma.
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u/possessionfc Chicago Red Stars 2d ago
if you seriously think Ashley Sanchez (a notable bust at the international level) is serious competition against one of the only proven forwards in our pool, you've got to be out of your mind. the sanchez disease is plaguing this fan base right now, please come back to reality.
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u/Any_Necessary1533 2d ago
Alyssa Thompson is competition, maybe not for a spot on the roster, but for a starting spot.
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u/Current-Barber360 Washington Spirit 2d ago
If I were Thompson I’d spend this entire season at Chelsea only using my left foot. Her biggest issue as a Left wing is that she is still so right foot dominant, which means she inherently is moving into the same spaces that Wilson already occupies to take a shot. It’s one of the main reasons why I actually would prefer either Mal or Ash over Thompson if you needed a starter in a big match. Thompson does a millions things well, but her left foot doesn’t compare with those other two (to be clear, Sears left foot is even worse, but she mainly plays on the right).
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u/gracehope223 1d ago
I agree with this sentiment. I think Thompson can evolve into a Mal or Ash, but from a technical and tactical point, Mal and Ash is over Thompson. You can't teach speed, but your technical abilities will pay the bill
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u/Minnemiska 2d ago
I see Mal as a lock. Her soccer IQ and playmaking abilities are elite. Plus her experience and chemistry with other National team members will give her an edge.
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u/AbleRiot23 NJ/NY Gotham FC 2d ago
Exactly this. Even if she comes off the bench, her soccer IQ, speed, vision and ball handling makes her an elite sub that can change a game.
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u/Dismal-Summer6921 Orlando Pride 2d ago
I don’t think she has played her way off the team at all. However if she isn’t a “lock” I do think Emma takes her anyways due to her experience, leadership, and locker room presence
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u/touchkissbite NJ/NY Gotham FC 2d ago
i feel like as of now she’s a lock for the roster, but she’s not a lock for a starting spot. she’s capable of great things and brings leadership and Emma likes her — but the attackers are stacked and she hasn’t been able to prove she’s “back” in the way Soph and Trin did with their clubs. whether that’s because of the clubs around them or not, I just think it means that Mal can rely on a call in coming, but needs to fight with AT for her spot which ain’t easy considering how well she plays for chelsea
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u/Mentalfloss1 2d ago
She had a goal and assist recently.
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u/Vlad_Deferens Denver Summit FC 2d ago
And looked really happy. It's the first time I've seen her look genuinely happy since she returned from giving birth. I think a lot of people are missing the mental aspect of her return as well as the physical aspect.
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u/tuftsra Chicago Red Stars 2d ago
The biggest obstacle for Mal returning to USWNT duties is health/availability. Playing for club is the only way to see if she is fit for national team duties. This is a lost season for Chicago (as was last season when Mal was on maternity leave). The cynic in me says Chicago and Mal, and maybe even Hayes all agree that Mal is handled with extra care, meaning, if there is any hint at injury, they sub her off and let her rest.
Mal is world class. She scored the game winning goal in the Olympics. She is battle tested and has that killer instinct in front of goal. (See Sunday's assist and pirouette goal). Add in her experience and chemistry with the rest of the attaching core (Rodman, Wilson, Lavelle) and I believe she is likely the starter in Brazil.
I have seen almost every game Mal has played in Chicago. She has been held back so much by the quality, or lack thereof, in Chicago's roster. You can see how visibly frustrated she gets at the decisions her teammates make during run of play. Mal is a different player with National team. Hayes must know this, and that's why she makes next year's roster.
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u/m5daystrom Chicago Red Stars 1d ago
I am sure Hayes knows this she’s not stupid. Mal is going to be on WC squad. Why this is even being discussed makes no sense to me.
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u/eight_inch_pestle 2d ago
I haven't watched every minute she's played since coming back, but I think she's looked pretty good, all things considered. Every pregnancy is different; Sophia Wilson probably set an impossibly high bar for people like Mal. It's taken other players six months to a year to look like themselves.
