Rose Lavelle said she is more comfortable taking on the responsibilities of leadership and is ready to step up as a senior member of the U.S. squad when she heads to her second Women's World Cup, even as questions remain around her fitness.
The 28-year-old midfielder, who scored in the 2019 final to help the Americans won their fourth title, has been nursing a knee injury and her last appearance came in a friendly against Ireland on April 8.
With captain Becky Sauerbrunn among those sidelined due to injury, U.S. coach Vlatko Andonovski has selected a number of fresh faces for the World Cup, which begins on July 20 in Australia and New Zealand.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.