Players with ties to U.S. soccer feature on nearly every team in the World Cup Round of 16
The United States has fostered the skills of elite women's soccer players worldwide thanks to fights won for equality in college, professional and national leagues.
A third of World Cup 2023 athletes have played soccer in the United States, or were born here.
Of the 32 teams that played in the group stage at the global soccer tournament, 27 have players with American ties, including, of course, the U.S. team. In the Round of 16, all but two teams, have players with U.S. experience. Most appeared on rosters in a U.S. college or professional league, according to a USA TODAY analysis. Some teams, like Jamaica, are not a surprise because of their proximity and cultural ties. But players from the opposite side of the globe also have come here for soccer opportunities.
Five reasons the United States influences women's soccer worldwide
America is a country of immigrants. Foreign-born residents and their U.S.-born children account for 27% of the population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. As a result, some World Cup athletes have dual citizenship in the U.S. and another nation.
Title IX — the law guaranteeing equal opportunities for women in collegiate sports — provides another development opportunity. Some colleges have sought international recruits for their squads. Players with language or cultural ties to the United States might also leverage their abilities to gain an education. But athletes must meet academic admission and visa requirements. Some national and junior national teams discourage collegiate play, however, because of the costs to bring players home for matches.
Professional soccer leagues in the U.S. have been crucial to global players in recent decades. Despite the bumpy history of American women's soccer leagues, they have often drawn top international talent. Early on, the signings, like former Chinese captain Sun Wen, helped draw crowds. In today's National Women's Soccer League, the structure means most teams are competitive with one another. In European leagues, it's common for one or two teams to consistently outclass the others. The U.S. influence has been challenged in recent years as other countries have established professional leagues or increased their investment in them.
Three countries funded salaries for some players to compete in the NWSL's early years. The agreement with the United States, Canada and Mexico helped the league guarantee top-tier players in its first few seasons, supported its financial stability and ensured the three nations' athletes had competitive development opportunities. The final salary supports from Mexico came in the 2015 season and from the U.S. and Canada in 2021.
The U.S. squad's competitive dominance and successful advocacy for equality has inspired players worldwide. If you want to improve your game, you try to play against the best as often as possible. And members of Team USA have been gracious with their advice to athletes pushing for gender equality in other nations, which has built respect across borders.
Explore the U.S. connections of players at the World Cup
She was born in Spanish Town, Jamaica and began playing for the country’s youth national teams at age 13, which is how she caught the attention of college scouts in the United States.
She played two years at Eastern Florida State College as a midfielder, earning top junior college honors.
She transferred to the University of Tennessee for her final years of college play. As a forward, she was named SEC Offensive Player of the Year.
She opted not to enter the college draft for the National Women’s Soccer League in America so she could consider options on other continents.
She briefly played with the Florida Krush in the amateur development league before signing with Bordeaux in France. Today, she plays for Manchester City in England.
Brazil outlawed women playing the beautiful game until 1979, and sexism persists today. The nation has inconsistently invested in its women’s national team, and many players, including Marta, were discovered by coincidence, not because of a development program.
After playing eight years in Brazil and Sweden, Marta signed with the Los Angeles Sol in 2009 at the launch of the second American professional league. She said at the time, “For me, the most important thing is to be in a place where the best players in the world are playing, and this is what they are trying to do here.”
She later played for Gold Pride in California and the Western New York Flash, as well as short stints back in Brazil and Sweden when the United States had no professional women’s league.
Since 2017, she has led the Orlando Pride, earning top league finishes for both goals and assists.
Sinclair started breaking records during her four years of collegiate play for the Portland Pilots, earning All-America honors, making Division I scoring history and earning the Hermann trophy.
Her entire professional career has been played in North American women’s leagues as they launched, folded and were revived, including the Vancouver Breakers, FC Gold Pride and the Western New York Flash.
Since 2013, Sinclair has anchored the dominant Portland Thorns in the National Women’s Soccer League, setting the record for career minutes on the field in playoffs.
The next year, Endo made her first World Cup appearance with the senior squad as the youngest player on the roster. But after a streak of dominance, Japan was eliminated in the Round of 16.
In an interview with the Associated Press, Endo described herself as “rookie” on that 2019 team.
But after playing the last two seasons with Angel City FC in Los Angeles, Endo said she has learned to express herself — on and off the field. Her pinpoint left-footed crosses and pink hair have made her a supporter favorite in the U.S.“This time I feel I have to show more of the experience I have gained over four years. I want to be an example to the younger players.”
She has appeared in 100 matches for the Girls in Green since 2011. That same year, she joined the new professional league for women in Ireland but later earned Players’ Player of the Year honors in the Scottish league.
O'Sullivan came to the states in 2016, playing in Houston before joining the North Carolina Courage. The midfielder has twice been named MVP by her teammates, with whom she has earned two NWSL Shield titles and two NWSL Championships.
The Guardian named O’Sullivan to its list of The 100 Best Female Footballers in The World, writing that she is “a combative presence in the Courage midfield” and “the heartbeat" of the team.
Read more coverage of the 2023 World Cup: https://www.usatoday.com/sports/soccer/world-cup/
SOURCE USA TODAY reporting and research; Associated Press
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: US soccer's surprising, wide-reaching influence on the 2023 World Cup