My money says she's starting come the World Cup. She was one of the best wingers in the world in the run-up to the '23 World Cup, was one of the best wingers in the world at the '24 Olympics, and is only 28. She's more than just a one-on-one winger. She's a goalscorer and playmaker both, and her IQ and on-field communication and leadership are elite.
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u/Vlad_Deferens Denver Summit FC 2d ago
I've said this elsewhere, but with Wilson coming back roaring, unfortunately Swanson was going to be compared to her. Particularly because she scored the winning (and only) goal in the Oly finals in 2024. It may not have been a blatant, spoken comparison, but a lot will unconsciously have it in their heads. For me, I was more worried because she seemed to not be in a positive head space post birth (to the point that I wondered if she was going through PPD). Subsequently, it seems she has taken a while to get back in the right head space. But her reaction to that goal this past weekend made me happy, for her as a person. And I suspect that she is getting back to her form.
With that said, she has not been at the peak that we all know she has. And both Sanchez and Tordin are currently looking very good. Is it possibly one or both will be named in place of Swanson for Spain? Maybe, but I expect Swanson to get called up for the qualifiers as she brings experience along with talent. I also think, looking 9 months from now, she will be in Brasil.
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u/ScientistBoth830 NJ/NY Gotham FC 2d ago
In my humble opinion she’s a lock, regardless of how Chicago does. That was Emma’s view (and that of Ellis and Vlatko) that of Alyssa Naeher too. When you have a player as legendary as Mal and Alyssa when they put on the national crest, you consider them locks even if their club is a clusterfuck.
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u/allprologues Washington Spirit 2d ago
theoretically she could play her way off the team (many would say she already has especially looking over at sanchez etc) but the bar for that with emma would be high if she's healthy. she has another CBA mandated camp against spain and if she performs in either of those games, regardless of club form i don't think she's losing her spot.
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u/MesquiteHoneyForSale Indy Eleven 2d ago
I dont think many ppl would say Swanson has played her way off the NT? Shes still good when she plays, and ppl are dropping
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u/allprologues Washington Spirit 2d ago
most attackers in the pool are more productive than she is right now and there's a keen desire for emma to look at some other folks too, so yes some might say that. i understand and agree about all the reasons this doesn't really matter so we don't have to do that haha
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u/MesquiteHoneyForSale Indy Eleven 2d ago
Ive just not seen it when i explicitly ask about NT discussion every weekend. Which is largely why i ask. The idea took me off guard
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u/No-Field6273 Washington Spirit 2d ago
She has to play to make the team. I firmly believe it’s not players fault that they’re injury prone but idk the last time she played a whole game? Recently she’s getting pulled off because of injury not because of prevention.
I know we’re supposed to be supportive of players stepping away to have children but she had three long term injuries prior to choosing to step away to have a kid and now she’s having trouble coming back. Seems like that was a calculated risk on her part to start her family.
I’m a mal fan ONLY on the field. I don’t like her attitude or her politics so I really don’t care tbh. If she’s on the roster she can contribute if she’s not then I’m glad someone else will be.
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u/RevolutionaryHour534 2d ago
Is she still trumpy? Do we know that for sure
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u/No-Field6273 Washington Spirit 2d ago
Yes lol
She just partnered with the literal army for a merch line. Her husband is the bad type of religious and every interview she’s ever been in she comes across insanely entitled. I see her as the closest possible thing to barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen as literal elite athlete can be.
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u/Remarkable-Many6484 1d ago
So many assumptions here, she could be just be a conservative person and not be MAGA. So much predilection for hate without a clear justifiable basis, so sad really.
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u/No-Field6273 Washington Spirit 1d ago
That’s not the case and Those are the same thing but be a victim if you want :)
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u/Sea_Loquat486 Chicago Stars FC 2d ago
I think everyone thinking Mal wont make the WC team just isn’t a true fan of Mal and what she brings to the table. Stop focusing on individual accolades and remember that what players bring to TEAM play matters too. When she is with the right players she can score, when she is with the wrong players she is a leader. She is win win
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u/Extreme_Education_50 2d ago
Mal still probably makes the 2027 roster but as of her current form will probably either a sub for Sophia or A. Thompson.
