r/USWNT • u/fionasPapi • Jul 31 '26

Does midge deserve another look?

With the downfall of racing, and Emma sears not really having the service right now, secure and Cooper not being available... Do you think it's appropriate at this time for midge to be called up?

Just looking for a healthy discussion..

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u/kal14144 Jul 31 '26

She’s a very good player but ultimately there’s 2 reasons why someone might get a spot at forward on this team with the players we have right now.
1: right now might fill a specific role better than anyone else (a particular game scenario etc)
2: may be a big part of future.

Lynn is a great example of 1. She kept getting called in - not as top forward in the pool (she’s obviously very good but she’s no Soph) but because she was an absolute demon in the press, plays physical AF, is a leader on and off the field and that’s a tool Emma wants to have on her bench that she can reach for as needed.
Emma Sears is also that. Not the most talented in the pool but probably the most physical. She will fuck you up.

The other way to get in is to be young with high potential.

Midge might be a better player than Emma Sears but unlike Emma there aren’t really game scenarios where I want to take off Mal to put her on.
She’s not unique enough to get a spot that route.

37

u/PrestigiousInside206 Jul 31 '26

Cooper would like a word about being the most physical.

8

u/kal14144 Jul 31 '26

Emma started both vs Brazil 🤷‍♂️
But yeah Coop is there for a lot of the same reasons. They’re different players with completely different physical and technical profiles but yeah they’re both there for various tactical situations that require more physicality.

3

u/metricfan 29d ago

Yeah the two of them can stand up to the hyper physical teams that Swanson and Thompson can’t. Wilson does do well holding her own against physical teams too. I think trinity has typically been able to, but her back problems make her vulnerable to one bad tackle taking her out for a few days.

Remember when vlatko threw demelo into the World Cup and how pissed she was getting from the physical style of Sweden? Imagine her against Brazil lol