LOS ANGELES — Although the U.S. roster for this summer's Women's World Cup won't be publicly announced until next week, coach Vlatko Andonovski has already begun letting players know who made the team — and who didn't.
One player whose fate isn't certain is Alyssa Thompson, the 18-year-old Angel City forward.
But Jill Ellis, who coached the U.S. to titles in the last two World Cups, said Wednesday that Thompson, who just finished her senior year at Harvard-Westlake School, would be on the roster if she were making the picks.
"She'd be in my lineup," Ellis said. "She'd be on my roster."
Thompson, the first high school player to be selected with the top pick in the NWSL draft, has a team-leading three goals and one assist in 11 games this season. She has game-changing speed, but has also impressed with her maturity and soccer IQ.
"I have been super impressed with the skill set and decision-making Alyssa has," said Carli Lloyd, a two-time world player of the year and now a soccer analyst on TV. "For an 18-year-old to be able to get out of tight spaces, take players on the dribble, know when to play 1-2 touch, have the confidence to shoot and be able to speed up and slow down on the dribble is something not many players have when they enter the pro level.
"She is unpredictable and a smart player for her age."
And while Thompson's youth is important for a national team that has traditionally been the oldest in whatever tournaments it has played in, Ellis said that's not the only reason Thompson makes her team.
"You win a World Cup with players that have certainly the experience. But coupled with that," she said, "the game-changer, the player that can come in off the bench that can absolutely just wreak havoc."
