|
Captain Becky Sauerbrunn, this year's leading
scorer Mallory Swanson and midfielders Catarina Macario and Sam
Mewis have all been ruled out of the global soccer showpiece,
which kicks off on July 20 in Australia and New Zealand.
Of the 23 players in the squad, Rodman is one of 14 heading to
their first World Cup but the 21-year-old said expectations for
the new-look team remain the same.
"My expectations are that we're the most ruthless team, we're
never going to give up and we're going to get the title,"
Rodman, who scored both goals in Sunday's friendly win over
Wales, told ESPN.
"Obviously the team has changed so much over the last couple of
World Cups, even the past couple of months, but this team is
something special. We want it more than ever, so I expect a gold
medal."
The top-ranked Americans begin their World Cup campaign on July
22 against tournament debutants Vietnam at Eden Park in
Auckland. They will also face 2019 runners-up Netherlands and
newcomers Portugal in Group E.
"I think with this team everyone expects success obviously based
off the past," Rodman added. "But there are a lot of new players
and a lot of connections that need to be built for the first
game, so it's just the pressure of doing well.
"(People think) you guys should be blowing these teams out or
should be winning, and it's a lot harder than that."
(Reporting by Hritika Sharma in Hyderabad; Editing by Peter
Rutherford)
[© 2023 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content. |
|
