The USWNT is still reflecting on their recent early exit at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup. The latest player to share her experience is the USWNT's youngest star, Alyssa Thompson, who talks about feeling sad and lonely during the World Cup.
The 18-year-old Thompson made her first Women's World Cup after being called up to the Senior National Team after Mallory Swanson went down with an injury. However, she saw limited playing time during the World Cup and didn't feel best.
“Throughout the tournament, there were some days when I was just sad,” Thompson said during an interview with the RE-CAP Show. “I felt really lonely some days, too. I feel like it’s a lot, that tournament. Playing or not, there’s different things too,” per Josh Needelman of Just Women's Sports.
“People were still trying to, I feel like, get me up to speed a little bit. I wasn’t playing that much, so, also having that. I was like happy for game day. I wasn’t as nervous as most people. I was more excited. I felt a lot like a fan watching the games.”
Though this experience may not have been an amazing dream for Alyssa Thompson, this most likely will not be her last World Cup. While her youth and lack of inexperience internationally at the senior probably led to her seeing less playing time than many of her teammates, she is one of the players with the brightest futures ahead. Her talent was so renowned that she gave up her commitment with Stanford University and was instead the NWSL's No. 1 overall draft pick by Angel City FC this year.