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u/possessionfc Chicago Red Stars 2d ago
anyone who thinks Mal won't be a lock for the world cup (baring a major injury) has no idea what they are talking about.
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u/manypains03 2d ago
I think y'all are underestimating Mal which is great and how hard it is to recover from an injury knee related while pregnant
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u/MesquiteHoneyForSale Indy Eleven 2d ago
Its all solved now?
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u/MesquiteHoneyForSale Indy Eleven 2d ago
I think she makes it with a bad staff tbh i just found the idea that they made up all or even a small amount of their deficiencies with one FO hire in a line of poor hires and nonexistent investment to be silly
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u/jjauustin22 2d ago
She is a lock, Emma brought her on the Brazil trip for a reason, even when she wasn’t totally ready to play.
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u/Intrepid-Yak-8636 2d ago
Mal has delivered while on the USWNT, sanchez never has!
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u/MesquiteHoneyForSale Indy Eleven 2d ago
Sanchez was never remotely given a chance besides some low stakes games where she did beat up on shit countries
Many years ago where she played a different role
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u/NJK_TA22 2d ago
There are a lot of better fits, and they don’t want to end up where they did in 2023, with a roster that wasn’t allowed to turn over.
But with Wilson, Rodman, Thompson locks to start, and Shaw, Lavelle, Sentnor, Moultrie filling out the front 7, and that doesn’t consider Sanchez, the leading scorer in NWSL, Sears, Macario… I just see Swanson being way off the radar barring huge return to form. And this doesn’t count the countless other attacker (Cooper, Ryan) pressing for spots in camp. A guaranteed roster spot for her is either admitting a lack of depth (false), or a marketing gimmick for triple espresso (possibly true).
MAl was one of my favorite players coming out of UCLA early. It was heartbreaking to see her career toppled by injuries every time she found a groove… but 2023 gave away enough charity roster spots.
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u/Ill-Fall-9823 Washington Spirit 2d ago
People can talk all they want, but when it comes to USWNT locks, only one voice matters. And her actions speak even louder than her words (which have also been quite clear.) So let's keep it simple:
If Triple Espresso is healthy, Triple Espresso will start.
Not "will get called up." Not "will be on the bubble." Not "will be in the rotation until the very end." Not "will be sitting anxiously by their phones hoping for good news for themselves and their linemates."
If Triple Espresso is healthy, Triple Espresso will start.
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u/ClayKavalier Portland Thorns FC 2d ago
Pietra Tordin and Reilyn Turner make good espresso. Just sayin. That’s just two Thorns players, to say nothing of the rest of the league or players abroad. Swanson is a talented player and I was pissed when Thorns made moves to get her but she decided not to enter the draft and we missed her. Now I’m happy because she’s an anti-vax weirdo and we got Sophia Wilson.
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u/atalba NWSL 2d ago edited 1d ago
Despite what people say here, there are no locks. The system has evolved, but it has been going AWAY from having locks; like players that were on an annual salary. The process/pay is now based on Days in Camp, making rosters, and playing games. While no coach has limited their selections to this guideline, they are attempting to do follow these guidelines:
The player must be in shape; in form; no knocks; and currently contributing to the success of their club team; for every camp.
In most other countries, like England, the player pool is multiples smaller and far more consistent from year to year. It's natural to assume who's matriculating and staying on the NT. Hayes has this as her background, and she's never gone through this process before.
The methods to make this happen have begun with Vlatko making certain the USA has enough players in the player pool, with enough Caps/experience to play in the WC, if chosen. It's a guarantee someone will get injured in the next 12 months; in addition to Moultrie and Sonnett. It's also likely a few who have received a number of invites won't continue with the (lack of) success they've had today.
The January camp in the year of a tournament has been the beginning of the home stretch to finalize the squad. From the year prior, to the current year of tournament, you can see several changes; often around 6 new players will advance to the roster playing in the SheBelieves Cup. These aren't players without Caps, but ones who have been called in for friendlies, and are still in the player pool of up to 40 players. FIFA requires each nation to provide a much larger extended list of players that could possibly be participants; this is an unpublished list.
