It’s hard to believe that this time last year, the world was introduced to Triple Espresso. Trinity Rodman, Mallory Swanson, and Sophia Wilson were the talk of the Olympic Village with their immaculate offensive energy. We all thought we were seeing the second coming of the Wambach, Morgan, and Rapinoe—but our front line has been noticeably decaffeinated ever since. So what’s the deal? Let’s get into it.
Emma Hayes Testing New Players
Between major tournaments, coach Emma Hayes was using friendlies and camps to test our new players and hoping to conjure up some new magic. This has given players like Michelle Cooper, Lily Yohannes, and Ally Sentnor their establishing moments on the roster.
It’s even given more seasoned players their moment on the roster, like Lo’eau Labonta’s first-ever USWNT cap. When November and January camp lists were announced last year, the trio was reportedly left off due to nursing nagging injuries, but now the year is almost over, and there’s still no sign of them.
Injuries and Pregnancies
Since the spring, Trinity Rodman has been out of action for her club team, the Washington Spirit, due to a persistent back issue that she’s been struggling with for years. Rodman posted that she has been grinding in the gym, working to get healthy.
And Wilson and Swanson have been making announcements of their own. Within just a few months of each other, Wilson and Swanson announced their first pregnancies. While Rodman takes time on the IR list, Wilson and Swanson will tackle motherhood for at least the rest of this season. And while this excellent news delays the return of Triple Espresso, there is still a lot to look forward to.
The most important thing we need for these women to reunite is a clean bill of health. Rodman is taking her recovery very seriously, and we have seen Wilson and Swanson take that long road to recovery before as well.
We are years out from another World Cup or Olympics, so there is plenty of time for rest and recovery. There are numerous friendlies and camps between now and then that could serve as a refresher for Triple Espresso, but we are certain that this trio will take the pitch together at the 2027 World Cup.
Featured image via Getty Images
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