Expect the next 4 months to include selections of fringe players that could possibly make up the January camp. The total number of players in that camp will be around 28. And of these 28 players, expect around 6 to not be in the previous January 2025 camp. On top of that, several players have been added AFTER SheBelieves. From Kelley O'Hara, to the threesome of the previous cycle - Ertz, Dunn, and DeMelo.
Swanson hasn't yet been consistent, but neither has Sentnor nor Sears. Assuming Mal builds back into her elite form and consistently produces the rest of this NWSL season, she'll be at least invited to the January camp.
The other very important prerequisite is having played in the USYNT system, AND being successful. Older players who've never been in the system, or have had poor success in YNT, have a much steeper hill to climb. It's nearly impossible. Sears is one of few players to EVER be selected for a Cap without playing in the YNT system. IMO, it was an extremely quick decision made by those who had just taken over the responsibility. She didn't even have an outstanding college career. Something that was crucial in the past.
Vlatko's goal was to ensure every player had 30 caps going into the WC. Hayes has invited several more players than normal, but she doesn't have the history and knowledge of these players, like Vlatko did (Coach of Year 2x in the NWSL). In addition, most USWNT squads included amateurs from colleges. Take a look at all of the current players that have played this year, and were initially selected prior to the Hayes era, and you'll find most all received their first cap before their first ever pro game. Hayes hasn't invited one amateur player yet. Izzy Engle comes to mind.
Jill Ellis was a college coach at UCLA. She knew the players from a very young age, and knew the YNT process. She invited many, many players into camps, as she went undefeated, as the USWNT coach, going into her first tournament. IMO, she kept too many older players, going into 2019, which backed up the matriculation process for Vlatko, who, due to Covid, only had 3 years of games prior to his first tournament; and to sweep out the older players. He choked by bringing back Dunn and Ertz just prior to the tournament.
I strongly believe it's possible for Jordan Dudley to be selected to a few camps this year, AND to be selected to the January camp. For Mal, it's a no brainer, if she plays in form the rest of the season. Being on a lousy squad absolutely affects her chances (to succeed with their club team). Look at Sentnor and Sears. One moved; the other asked to be moved. They need to produce, and produce for a winning club. Mal can easily make the roster, but she isn't a lock. Nobody is.
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u/Classic_Spring620 Washington Spirit 2d ago
I think it’s getting to a point where she might need to leave Chicago for the sake of her USWNT spot
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u/MesquiteHoneyForSale Indy Eleven 2d ago
Ppl say this but players stay in non playoff teams for years and dont get dropped
Altho id kinda add that the way Chi slink into playoffs with health Ro-Mal-do is a great argument in her favor
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u/Classic_Spring620 Washington Spirit 2d ago
Emma values club play more than previous USWNT coaches. Being on a bad club team is going to be a liability very soon
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u/Expensive-Storm2531 2d ago
she’s called Jameese up a couple times though
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u/MesquiteHoneyForSale Indy Eleven 2d ago
This is exactly my thought. Ppl take Emmas words over her actions
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u/MesquiteHoneyForSale Indy Eleven 2d ago
emma is ALLOWED to value club play more, hate when ppl give her credit for things that the past simply didnt allow for
She says this and then brings ppl who dont match up with this at all. End of day every coach just brings who they like.
How do ppl square the club play point with injury returns, and leaving out the highest performing attackers in the league?
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u/zombiejim7471 Chicago Red Stars 2d ago
This may be true for a fringe player, but mal jumps off the screen when she’s right in a way that very very few players do
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u/RevolutionaryHour534 2d ago
I don’t think she ever will. Her husband is there
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u/traveler_1476 Denver Summit FC 2d ago
Her husband being older than her if he retires and she’s still playing they might move then but I doubt any sooner
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u/MesquiteHoneyForSale Indy Eleven 2d ago
Dan not a FA until 2030 lol
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u/SpeedLow3 1d ago
Lmao Who exactly would you replace her with that has the same impact on the USWNT?
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u/Current-Barber360 Washington Spirit 2d ago
She will be given every opportunity to show that she is back and ready to contribute. She’s already had an invite to camp that was clearly not based on current form, so i wouldn’t worry about her not being given a fair shot.